Report from Mark Fraser
In the witnesses own words:
"I was working as a taxi driver, I had just dropped a fare off in Gateshead, about 3 am in the morning and decided to head back the country road near Old Romes Yard, heading for Earlston where it takes you back on to the Ayr Road at Shortlee's, (Kilmarnock). I was just turning this sharp left hand bend when I looked in the rear-view mirror.
I saw the biggest green eyes that I have ever seen in my life and a huge black face. I must have been doing about 40 mph as the roads were quite icy, I put the foot down to escape, further down the road about two miles this black figure shot by the of side of my taxi and disappeared into the night.
It must have been about nine feet in length. It was then that I actually realised it was a black panther. This was around 15 years ago and I reported the incident to the police. They just laughed and said I must have been imagining things due to tiredness, but I had only been on my shift for two hours."
November, 1985
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