A RESIDENT believes he captured a photograph of the same "black panther" posted on the Gazette when he was out walking in Highclere six days ago.

Lucas Rosemin, 35, a builder from Andover, claimed he saw a "massive, black panther massacring a pheasant" on his walk with his brother and son in Heaven's Gate, Highclere, on May 15 at 7.46pm.

The 35-year-old told the Gazette: "We were walking down a path and there was a loud noise that sounded and looked like a pheasant being massacred. It was alarming. 

"I heard screaming and suddenly it went quiet. I heard it 200 yards in front of us. We climbed up the hill and saw a massive pile of fresh feathers. 

"In the opening, a large animal was 15 foot in front of me, waist high, running from a left bush to a right bush.

"It was daunting and I heard the sound of paws thudding hard on the ground. I thought b***** h** what is that.

"I saw something big and black. It was definitely really long and heavy with a black tail. It definitely looked like a black panther. 

"I have never seen anything like that before. It is not an animal you would have kept in your house."

Lucas searched online to see if he could identify the animal that he saw in Highclere but there was nothing that matched his description.

He filed a sighting report online to log what he seen in Highclere that evening. 

Lucas and his brother visited the sight where he spotted the "black panther" with a night vision camera and tried to get footage but they could not trace it again at the time.