LOCAL people packed into the Lion Inn at Trellech to hear experts give advice about the black cat believed to be at large in the area.

The meeting was arranged by the BBC who are making a documentary in the area called To Catch a Big Cat. It will be screened on October 18th on BBC Wales and features interviews with local people, including 11-year-old Josh Hopkins who was scratched by the animal.

Scientific tracker Quentin Rose said that he believed there were around 100 wild cats, including leopards, on the loose in the UK. There have been a number of reports from around the country about cats and many proved to be black dogs or plastic bags, but some - including Joshís sighting - were genuine.

There had been nine incidents where people had had close "aggressive encounters", not attacks, with the animals. He was quick to point out that Josh had not been attacked by the cat, but had been reprimanded after the animal was startled by the boy.

He believes the cats are breeding after being released in the 1970s when legislation was brought in to control people keeping them as pets. There were three options - to have the animals put down, get a very expensive licence or give them to a zoo. However, zoos could only take one or two and so some people took the fourth option - to release the animals into the wild.

If they were not breeding he would be happy to leave them alone, but as they appeared to be breeding there were four main concerns:

* The threat to indigenous wildlife in the area. The cats would eat foxes, rabbits and possibly sheep if they couldnít get anything else.

* The threat to livestock.

* The threat of vigilantes going out to shoot the animals. The welfare of the cats was important - it was not their fault.

* The threat to human life. Wounded cats were renowned for going for the slowest, most stupid prey - humans.

"Please, please, please do not attempt to shoot the animals if you see it,î he said. It was likely to attack the person shooting at it. The animals were not a problem at the moment, but a wounded animal could become a very serious problem.

The best way to track the animal was with specially trained dogs who would run them to trees where they could be shot with a tranquilliser dart. It was possible that a few trapped animals may be suitable to be returned to their country of origin.

A puma had been shot in Scotland in the 1980s and an Ocelot found in Cheshire. A leopard had been shot on Dartmoor and a jungle cat run over at Hayling Island. A black leopard had been seen in the centre of Tunbridge Wells in the early hours of the morning.

One had been seen in Worcester and was believed to cover about 250 square miles while breeding with a male leopard. It had been seen with at least three cubs. He believed there was one in Herefordshire and the Malverns and one in North Gloucestershire.

One leopard, in optimum conditions, breeding every 18 months with her cubs and their cubs producing offspring, could be responsible for 320 animals, but that would not normally happen. However it showed the possible growth in the cat population.

The cats had a life expectancy of about 15 years, in optimum conditions 20, so the original animals released into the wild would be dead. The ones seen now were their offspring.

The number of sightings across the country was increasing and although there was not a problem at the moment there could be in the future.

The type of injury Josh suffered - scratches to the face and a puncture wound to the head - indicated that the animal was surprised and startled. It had not attacked the boy, but was reprimanding him.

Mr Rose said he had spoken to Josh for two hours and his description of what happened led him to believe the boyís account was very, very reliable. He had given Mr Rose details which many academics did not know. He was convinced the boy had seen an adult or sub adult black leopard. Josh was very lucky, said Mr Rose.

He appealed to people to tell the police if they saw the animal.

Mr Rose said he had specialist trapping equipment to try and find the animal. The best was to use specially trained dogs, with leopard calls and blood mixed with calls of an animal in distress.

Mr Anthony Holloway, a big game hunter from Zimbabwe, said he had put bait out to catch the animal, without success. However, in Zimbabwe it could take up to 14 days for a leopard to visit a trap.

The cats were extremely secretive and elusive and would try and get away from people. They were not dangerous, however, he repeated that people should not try to shoot it. If it was wounded it might not kill the person who shot it, but could attack the next person it saw.

"If you see it leave it alone and tell the police,î he said. ìThe animal will back away. It wonít stalk you, youíre not food. Leave it alone and it will leave you alone."

Mr Holloway said when he heard about the report of the sighting originally he did not believe it, but after seeing Josh's injuries he was convinced. All the scratch marks had different pressures which were consistent with an animal.

Mr Bob Pratten of Penallt said he had seen what looked like a big cat at 11.30 am on February 25th near Maryland. He watched it for five or six seconds and it was about the size of a Collie. He was certain it was a cat, not a large dog.

Another man said his mother had been walking her dogs about three weeks ago and saw a big cat at Beacon Hill. It went off towards The Narth.

Mr Holloway said if anyone else saw it he or she should make an exact note of where it was. He warned people not to try and track it with their own dogs. It would quickly see off an untrained dog. They used specially trained dogs which trapped the animal up a tree.

One member of the public asked if it was wise to continue walking dogs in the woods around the area. Mr Rose said it was safe to walk dogs because the wild cat would hear the dogs and get out of the way.

"If you do see it, donít set your dogs on it," he said.

One woman said the animal should be left alone because it was not hurting anyone. Since the incident with Josh the area had been filled with "undesirables" trying to track it 24 hours a day.

Local big cat expert Danny Nineham, who was called in by Gwent Police, said he blamed the media for the way the incident had developed. Two newspapers had advertised a reward for a picture of the animal.

Mr Kevin Betts of Five Trees Ostrich Farm asked if there was anything people should do or not do if they encountered the animal.

Mr Rose said people should stand still and maintain eye contact with the animal. ìDonít bend down, donít run or scream. Stay still,î he said.

Mr Holloway reiterated this advice. "Leave it alone and it will leave you alone."