Hoaxes Home

16th April 2005: Cwmbran / Wales.

Debate rages over this photograph, with many people believing it is a hoax, if you are the person who took this photograph, please get in touch and help clear this debate up, at the end of the day it is only by talking to you, as researchers, not through the press that we can get the real story.

On the 16th of April the following picture appeared in several newspapers in the English press, it looked promising at first glance.
Not many people that I have talked to are convinced of the pictures authenticity, the story is as follows: Norman Evans was conducting a model photo shoot in a remote forest above Henllys Village in Cwmbran, South Wales, when he claims he stumbled across the animal 15 feet away from him, happily tucking into a pigeon.
Norman said: “I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was in total shock. My nerve went and I was shaking like a leaf, it looked like a black-panther straight out of The Jungle Book.
“It was fully grown and really healthy, eating its lunch about 15 feet away. I walked away quickly, and said to Hayley, get in the car and lets get out of here, once I got in the car I showed her the picture.”
Model Hayley Evans said: “Norman looked white as a sheet. Its scary to think a panther is roaming around in an area where kids play.” Mr Evans reported the incident to the police and he later returned to the area and found the remains of feathers scattered everywhere but no signs of the big cat. Police confirmed that there had been several reports of a large black cat reported in the past months around the Cwmbran area, and John Partridge of Bristol Zoo said: “the image on the picture suggests a black panther fully grown.” More confusion reigns, Danny Bamping, founder of the British Big Cat Society is quoted in the paper as saying that this is definitely a leopard. But in a message to me he states it is nothing more than a cuddly toy and that he never made the quote to the newspaper at all!

Zoologist Chris Moiser after studying the photographs sent the following to the national newspapers. I worked for 20 years teaching Biology. I have written Mystery Cats of Devon and Cornwall (published 2001), Big Cat Mysteries of Somerset (published March this year), and When the Cats Away (a novel about the the beast of Exmoor) which will be published later this year. I have in addition, whilst studying wildlife visited The Gambia (13 times), Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa, and Botswana. Having seen the 'photo and report as published in your paper it is my opinion that.

1. The picture shows a toy that is commonly available in street markets etc. for about £20.00 (It is a nice toy!) The shape of the head although roughly accurate is slightly too long in the face.
   Secondly the bends in the tale are not consistent with a real tail and the bend near the body, even if the result of a fracture is too sharp and too near the body for a real wild animal.
2. If the animal was a genuine wild leopard (a black panther is just a black leopard) Mr. Evans would not have got within 15 feet of it - the animal just would not have let him.

Comments Received
This came through the website, no name accompanied it or a return email, it also neglected to mention the amount of money the snapper received for the picture. And if, as it says, the picture is distorted, then where is the original?

I've known Norman for approx 10 years. He is not a liar. There have been several sightings of the panther in the Cwmbran area, but no photos. Norman takes a photo, and everyone believes its a hoax. The photo has been enlarged too much, therefore all the detail is a blur. Zoologist Chris Moiser is an ......, claiming that the picture is that of a toy - a professional zoologist would obviously need more evidence to dismiss this. I've seen Norman since this has all quitened down, and he's still annoyed that people are laughing at him when he knows exactly what he saw...and photographed!