The Fiskerton Phantom is a cryptid–a mysterious, unverified creature–reportedly seen in 1997 near Fiskerton, Lincolnshire, England. Here’s what the reports say:
The sighting was reported on August 27th, 1997, by four South Yorkshire girls (Rachel Rowan, 12; Nicki Handley, 11; Nicola Proctor, 9 and Joanna Brogan, 10) who were on holiday staying at a caravan park next to the Tyrwhitt Arms pub at Short Ferry, a small hamlet next to Fiskerton.
They described seeing a four-foot tall, jet-black, bear-like creature eating a pheasant. The girls, scared, fled immediately to seek help in the pub. They also reported finding large paw prints at the location when they returned later.
Dave Brumhead, the landlord of the Tyrwhitt Arms, reported that a motorist had claimed a sighting of the beast again that evening, near to where the girls had seen it. There were several further reports of a panther, or bear-like animal in the area throughout 1997.
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Physical appearance: Described as about 4 ft tall, jet-black, with a barrel-like girth—some say between 6 ft long and 400 lbs—and features resembling either a big bear or a large wild cat. Others note cat-like ears, huge nocturnal eyes, and disproportionately long limbs.
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Notable sighting: On August 27, 1997, four girls (ages 9–14) saw the creature eating a pheasant by their caravan park near the Tyrwhitt Arms pub. They fled to warn others, and when adults returned they found large feline paw prints. A motorist later spotted the creature nearby. Additional sightings occurred in the region over the next few weeks..
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Classification: Often labeled an “Alien Big Cat,” part of the wave of mysterious big-cat reports in the UK. Some speculate it may be an escaped exotic pet or an unusually large wild mammal, but no scientific verification exists.