"We were on a camping holiday in Coleford for a week in August last year. It is the perfect location to watch deer and see the wild boar and the humbugs. One of the days we were there, we had been out for a good couple of hours and had seen deer and the wild boar and little humbugs, and it got to about 9pm and we decided to head back to the camp site.

"We were driving passed the fenced area by the recycling centre in Coleford and we seen a lynx jump into the road. In one bound it jumped across the road.

"There is no question about it, the animal was clearly a lynx. You could tell by the tufts on its ears, the green eye shine and it was dark tan and tall as a Labrador.

"The definition of the muscles on the animal as well. It had muscular legs and had no problem leaping eight or ten feet across the road.

“It was a lynx, you could see plain as day.”

Gareth understand people may be sceptical about seeing big cats in the British countryside. However he says it is not the first time he has seen a lynx while out exploring the countryside.

He said: "In 1996 I was on my way, with my wife, to see friends in Colchester and seen a puma on a road near Colchester Zoo. I think the big cats which are living in the British countryside hear the big cats which are n the zoo and are attracted to the sounds and the noises of the other big cats.

"Another time when I was working as a delivery driver, and I was taking groceries to a house in the middle of nowhere and I seen a puma in the middle of a field. There are more big cats living in the wild in the countryside in England than people realise.

“I am not too sure about leopards or jaguars being out there, however there are plenty of lynx and it is very interesting in how they came to be there. If you’re someone who disbelieves big cats are out there, it is unfortunate, however one day you may be able to see one for yourself.”

…

"To top up the population of feral lynx in the UK, some ‘Black Ops’ release programmes have taken place which have been carried out by private re-wilding enthusiasts.

Previously:

• ‘Wolf’ seen in Forest of Dean chasing herd of deer into bracken
• Big cat spotted running into field of sheep who just don’t care - Lynx sighting on Dartmoor