So the tail broke off? Tails don't break off though, do they. There's bone, cartilage, skin. It can't break off. It would have to be cut off.
Ok, so what about the rosettes? Leopards have rosettes, but this doesn't.
When it comes to ferrals out in the countryside. Personally, I've come across very large ones. In fact, myself and my buddy got one with the dogs one night, and it was huge. This was before mobile phones was a thing. It certainly left us with a story to bring up, anytime we bump into each other.