What's happening?

A fierce beast walks through England's woods and fields. It has gold eyes and a long black tail. Suddenly, it runs forward and sinks its claws into a sheep.

Scientists say they have found proofSomething that shows something else is true. that big cats such as panthersA black leopard. are living in the UK. They tested some hair found near a dead sheep in England.

Big cats used to live in England a long time ago. But the last ones died out hundreds of years ago.

But since then, some people have come forward and told stories of seeing big cats in Britain. Most times, scientists have found no proof.

But not always. In 1980, a pumaA large, brown wild cat that lives in mountains in South America and North America. was found in the countryside in Scotland. She was named Felicity and taken to a zoo.

Some want to bring back to Britain another big cat: the Eurasian lynxA medium-sized wild cat with brown fur and a short tail.. Lynx used to live in the UK. If they were brought back, say some experts, they could control the number of deer and be part of natural woodlands.

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But some farmers do not like this idea. They think the lynx would eat their sheep.

Should we welcome more predatorsAnimals that prey on and eat other animals. ?

Yes! Britain needs big cats to control the number of deer and make the country wild again.

No! People feel safe in the countryside in England. They might not do if there are predators in the woods.