'An escaped puma?' GMB viewers spot mysterious black animal lurking in the woods behind Andi Peters during live TV segment

He's often out and about filming on location for the ITV show.

But on Wednesday, Good Morning Britain viewers spotted a mysterious black animal lurking in the woods behind Andi Peters during a live TV segment, with some asking if it could be an escpaed puma. 

While sailing along a lake in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire the presenter joked: 'I'm like David Attenborough... Oh we've spotted a little swan!' as his videographer showed a view of the banks - but it wasn't the swan which peaked the interest of eagle-eyed fans. 

What is THAT!? on Wednesday, Good Morning Britain viewers spotted a mysterious black animal lurking in the woods behind Andi Peters during a live TV segment

What is THAT!? on Wednesday, Good Morning Britain viewers spotted a mysterious black animal lurking in the woods behind Andi Peters during a live TV segment

'@gmb swan was lovely ..but what walked along the bank. . ???' tweeted one concerned fan of the show. 

One avid viewers shared the moment to Twitter, asking others what they thought the creature sculking through the trees could be, with many convinced it was a big cat on the loose.

The social media user sharing the clip, wrote: 'When I heard @andipeters mention that #GMB viewers had spotted something on the banks of the lake in Rickmansworth I went back and had a look…'

One person replied: 'Looks like a big cat to me. A Black Leopard or Jaguar. It's movement is so much like one of those.' 

Joker: While sailing along a lake in Rickmansworth, the presenter joked 'I'm like David Attenborough... Oh we've spotted a little swan!'

Joker: While sailing along a lake in Rickmansworth, the presenter joked 'I'm like David Attenborough... Oh we've spotted a little swan!'

Something's moving! As his videographer showed a view of the banks,it wasn't the swan which peaked the interest of eagle-eyed fans

Something's moving! As his videographer showed a view of the banks,it wasn't the swan which peaked the interest of eagle-eyed fans

'Definitely a cat by the way it sort of stalks away or slinks away,pretty sizeable as well, maybe a small puma type cat,' suggested someone else.  

One viewer tweeted: 'I paused the TV because I saw it too - it looked like a monkey to me - there was definitely an escaped animal on that bank lol'  

'If that's a dog cuzzie, then I'm staying this side of Hertfordshire!! That looks like very large wild cat' insisted another fan of the show.

'The pic is a bit blurred & needs to be blown up but looks too big for a dog. Maybe an escaped puma?' asked someone else.

Errrrm!? One avid viewers shared the moment to Twitter, asking others what they thought the creature sculking through the trees could be

Errrrm!? One avid viewers shared the moment to Twitter, asking others what they thought the creature sculking through the trees could be

It comes just weeks after experts suggested a black panther could be on the loose after a walker spotted a 'big cat' on camera in woodland in the village of Thrupp near Stroud in Gloucestershire. 

Frank Tunbridge, who has spent decades investigating sightings of big cats in the British countryside, claimed the 'streamlined' animal 'exhibits all the features of a black panther.' 

The animal was spotted in a field surrounded by trees near Stroud by the onlooker, who says he was just 100 yards away when he captured the picture on his phone.

The man, who asked to remain anonymous, said: 'I'm unsure what the animal was but it was certainly feline in it's movement.

What is it? The creature was seen slowly prowling through the woodland
Huge: The four-legged animal was notably larger than any typical domesticated dog or cat

What is it? The creature was seen slowly prowling through the woodland

'My first thought was that it was a family dog that had got out, so initially I wasn't scared at all, but once I realised what it could be I snapped a couple of pics and quickly retreated.

'I've never seen an animal like it before but it seems plausible that a large cat could be roaming the countryside. It seemed to be playful and completely unaware of me in the minute or so that I observed it.'

Experts recently suggested pumas were behind a spate of sheep deaths in Wales, after examination of the corpses revealed they were 'clinically' killed - unlike a random dog attack. 

There have been a series of reports made to the Puma Watch North Wales group since November. 

The real deal: A "black panther" is not actually its own species¿it is an umbrella term that refers to any big cat with a black coat

The real deal: A 'black panther' is not actually its own species—it is an umbrella term that refers to any big cat with a black coat

A farmer found seven sheep slaughtered in his field in Snowdonia while other farmers in the area have also raised concerns over the way their livestock had been killed. 

Big claw marks were also discovered - up to six feet above the ground - on trees. Big cats are thought to do this to sharpen their claws and warn off other predators.   

There have been similar claimed sightings of reported 'big cats' in the area over the years.

In 2018, Guillaume Lyons claimed he saw a big cat on the tow path just down the road from this sighting, in Brimscombe.     

The black panther: Marvel superhero or cryptid?  

A 'black panther' is not its own species—it is an umbrella term that refers to any big cat with a black coat.

A black panther is a big cat (of any species, but most commonly a jaguar or a leopard) whose coloration is entirely black. 

Melanism is most common in jaguars where it is due to a dominant gene mutation, and leopards where it is due to a recessive gene mutation. 

Close examination of one of these black cats will show that the typical markings are still there, and are simply hidden by the surplus of the black pigment melanin. 

In North America, the term panther is commonly used for the puma; in Latin America it is most often used to mean a jaguar. Elsewhere in the world it refers to the leopard. 

The name may have originated from the Latin name Panthera for the big cats and was probably shortened from Black Panthera to Black Panther. 

The condition is caused by the agouti gene, which regulates the distribution of black pigment within the hair shaft, according to the University of California.

A melanistic black leopard, or “black panther” are the most common form of black panther in captivity and have been selectively bred for decades as exhibits or exotic pets. 

A black panther (leopard) is able to hunt and kill animals outweighing them by more than 1,350 pounds.

Black leopards are found in densely-forested areas in south-western China, Burma, Assam and Nepal; and other parts of southern India and are said to be common in Java and the southern part of the Malay Peninsula where they may be more numerous than spotted leopards. 

They are less common in tropical Africa, but have been reported from Ethiopia, the forests of Mount Kenya and the Aberdares. 

There are no authenticated cases of truly melanistic pumas. 

Black pumas have been reported in Kentucky, Kansas and eastern Nebraska. 

These are known as the North American Black Panther (NABP). 

None have ever been photographed or shot in the wild, and none have been bred. 

There is wide concensus among breeders and biologists that the animal does not exist.

Sources: National Geographic, Big Cat Rescue 

The comments below have not been moderated.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.