Webcams Plan to Capture Big Cats

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	Webcams Plan to Capture Big Cats By Jamie Buchan Press and Journal: 9th June 2008

Network to be set up across Scotland

Big-cat investigators have come up with a plan which could finally capture the legendary Beast of Buchan ā€" on camera.
A network of webcams could be established throughout Scotland at hotspots where sightings of pumas, leopards and lynx are rife.
The Beast of Buchan, a notorious black cat which has reputedly prowled Aberdeenshire for decades, is just one of the many creatures spotted by rural residents across the country.
Between 2000 and 2006, there have been nearly 200 sightings of big cats reported by the public to Scottish police forces.
Grampian was the most active, with 55 reports, followed by Fife with 42. Both areas are said to have relatively dry climates and wooded rural patches which are ideal habitats for wild cats.
Other hotspots include Lothian with 30 sightings and Strathclyde with 27.
Now the investigative group, Big Cats in Britain (BCIB), wants to develop a Big Brother-style scheme to try to shoot footage of the elusive creatures on strategically placed cameras.
A spokesman for the organisation said: “The webcam will mean that people will be able to go big cat spotting on their own home computer.
“We have purchased the equipment and will have a system up and running as soon as we find the right locations.
“We are appealing for people who own land where a big cat has been spotted on a regular basis to come forward and get involved.”
Veteran big cat expert Di Francis welcomed the move.
“This is a whole new tactic for us,”¯ she said.
“Hopefully, establishing a network of webcams across the country will help to take us closer to achieving our ultimate goal.”
She said the locations of the cameras would be kept secret to avoid vandalism or hoaxes.
It is thought some of the creatures may have been descendants of animals released into the wild more than 30 years ago by owners who did not want to comply with the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1972.
Others believe there is a native species of wild cat in Scotland which has not yet been identified.
The Beast of Buchan is thought to have appeared dozens of times in recent years.
The most recent recorded sighting was at Cruden Bay near Peterhead last summer when a black animal was spotted prowling through a wood.
And a year earlier, farmer Jim Cantlay, of Nether Broadmuir Farm, near the Buchan village, discovered the grisly remains of a brutally-savaged sheep ā€" thought to the be the work of the beast.

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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Webcams Plan to Capture Big Cats By Jamie Buchan

Press and Journal: 9th June 2008