The Beast Does The Double
By Gemma Murray
TWO wild cats are now believed to be roaming the north Antrim coastline, the USPCA said last night.
Society chief Stephen Philpott said a black panther was living near the village of Ballybogey outside Portrush and a brown puma was roaming the hills near Ballycastle.
They are only two of seven large cats understood to be loose in Northern Ireland.
The claim was made as a dawn-to-dusk operation by USPCA members and police to catch the Ballybogey big cat ended without success.
The USPCA said both animals had been released near Bushmills in July.
Reported sightings by the public showed discrepancies in the colour of the animal seen.
Mr Philpott said that they had played down the differences, lest the public became concerned about two wild cats on the loose.
Search leaders said the net was closing in on one of the animals yesterday afternoon as the search was narrowed down to a wooded area near Ballybogey.
A helicopter and police air support unit were involved in the operation, with police appealing for assistance from the public.
At least three reports of sightings were made yesterday.
The Ballybogey animal has been blamed for mauling several sheep, the latest as recently as Monday.
Mr Philpott said he had hoped it might have been possible to capture the cat alive but accepted that the final decision lay in the hands of the police.
He said that the USPCA was withdrawing from the search to find the animals, which, he predicted, would continue to live quietly in the wild.
Mr Philpott said: "This animal should be left alone to blend into the Northern Ireland countryside."
http://www.newsletter.co.uk/site_search/story/227: 25th September 2003