Strange meeting at Black Dog.
BUSINESSMAN Andrew Amor was left stunned after he saw what he believes was a big cat.
Mr Amor, 40, was driving home just after midnight on Monday when he saw a large black animal on the side of the A360, ironically, just before the Black Dog crossroads south of Potterne.
Mr Amor, of Great Cheverell, said: "I had my headlights on main beam when I saw something on the side of the road looking back at me. "My lights picked out its reflective eyes.
"As I drove past I looked at it and although it wasn't panther size it was like a lynx or cheetah but all black. "It had long legs, a long tail and was quite slim. It definitely wasn't a domestic cat or a dog.
"I wasn't tired and I didn't imagine it. When I saw the animal the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. It was a bit spooky, especially the way it casually looked round at me and didn't move.
"When I got home I kept thinking, what on earth was that?" There have been numerous sightings over the years of big cats in the Cheverell and Lavington areas.
Mr Amor, a UK sales manager for a tool company, said: "Up until I saw this animal I hadn't taken a lot of notice of stories of sightings of big cats. "I was so convinced by what I saw that I went on to a website on black cat sightings."
There have been various sightings of big cats in Wiltshire. According to the British Big Cat Society there have been 60 sightings of big cats across Wiltshire.
A black leopard is believed to have been seen in Great Cheverell in April 2000.
A big cat, thought to be a lynx, was seen by two teenage girls in Drews Pond Lane in Devizes in January 2001.
In July 2002 a black panther was sighted in fields on Rowden Hill, Chippenham, and a month before that a black panther-type cat was spotted at Great Bedwyn.
As yet no one has been able to produce photographic evidence of the big cats but the society is convinced that big cats are living freely in the countryside.
The society believes that when new legislation brought in in the 1970s made it illegal for wild animals to be kept without a licence many big cats were released into the wild.
During a 15-month study there were 2,052 reported sightings of big cats throughout Britain, which is four a day. At 21 per cent of sightings nationally the South West region has had the most incidents.
The society has presented its evidence to DEFRA and the Home Office and is calling on the Government to undertake a long-term and UK-wide properly funded scientific study.
Danny Bamping, founder of the British Big Cat Society, said: "The evidence has been increasing and is becoming clearer. "We have asked the proper authorities for their support in undertaking a properly funded scientific study on the big cats in Britain.
"We'd like to focus on the South West as this is the most active area." The BBCS was set up to scientifically investigate the status of big cats roaming the British countryside.
It aims to identify, quantify, catalogue and protect the big cats.
www.weirdwiltshire.co.uk
BUSINESSMAN Andrew Amor was left stunned after he saw what he believes was a big cat.
Mr Amor, 40, was driving home just after midnight on Monday when he saw a large black animal on the side of the A360, ironically, just before the Black Dog crossroads south of Potterne.
Mr Amor, of Great Cheverell, said: "I had my headlights on main beam when I saw something on the side of the road looking back at me. "My lights picked out its reflective eyes.
"As I drove past I looked at it and although it wasn't panther size it was like a lynx or cheetah but all black. "It had long legs, a long tail and was quite slim. It definitely wasn't a domestic cat or a dog.
"I wasn't tired and I didn't imagine it. When I saw the animal the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. It was a bit spooky, especially the way it casually looked round at me and didn't move.
"When I got home I kept thinking, what on earth was that?" There have been numerous sightings over the years of big cats in the Cheverell and Lavington areas.
Mr Amor, a UK sales manager for a tool company, said: "Up until I saw this animal I hadn't taken a lot of notice of stories of sightings of big cats. "I was so convinced by what I saw that I went on to a website on black cat sightings."
There have been various sightings of big cats in Wiltshire. According to the British Big Cat Society there have been 60 sightings of big cats across Wiltshire.
A black leopard is believed to have been seen in Great Cheverell in April 2000.
A big cat, thought to be a lynx, was seen by two teenage girls in Drews Pond Lane in Devizes in January 2001.
In July 2002 a black panther was sighted in fields on Rowden Hill, Chippenham, and a month before that a black panther-type cat was spotted at Great Bedwyn.
As yet no one has been able to produce photographic evidence of the big cats but the society is convinced that big cats are living freely in the countryside.
The society believes that when new legislation brought in in the 1970s made it illegal for wild animals to be kept without a licence many big cats were released into the wild.
During a 15-month study there were 2,052 reported sightings of big cats throughout Britain, which is four a day. At 21 per cent of sightings nationally the South West region has had the most incidents.
The society has presented its evidence to DEFRA and the Home Office and is calling on the Government to undertake a long-term and UK-wide properly funded scientific study.
Danny Bamping, founder of the British Big Cat Society, said: "The evidence has been increasing and is becoming clearer. "We have asked the proper authorities for their support in undertaking a properly funded scientific study on the big cats in Britain.
"We'd like to focus on the South West as this is the most active area." The BBCS was set up to scientifically investigate the status of big cats roaming the British countryside.
It aims to identify, quantify, catalogue and protect the big cats.
www.weirdwiltshire.co.uk
