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Puma Seen in Arisaig Area

West Word: September 2007

West Word
   
Just as West Word went to press last month, a regular visitor to the area was driving along the new stretch of the A830 between Moss of Keppoch and Kinloid when a 'huge cat the size of a labrador' ran across the road near the underpass, leapt the fence and ran off towards Craigmore.
'It was definitely a cat of some sort', he said, 'but bigger than any cat I've ever seen, and definitely not a wildcat.'
Big cats of puma size have been seen in Lochaber before, but none, as far as we know, in this area of North West Lochaber. No animals have been reported killed or maimed by a big predator.
There have been reports of a big cat dubbed the 'Lochyside Panther' seen near Fort William over a number of years, the most recent in November 2006. It is thought the beast could be a puma and it has reputedly killed hens and ducks.
In Scotland as a whole, almost 200 sightings were reported by members of the public to Scottish police forces between 2000 and 2006. Police in Grampian and Fife recorded the highest number of sightings, 55 and 42 respectively. Other hotspots include Lothian, with 30 sightings, and Strathclyde, with 27.
But the true number of sightings could be a lot higher, as there is a view that most people don't report what they have seen. Big Cats in Britain (BCIB) is a group dedicated to researching the alleged existence of big cats and they reckon they register three sightings on average a week in Scotland. They believe there could be up to 40 big cats roaming wild in Scotland.
Of course, there are a number of theories of what the beasts might be. The Dangerous Wild Animals Act of 1972 required owners to apply for a licence to keep such animals, and individuals who didn't want to comply are suspected of releasing their 'pets' into the wild. Another idea is that the animals have escaped from registered ownership or that consumer demand for designer cats spawned a new generation of hybrids. But the most radical theory claims there is a native species of wild cat in Scotland that has not been identified to date.
According to BCIB, people consistently give the same description: round head, black body and pointed ears. This is not a description that fits that of a puma, wild cat or lynx, or any other possible wild animal.

Do you have any information on the above reports. Were you the person involved, or are you aware of any more sightings in this area. We would appreciate any information that you could give us.

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