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Big Cat Spotted at Fishery

Greenock Telegraph: 25th May 2008

The Greenock Telegraph
   
AN eagle-eyed water bailiff has spotted the Kilmacolm Big Cat prowling in the undergrowth at Lochfield Trout Farm.
John Kerr sighted the huge `black panther' through his binoculars at lunchtime on Wednesday.
He said: "It was nearly 3ft long and 3ft tall, with paws the size of my hands, a long tail and big pointed ears.
"I wasn't scared by it — I was more excited. I started looking out at this thing in the background and it kept walking towards the trout farm. It was so nonchalant. It was black and very muscular — a beautiful-looking beast. It then disappeared into the bushes down towards the Kilmacolm Golf Club.
"It looked like a black panther to me. I've seen wildcats in the north of Scotland, but nothing like this."
Big cat tracker Sandy Smith, also from Kilmacolm, said: "The trail had gone cold and this is the first sighting I've heard of in this area for a while.
"It has been spotted in and around the golf course on quite a few occasions. I have been pretty close to it a few times and I believe it is a black leopard.
"These cats are more frightened of people than we are of them, but their hearing is 10 times better than ours and the chance of seeing them is slim. I know they are seen from Bishopton into this area.
"There is no doubt in my mind there is more than one leopard. They can survive on a couple of rabbits or a pheasant a day. There are so many rabbits knocked down on the road — they're easy pickings."

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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