Cheeseman's Green, near
where the cat was seen

by James Scott
jscott@thekmgroup.co.uk

A couple have spoken of their shock at seeing a black
leopard running across a field at Kingsnorth.

Eugene and Karina Rivers, of Hadleigh Street, Kingsnorth, saw
the animal while walking their three-month-old Welsh terrier puppy
Jasmine off Cheesemans Green Lane at 9.30pm on Sunday, May 29.

Mother-of-three Mrs Rivers said: “When we got to the railway
line I saw in the distance what I thought was a dog.

"It came right across the horizon but we couldn’t see an owner.
This thing was travelling so fast I could hardly keep my eyes on
it.

"they looked at me like i was a loon…” – karina rivers

"It got to the
opposite corner from us, it did the whole length of the field in
less than 10 seconds.

“It ran differently from a dog, putting its front two legs
forward first and then its back legs followed.

"Then I said 'Oh my God, that’s not a dog’. We grabbed Jasmine
and huddled in the bushes and just watched.”

The 31-year-old nurse continued: “It was definitely a cat but it
was huge and black and the way it moved was not the way a
normal domestic animal moves.

"Then as quick as we had seen it, it got to the edge of the
field and disappeared.

"I was quite shocked to be honest. We were both a bit unnerved
by it."

Auto-electrician Mr Rivers, 44, said: “We were both a bit
shocked really to see that so close to such a built up area.

"It was quite hard to rationalise it in your head. You think it
couldn’t be real and you tell yourself it’s not real but it wasn’t
a dog. It was just very strange.”

Mr Rivers points out
where he spotted the Black animal

Mrs Rivers added: “I’ve told a few people where I work about it
and they looked at me like I was a loon but we know what we saw and
how we felt.”

After walking home, they looked on the internet and reported it
to Neil Arnold of Kent Big Cat Research, who collects data of
exotic animal sightings in the county.

Mr Arnold received a second report of a big cat, which he
believes could be the same animal, in the Kingsnorth area the day
before.

An eight-year-old boy spotted a large animal in long grass
spying on a domestic cat and ran to tell his father.

“The animal was described as a metre tall on its haunches and
had yellow eyes which would fit the description of a black
leopard,” said Mr Arnold.

“Ashford is such a vast area. There’s so much forest and a lot
of cover which runs down to Romney Marsh, where I’ve found a lot of
signs of a black leopard.

“I think there’s at least three or four between Ashford,
Maidstone and Romeny Marsh.

"There are reports going back to the sixties so it’s certainly a
viable breeding area.

“I’ve done quite a few talks in Ashford recently. It’s amazing
the number of people who come up and see me afterwards to say
they’ve seen one.

“Sadly, sceptics still argue these animals do not exist even
though hair and faeces have been analysed and proven to belong to
large cat species, sheep and deer have been found dragged high up
into trees and eaten.”

Anyone who witnesses a big cat can report it to Mr Arnold on
01634 819746 or log on to www.kentbigcats.blogspot.com

Have you seen or photographed a big cat in the Ashford
area? Call the news desk on 01233 623 232 or e-mailkentishexpress@thekmgroup.co.uk