Dad on school run snaps ‘massive’ big cat ‘size of a jaguar’ near playground

A father was astounded to catch a glimpse of what he describes as a substantial 1.5m “lynx or jaguar” while on the school run with his daughter in Orpington. Leandro Santos, 37, was accompanying his seven year old near some woodland on Tuesday October 15, when an unusual yowling sound and the agitated behaviour of birds caught his attention.

The finance manager from Swanley claimed he saw the large, spotted feline lurking in the trees close to the school. After swiftly ensuring his daughter reached school safely, he returned to observe the imposing creature for about five minutes around 8.45am, noting its predatory movements among the birds.

Leandro shared his astonishment and apprehension, remarking: “I was so surprised. It was beautiful but also very scary.” He went into further detail, describing its size and appearance: “It was massive – I’d say 80 centimetres off the ground. It was yellowish with black spots.”

Drawing from his background, the Brazilian expat said: “I’m originally from Brazil and if I saw this there I’d say it was a jaguar. At one point it looked directly at me – that was very frightening,” as reported by Kent Live. Expanding upon his encounter, he mentioned: “It was trying to get into a birds nest but they were flying at it to keep it off. Some other birds joined in and I thought it would be safest to leave,” reports The Mirror.

There have been numerous reports of big cat sightings in the UK over the years. Instances include the capture of a puma in 1980. However, according to NewScientist, the UK’s Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs states that no credible evidence of big cats has been presented to Natural England in several decades.