By Tim Binnall
A newly discovered photograph of a sizeable black feline in a field has been hailed by researchers as the best-ever picture of a British big cat. The intriguing image (seen in the video above) was reportedly found in the archives of an unnamed zoology center in England and is prominently featured in the recently released documentary Panthera Britannia Declassified. As one may have surmised, the film argues in support of the longstanding theory that England is home to a variety of non-native big cats which have been spotted by astounded witnesses for decades, though never quite confirmed by scientists.
In detailing the newfound image, the zoology center assistant director who unearthed the picture marveled that "the photo is unambiguous, it is clearly a large cat of the Panthera genus, and it's so clear we can even see its whiskers." Alas, details surrounding the origins of the image are scant at best as it was found alongside "a mysterious handwritten letter" which only indicated that it was taken in Smallthorne, Staffordshire on March 17th, though the specific year was not mentioned. Additionally, the full name of the individual who snapped the photo was also omitted from the peculiar missive. Be that as it may, the zoology center assistant director declared that "if it's genuine, then it's the probably the best photo of a British big cat that exists."
Something of a unique niche in the world of cryptozoology, British big cats have been frequently seen by individuals throughout England over the years, but remain largely relegated to the realm of urban legend as, beyond photographs and videos of varying quality, no one has ever captured one of the sizeable felines. As for how the creatures could have found their way into the wild, experts suggest that this came about following a 1976 change in the country's exotic animal law, wherein owning big cats was outlawed and, apparently left with no other option, owners of such pets simply set them free. What do you make of the newfound photo? Share your thoughts with us at the C2C Facebook page.