School boy's encounter with black panther
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Stalked by a massive black panther, terrified Elliot Evans tries his best to out run the cat.
While enjoying his regular run on a near playing field in Wickham Market, Suffolk, the 16 year old noticed something dark and huge by nature.
As day light fell and the evening darkness began creep in, the school boy met eye to eye with the panther en route the Simons Cross playing field.
Eliot, who is a student at Thomas Mills High School, Framlingham, said: "I had started to do some sprints and was coming down towards the tennis courts when I saw what I first thought was a large dog.
"But I also realised I was the only person on the field, so it couldn't be with its owner.
"It was still there, staring at me. I thought maybe my eyes were messing with me but I started to feel kind of anxious and sprinted across the pitch."
The astounded 16 year old included: "I turned back to see if it was moving towards me.
"At this point, I was growing nervous, so I shone the torch on my phone and saw two large eyes, too far apart for it to be any dog.
"It went prone and began coming towards me again. It must have been between four and five feet long, at least."
Eliot a straight A student majoring in Biology, Maths, Psychology and Chemistry has now begun his own research on local sightings of large cats.
Former regional representative of the British Big Cat Society, David Galvan picked up his story. According to his accurate records, there’s been many encounters with large cats within the area and believes that Elliot may have stumbled across what is known as a Melanistic Leopard, or Black Panther.
"There is plenty of small game in the countryside, but they are omnivores and can survive on just about anything," said Mr Galvan.
"It has been said that a rabbit can carry them for three days before they have to hunt again.
"Big cats are prey-oriented. It's not a 'prey action' to stand and stare - but running away is.
"The normal human reaction is to stare because the brain can't accept what is being seen.
"I expect there are enough of them to have mated. One was seen with a belly nearly dragging along the ground, meaning it either had a big feed or was pregnant.
"How many sightings are really big cats, I don't know, but I have a tendency to believe them based on answers to questions I have asked."
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