'Big cat on the loose' after deer found devoured in Cotswolds village

Residents of a Cotswolds village are on alert due to suspicions of a big cat lurking in the area. A roe deer is believed to have fallen victim to the elusive predator in Painswick, with a photograph showing the grisly remains of the animal—only its head and rear legs were left, indicating it had been eaten by a large creature.

Additionally, another photo reveals clumps of hair torn from the deer's coat, a sign consistent with a big cat's handiwork post-kill before feasting on their catch. While we have spared readers from the full graphic details in those images lower down in this piece, they were brought to light thanks to big cat and wildlife enthusiast Frank Tunbridge, who received them via an email dated October 24, showcasing the deer's freshly killed body mostly consumed in a manner suggestive of an attack by a large feline.

Frank Tunbridge, 78, from Podsmead provided an insightful comment on the situation: "Where there's something to eat there's something to eat it. It is an old survival maxim which applies right across the natural world, and all wild creatures exist by this rule."

He elaborated on the specific indicators of a big cat kill that he observed: "Signs of the deer being killed by a big cat include bite marks to the throat, large amount of internal organs eaten, and the ribcage licked clean. The hair of the deer had been plucked away before the carnivore started its meal."

"The killing and consumption exhibited by the signs of a roe deer are typical of a British big cat or a lynx. Which there is a viable population throughout the UK.", reports Gloucestershire Live.

"These cats, which are often described as similar to black leopards and pumas are sighted on a regular basis in all parts of the UK, and generally in rural areas, and are often seen in semi urban areas on the edge of towns. Where small deer such as muntjac and roe exist, basically, where the deer go the cats will not be far behind."

"Successful carnivores generally need a large home range to keep their larders full, and these British big cats can cover many miles between dusk and dawn in their quest for food and mates. like many wild species, they change their habitat accordingly between the summer months of plenty, and the harsher times of winter."

"Every year, as the weather changes to colder days and frosty nights, generally from early November, I often receive reports of small deer carcasses, generally roe deer, killed and consumed in the manner of a large felid. The one featured in this picture here is no exception."

"The image was sent to me by a man working near a large estate in Painswick, Gloucestershire, and was quite fresh when he discovered it. Unfortunately he was requested to move it, so no chance to set up a trail camera nearby, in case the killer returned."

"As can be seen in many videos a large majority of these elusive 'big cats' are the result of hybridisation, and in many cases are now successfully breeding true to type, after the 1976 Dangerous animals act. The act caused owners to dump and release their large exotic pets across the UK, due to the stringent restrictions imposed."

"Living on the edge, of towns and villages has now become common place for many species of wildlife, herbivores and carnivores alike, who are attracted by the abundance of an easy meal created by the residents. They are scavenging and this is often more successful than foraging and hunting for your next meal."

"Where there's something to eat, there's something to eat it."

If you have any big cat sightings in the UK that you'd like to discuss with Frank confidentially, please email him here.