I still have nightmares after being attacked by a panther while caravanning in the Peak District

A Merseyside man says he still has nightmares after encountering a panther during a caravanning holiday in the Peak District.

John Broomhead, 68, said he thought he was going to die after the beast bounded towards him while he was on a break with his partner in Tansley in July 2022. He had been putting out the embers of a barbeque at around 11.00pm when he spotted what he thought was a Doberman-sized dog about 40 yards away.

The retired bricklayer said he soon realised it was something else after noticing the large black animal had bright yellow eyes and a long tail. John, of Aintree, Merseyside, said the creature suddenly turned and started running towards him, forcing him to dive to safety into his caravan.

Left traumatised by the incident two years ago, John said he still suffers from nightmares. Describing the horror, he recalled: "I thought 'who is letting a dog out at this time?' as you're not allowed dogs out on the site unless they are on a lead and then I noticed this thing wasn't a dog.

"It had bright yellow eyes and a long tail - I could not believe my eyes. It looked like a panther or leopard. It was three or four times the size of a normal cat. The next thing I know, it had covered 20 yards in about two seconds and these yellow eyes were bounding towards me. It just turned and charged at me. I have never been so scared in my life and I just turned around and jumped into the caravan shouting there's a big cat outside.”

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John said he doesn’t think his partner would have believed what he had seen if she hadn’t seen ‘the genuine look of terror’ in his eyes. He continued: "I feared for my life and I'm certain had I not got to the caravan in time, it would have killed me. It has left me suffering from nightmares to this day. If I go fishing on my own and I hear a rustling in the bushes, it sets me off again. I know people might not believe me but I just want to warn other people because I know what I saw."

Big cat experts have now revealed John may have been targeted by a panther prowling the countryside after previous sightings nearby. John's ordeal happened in July 2022 and in September that year a teenage camper captured incredible footage of a big cat sighting, also in the Peak District.

Josh Williams, then 17, spotted the huge beast near Jacob's Ladder and was able to capture footage of the close encounter. Spotting the cat with his friend Ben Burns, Josh said: “We could instantly tell it was something different the moment we laid eyes on it – we both saw it at the same time and gave each other a confused look.

"I could tell we were both thinking the same thing as the day before, we were actually discussing the possibility of us running into a wild cat whilst on our trip. The animals around it were seemingly unbothered, but they were certainly keeping their distance, as if they were used to this happening. It was eerie. The massive contrast to its surroundings gave it away – the jet black silhouette stuck out amongst its surroundings like a sore thumb.”

Rick Minter, host of the Big Cat Conversations podcast and author of Big Cats Facing Britain’s Wild Predators, said John may have been warned off by a black panther or leopard. He said: “I hope to be able to speak to John in person about this case, but from his reported comments it would seem he witnessed a black leopard, also called a black panther.

“In their native lands, leopards can do a warning charge when provoked or threatened. This is possibly what John experienced. Leopards attack by surging low to the ground at blistering speed, so from what he described it is much more likely to have been a charge to warn-off John.”

The expert noted that black leopards are the main big cats described by people across Britain, adding that there are now DNA results to back up some claimed sightings. He continued: "Close situations with humans are rare. They don’t usually regard us as prey but rather as a hassle factor or potential threat to be avoided. With natural game like deer and rabbits so abundant here, they have a stress-free life and don’t need to take risks. Even predating on sheep seems to be becoming less frequent from feedback from my farmer networks.”

Discussing John’s sighting, Minter said he thinks the smell of the barbecue may have interested the big cat, or it may have been duped into thinking the sound of water dousing barbecue embers was another predator hissing.

He added: “I am sorry to hear the trauma lives on for John. I’ve met a few other witnesses where their concern still nags away. Hopefully talking it through helps the person have an outlet for their valid concerns. It can also help us all learn more about the behaviour of these cats when they do occasionally come into close contact with us.”