Tony Reeves was walking his dog along footpath and cycle path 403 in Chippenham, which leads from Riverside Drive in Monkton Park along the side of the River Avon, shortly before 8.30am on Friday, January 2.
He claims he saw a “very large cat-like animal” cross from the river into the wooded area on the other side of the footpath, between 30 and 40 yards ahead of him.
Tony described what he saw as a “slinky” animal that was dark brown or beige coloured, much larger than a domestic cat or dog.
After researching big cats online, Tony believes what he saw most resembles a puma, but the truth remains a mystery.
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He said: “It’s not something you’d expect to see on a walk, I saw it clearly and I hadn’t had a drink the night before.
“It seemed to move slinky like a cat, not like a dog, and it was too big to be a domestic cat.
“The colour looks like a puma, but this animal seemed to be flabbier than a puma, I don’t know what it is or if it is dangerous.
“I had never encountered anything like this before or even thought about it (the existence of big cats in the UK) so this was a surprise.”
Tony has since returned to the footpath but has not spotted the creature again.
He remains concerned about the safety of people and pets in the area.
He added: “It’s not put me off going back along the footpath but I’m keeping my dog on a lead because I wouldn’t want her to wander off and encounter it.
“If a young child wandered off the path and ran into it I’d be concerned.”
This is not the first time Chippenham residents have reported seeing “big cats” in the area.
Last February, multiple residents reported seeing a “large black creature” near the A350 bypass south of Chippenham, which some described as a “very large black cat.”
These sightings came after experienced big cat expert Rick Minter told the BBC he received “credible” reports of a big cat near Melksham.
At the time, he said he believed this animal could have been a black leopard indigenous to the Malay Peninsula.