Man in Black Cat Suit Startles Residents with Nightly "Meowing" in England

Crawling on the Ground While Making Cat Sounds
A Similar Incident Occurred in Another Village a Few Years Ago

Residents of a village in Liverpool, England, have been left anxious due to a man suddenly startling people while dressed in a black full-body cat suit and making "meowing" sounds. On July 7 (local time), Yonhap News TV, citing foreign media outlets such as the New York Post and The Daily Telegraph, reported that Liverpool residents have recently been troubled by a man they call "Panther Man."

A man wearing a black full-body cat suit walking around. New York Post

This man surprises residents by jumping down from trees or onto graves while making meowing noises. He has been sighted frequently by locals recently, and photos have even captured him crawling on the ground or writhing while making cat sounds. In one video, he is seen sliding under a fence near a village pub. At night, he reportedly hides in the woods and then jumps out to startle residents.

Local resident Abby Gilbert said, "The community has been thrown into confusion by this incident," adding, "There are many people trying to catch him, and a lot of posts about him have been uploaded." She continued, "Panther Man looks frightening, but he doesn't threaten people. He's just strange, but I don't think he's dangerous." Another resident commented in a local community, "It's more confusing than scary. When you encounter him, he just waves his arms and makes panther sounds."

The problem is that, for some residents, this man is reminiscent of the "Somerset Gimp." The "Somerset Gimp" refers to Joshua Hunt, a 32-year-old British man who, around May 2023, terrorized another village in the UK in a similar manner while wearing a black full-body suit and a bizarre "gimp" mask. Hunt was eventually arrested in Somerset after reports that he had gotten into arguments with women and grabbed his crotch.

One resident said, "A few years ago in Somerset, there was someone scaring people while wearing a bizarre mask, and I'm worried the same thing might happen here. It could be quite frightening for women or the elderly." Despite residents' concerns, Merseyside Police have not launched a separate investigation. The police stated that no related reports have been filed and that "there are no known criminal facts."