THE fabled ‘beast of Otmoor’ may have been spotted again.

A man was driving to work from Horton-cum-Studley towards Lower Arncott near Bicester when he spotted a 'black panther' pouncing on a pheasant.

According to the website Dark Oxfordshire, over the last 30 years there have been a number of alleged sightings of 'big cats' in the region of Otmoor, most recently in 2017 when a woman claims to have seen the creature crossing a road in broad daylight in Upper Arncott.

Other sightings have been reported three miles away in the region of Horton-cum-Studley.

Bicester Advertiser:

The sighting was a couple of weeks ago but the man, who did not wish to be named, said he mentioned it to a customer who had told him the tale of the beast.

READ ALSO: Rumoured 'Beast of Burford' sighting as boaters spot two big cats

The man said he had ‘never seen anything like it’.

"Apparently it was the same type of beast as the Horton-cum-Studley one. I come from the Midlands and I've never seen a panther. But now I have to drive through the woods and forests to work and you see all sorts of things in the countryside that you've never seen growing up in a city.

"Sadly as I was driving I couldn't take a picture."

Large black cats have been spotted elsewhere in Oxfordshire for many decades with the most famous sighting taking place opposite the Masons Arms pub in Burford Road, Brize Norton, in 2005.

The creature was dubbed locally 'the Beast of Burford'.

Do you live in Otmoor? Have you had any big cat sightings? 

 

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This story was written by Miranda Norris, she joined the team in 2021 and covers news across Oxfordshire as well as news from Witney.

Get in touch with her by emailing: Miranda.Norris@newsquest.co.uk. Or find her on Twitter: @Mirandajnorris

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