The Rutland panther has apparently been seen on the prowl around Wardley.
Will Cattrell was driving in the early hours of Sunday morning when he spotted the big cat.
He was driving away from Uppingham towards Wardley Hill and had just passed the two turnings for Belton-in-Rutland when his headlights caught the animal s
trolling off the road.
Will, of Leicester Road in Uppingham, said: "I didn't see its head but the body was totally visible and it was definitely a large wild cat with ash grey fur like a puma.
"I had a clear view of this, the muscles in the rear legs and the swagger that large cats have. The body and the colour leave me in no doubt whatsoever that my description is precise, and I am a country lad so I know what animals are what."
Local enthusiasts David and Nigel Spencer run a website to log sightings of the Rutland panther.
The latest sightings recorded this year include suspicious sheep killings around the south of Rutland, a possible panther on Aylestone Meadows in Leicester and large cat paw prints found in a sand bunker on Rutland golf course.
To report your big cat sightings visit www.bigcats.org.uk or email bigcat-sightings@fsmr.org.uk
