A FARMER at Brockweir is desperate to find out what is attacking his new lambs, leaving many badly injured and in some cases carrying them off.
Ron Peacey, who has run Castle-a-Buff Farm with his wife Sheila for the past 13 years, says he first had trouble with the field in question last year when ewes began to be attacked.
"They were bitten all along the neck," he said, "And now I have been having the new lambs taken, in some cases doubles. And I have had to bring a lot in with their faces bitten, all covered in blood.
"It had made them very sick and we have to bring them in and treat them for some days.
"We have the MAFF vet round a lot now to check the flock and I showed him one of the bitten lambs and he said it wasn't the work of a fox. He said I had a problem and needed to get advice on it.
"I can see a lot of the ground but I haven't seen anything happening when this occurs, which must be very late at night or in the early hours.
"I've a neighbour too who can see the area, which is backed by woods, and he has been watching with binoculars but so far he has seen nothing either.
"Just a couple of days ago I went up there to find just the skin of one lamb, and the MAFF vet said it was just as if it had been skinned by a human."
Now he has contacted big-cat investigator Danny Nineham to look into the problem.
Danny said it was too early to say with any confidence what was going on but said he was convinced there were big cats in that particular area based on past
sightings.