MORE theories of big cats being on the loose in the British countryside have been sparked after a freshly dismembered sheep leg was discovered.
The torn leg was found in the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales yesterday by a stunned walker out for a stroll.
With the rest of the carcass nowhere to be seen and the kill looking recent, the find has set tongues wagging on what could have caused the damage.
Rumours and theories of big cats existing in the hills and valleys of the UK have persisted for decades, and this fresh find looks to have gotten some Brits considering the possibility again.
An image captured by the walker shows the dismembered sheep’s leg left to rot in the countryside.
No other sign of a large animal was found around the limb and the rest of the sheep’s body was missing from the area.
The discovery led some to believe the sheep was hunted and killed by a large predatory animal – with rumours of an escaped big cat coming to the fore.
With the rest of the sheep carcass missing, presumably dragged off somewhere, and several reports of big cat sightings in the area over the years, many assumed the discovery was proof of a predator on the loose.
The sheep’s leg was left in pieces by whatever killed it with the skin peeled back and the flesh exposed.
It was detached at the joint with the bone being cleanly broken by something powerful enough to snap thick bone and cartilage.
The image was shared to social media yesterday after the leg was discovered with the caption: “I found a fresh, severed sheep’s leg in the Brecon Beacons today.
“Proof that there is a big cat on the loose.”
It has since received over 645 likes and more than 270 comments from social media users left wondering what killed the sheep.
One user wrote: “I say reintroduce wolves and that will bring balance back to the ecosystem.”
Another added: “Wildcats love those sorts of terrains.”
A third replied: “Foxes and dogs are capable of doing this too no?”
Another said: “Could have been a sheep that died and then a fox tore off the leg.”
A fifth commented: “People always laugh but I’ve seen them twice. Big black puma things, not large house cats or dogs.”
