THE man who has set his heart on capturing one of the big cats he is sure roam the Forest was himself being hunted out in the last few days – by the media and police.

Danny Nineham has featured in many of the Review's stories about big cat sightings and over the years he has built up a formidable dossier of evidence to support his case.

But following the attack by what is believed to be a juvenile leopard last week on 11-year Joshua Hopkins of Trelleck, "all hell broke loose," said Danny.

"On Saturday the police even made a helicopter available," he said. "I am also being asked to debrief police about their sightings, including Gwent police tonight about sightings down there.

"It has raised the whole profile of the thing which is just what is needed – after all if there are around ten in the Forest area, as I think, and now numerous sightings in Gwent, how many could that mean nationally?"

Danny was speaking on Tuesday after a packed four days of television, radio and newspaper interviews following the attack on Joshua, who was slashed on his face after following what he thought was his own cat's tail into undergrowth.

"I thought I was going to die," he said after his encounter with the 5ft animal.

Danny Nineham's big hope is to trap one of the animals, preferably by stunning it with a tranquilliser dart, so that it can be proved they exist – but he maintains they are not dangerous unless bothered.

•Fresh sightings of the cat in the Forest continue to be made to the Review.

Susan Evans, of Whitecroft, spotted the animal while walking her dogs in woodland near her home.

"My first impression was that it was a young German Shepherd. But it crossed the path ahead of me and I could see it was not a dog but a cat. I have since spoken to other people who say they have also seen it in the same area," she said.