Cumbria has seen a surge in people searching for 'Big Cats UK' following a sighting of a 'mum and cub' in the county in the summer.

The number of people using the search term on the internet shot up by 49% in August, according to new research from shoe retailer Aussieboots, with the county continuing to show a rise.

READ MORE: Kendal College campus closed after fire at animal rescue centre

READ MORE: Lake District: rare lichen discovered in River Sprint

READ MORE: Kendal Calling: Frog survives 312-mile journey home with couple

At the beginning of August, a report came into a dedicated Big Cats Facebook group that a couple had spotted the feline, described as a 'large black cat', alongside her cub.

Sharon Larkin-Snowden, a Cumbrian big cat investigator, reported that both looked well and healthy and set up trails cams in the area to try and catch the pair.

Subscribe to the Westmorland Gazette

As of yet, the pair haven't been caught on camera and the location has been kept a secret for fear of trophy hunters and the landowner being swamped with investigators.

A caracal reportedly spotted in the Lake District in 2020Locals have long speculated as to whether the so-called 'Beast of Cumbria' is just one or several big cats that slink in the shadows of the countryside.

Interest in the topic was also re-ignited when swab test results taken in the Cumbrian countryside in May revealed Panthera DNA.

Last year told Sharon also told the Gazette that she'd 'hit the jackpot' with the evidence after 30 year of investigating the phenomenon.

The discovery came after she swabbed a sheep carcass following what she described as a 'black panther' close by.

She passed the three swabs to producer of Big Cat Conversations podcast Rick Minter who sent the samples to a specialist lab at the University of Warwick.

Big cat investigator Sharon examines the sheep carcass after taking swabs earlier in the day (Image: Sharon Larkin-Snowden) The university's School of Life Sciences centre offers a pioneering DNA analysis service utilised by many ecological consultancies, private individuals and wildlife enthusiasts.

Speaking at the time of the discovery, Professor Allaby said: "The DNA sequence is a short segment from the mitochondrion which is often used to distinguish different species of animal.

"The section we have sequenced is distinct to the group Panthera, which includes all the big cats  - lions, tigers, panthers, leopards.

Samples taken at the scene (Image: Sharon Larkin-Snowden) "There was only a very small amount of DNA present, which again is not surprising. So we need more data from more samples to pin it down to a specific species."

The 'Beast of Cumbria' was also investigated by comedians Nish Kumar and Josh Widdicombe.

The pair visited the Westmorland Gazette last year with the Hold the Front page episode airing in May.

Unfortunately, the dynamic duo were unsuccessful in their quest to find evidence, with the DNA discovery made afterwards.

Aussieboots also revealed wider data for Cumbria between 2021 to 2023 with a meteoric 125% rise in the 'big cats UK' search term.