Peter Slade from Blacktown in Western Sydney – who was visiting family in Trewilga over the Easter long weekend – has reportedly spotted a similar creature in the Parkes Shire.

He’s a keen recreational and half marathon runner, where he runs up to 20 kilometres a week.

He’s also ran in the Peak Hill area before but he’s never encountered an animal like he did three weeks ago.

“Naturally I wanted to take advantage of the open spaces to go for a run, so on Saturday (March 31) morning at 7.48am I laced up my shoes and hit the road for an eight kilometre outing,” Peter said.

“You see the odd rabbit and normal stuff.

“I was running north along the northern end of Mickibri Road with about one kilometre to go and noticed what I first thought was a fox about 80 metres away, with it's back to me walking on the left side of the road.

“It turned its head and saw me, then ran a couple of bounds, moving like a cat, but it was much bigger, the size of a large dog.

“Then it headed into a nearby stand of trees. As it turned I saw a very long tail, easily a metre long or more, certainly not a fox tail.”

Peter said the animal was a tan colour with no spots or stripes and he slowed down to get a closer look, peering carefully around the trees it disappeared into.

He couldn’t see anything so he continued running, but began to question whether he should keep going when he started to think about his safety.

Peter later decided to contact the Parkes Champion Post to report that he saw a large cat like a cougar or puma near Peak Hill.

He had taken some photos with his phone at the beginning of his run but said he wasn’t quick enough to get a picture of the animal.

“I didn't realise what was happening until it was too late,” he said.

“It just happened in an instant.

“My teenage kids, nephews and nieces went out looking for it a little while after I returned but didn't find anything either.

“Anyway, for what it's worth. I thought I'd report it.”

In his 10 years of running, Peter said he has had some bizarre experiences.

“I was running along the M7 pass once when two large dogs had escaped from their homes and then they started running with me,” he said.

“They followed me all the way home then turned around and ran back to their home.

“And I saw a deer once. But I’ve seen nothing like this (the large cat) that actually doesn’t exist in the wild.”