A BIG cat is thought to be responsible for the savage killings of ewes and rams on several Pembrokeshire farms.

In the latest incident, lamb producer Lyn Williams lost seven ewes and a ram in one night. Mr Williams, who runs a flock of 1,000 ewes at Hill Farm, Prince’s Gate, has seen what he describes as a pumalike creature on a number of occasions.

He is not alone. Many of his neighbours have seen the animal and lost livestock too.

The Welsh Government confirmed that of the 11 separate big cat sightings in Wales that had officially been logged in the last 12 months, six were in Pembrokeshire.

Mr Williams said the latest killings on his farm were the worst so far and he fears for the safety of his flock as lambing time draws near.

“Over a two-week period I lost seven ewes and a ram, they were being picked off every other night,” he said.

“They were completely eaten; all that was left behind was the skin and skeletons.

The animal had done a very neat job, you could see where the ribs had been chewed and licked clean. If a dog had been responsible there would have been wool about the place, but that wasn’t the case.”

The way the predator peeled back the skin of the sheep to eat the flesh is very much a cat trait, according to wildlife experts.

Although Mr Williams’ ewes lamb inside, he turns the animals out into the fields soon afterwards.

He worries that losses will escalate if the predator responsible for the killings is not captured.

Mr Williams has notified the police after each loss and has reported the incidents to the Welsh Government.

Although there have been no reported incidents of a big cat attacking a human, Mr Williams never allows any of his four children to venture outside alone.

“We have got dogs on the farmyard, but you just don’t know what this creature is capable of. I don’t think any of us will feel completely safe until this thing is caught.”