Thousands of Sussex 'big cat' reports have been received over the twenty or so years I've been collecting such evidence, and a majority of these are being compiled for a book. This year the trend of sightings continues, with reports received on a weekly basis. The latest, and one of the better ones being as follows:
Date: 12th October 2010
Location: Upper Bevendean Avenue.
Time: 2:30 pm.
A member of the Brighton Permaculture Trust Scrumping Project had parked up at Upper Bevendean Avenue, and was picking apples on common land. There are steps in the area which run from this land to Bevendean Crescent.
A large, long-bodied animal was sighted at very close quarters by the startled witness who stated, "Animal was right of the steps, a few feet away. It was going up and directly behind Upper Bevendean Avenue. There is very dense undergrowth here. The cat was long in the body, black/brown and slinked into the undergrowth."
The witness believed that animal was drinking water from an old saucepan as there was a lot of rubbish at the site.
The report suggests the animal was a black leopard due to the mottled colouration.
In the past there have been several sightings of a large black cat around the Brighton area, as well as Patcham, Telscombe and Lewes.
