Has the riddle of the big cat been solved?

A particularly large otter was found dead on the side of the road, and there is a suggestion that this could have been mistaken for a big cat.

The male dog otter measured 41.5 inches in length with a girth of 26 inches.

Huw Phillips, of Stackpole, who found the animal near Scoveston Fort, Neyland, on May 7th said: "I have never in my life seen an otter this size."

He was on his way to work from his home near Stackpole when he saw the 'magnificent' animal on the side of the road.

Mr Phillips thinks the otter may be responsible for big cat sightings nearby.

"It would have been nearly four foot tall when it stood up on its hind legs," he said. Mr Phillips passed the otter on to John Hayes, wildlife volunteer at Texaco.

Mr Hayes, chairman of the Millpond Action Group in Pembroke, said the animal had sustained some facial damage and looked as if it had been hit by a car as it was trying to cross the road.

He had encountered an otter of similar size a couple of years ago, but said it was unusual.