AN Ely Standard reader believes he has snapped the elusive Fen Tiger prowling around Soham Fen just outside Ely. The beast, which is said to roam around Fenland plundering everything from livestock to household pets, was caught wide-eyed, wandering around

AN Ely Standard reader believes he has snapped the elusive Fen Tiger prowling around Soham Fen just outside Ely.

The beast, which is said to roam around Fenland plundering everything from livestock to household pets, was caught wide-eyed, wandering around Soham Fen in the early hours of this morning (April 1)

The man, a local farmer who asked not to be named, described the creature to the Ely Standard as: "It was standing around 5ft at the shoulder with distinctive black and white markings and a menacing set of teeth. I kept my distance as it looked my way and he didn't look very happy. I keep a few chickens, so I rang my missus to tell her to keep an eye out."

The majority of tiger sightings come from farmers who say their livestock has been attacked by a cat-like creature but on this occasion the creature appeared to have a more brazen air about it, seemingly stopping to pose for the photo.

In 1973 laws were introduced banning the importation of exotic wild animals. Many big cats are thought to have been set free and could still be surviving in the wild.

Each big cat roams over a territory of hundreds of square miles - so it is possible that the tigers seen in areas as far north as Sawtry and Peterborough have made their way into the Ely area.