A NEW Year's Eve sighting in Talacre has given weight to the theory that there is a big cat living in that part of Flintshire.

The sighting reported to Puma Watch North Wales in the latest in a number of strange encounters that have led to the belief that at least one big cat is prowling a territory that encompasses Talacre, Whitford, Pentre Halkyn and Llanerch Y Mor.

The big cat was spotted on the A548 at Tanlan, near Talacre, at about 6.30pm on New Years Eve.

In a report to Puma Watch, the witness said they saw "a large cat roughly the size of a Labrador. On the road, where the road turns to a national speed limit".

They added that the cat was dark grey in colour and headed towards the trees alongside the road.

The creature was spotted along the same coast road as Abakhan Fabrics, where a puma sighting was reported on New Years Day in 2015.

That sighting occurred at about 8.30pm.

It is also only a couple of miles from suspicious badger killings in Whitford.

The Leader:

Map of the sightings created by Puma Watch North Wales

That witness reported: “I found a badger which had been killed overnight and whatever killed it ate it with exception of its head and feet which were untouched. The rest had gone completely leaving just the virtually immaculately clean bones. The whole rib cage had even been ate back to the spine.

“Some 12 months earlier a stray sheep was found in the same area. The farmer was informed he didn’t retrieve his animal that night. The next morning the sheep was largely gone, killed and I’d say 40-50% eaten by 7am.

“I have no idea at all about the behaviour of animals in the wild but after working outdoors for 20yrs I’ve never experienced animal being killed and devoured so quickly. I was amazed when I found both to be honest as to what could do that in such a short space of time.”

Also, a mystery creature was spotted at Billie Jeans in Pentre Halkyn in October.

Tony Jones, of Puma Watch, believes the sightings are of the same beast.

He said: "Whitford, Abakhan and Tanlan are all within the same two-mile radius, and as pumas are usually solitary animals roaming a territory of around 30 square miles, it’s highly likely it’s the same animal being spotted each time.

"This radius is only five miles from a sighting near Pentre Halkyn, another area where the cats are often spotted, back in October."