Chatteris woman Jill Hawkins is the latest person to spot a big cat in the Fens.

Jill had a shock when she looked out of her bedroom window at about 9am on Friday and saw an animal which she said was as big as her Dalmatian dog, which died last year.

Jill and neighbours in Fairway have seen lots of pigeon feathers in the gardens recently and Jill is wondering if the black cat is to blame.

"We have had several pigeons killed and piles of feathers. I just happened to look out of my bedroom window and saw this big black cat," said Jill.

She said whatever has been eating the birds has devoured everything apart from the feathers.

"There's nothing else left, not even a bone," she said.

Citizen readers have reported several big cat sightings over the years in the Chatteris, Manea and Wisbech villages area.
The sightings are being logged by Cambridgeshire wildlife officer Paul Carter.

PC Carter said he used to have about six sightings reported a year but, since publicity about his role appeared in the press a couple of weeks ago, he has had 77 sightings.

He said the sightings follow a corridor from Wansford on the west side of the A1 before branching across to Ely and Huntingdon.

"Descriptions of their size and shape vary and I don't know if there is more than one. We have never actually found one or any carcass," he said.

Anyone who spots a big cat can contact PC Carter at paul.carter@cambs.pnn.police.uk