Report from Ralph Barnett via George Markie
Renewed fear of 'big cat' roaming free,
From the Dundee Courier 4 th January 1995
AMID RENEWED fears of a "big cat" roaming the countryside around Dundee, Mrs Shirley Kerr says she can do little to prevent more of her sheep failing prey to the. mystery animal which has claimed two of her flock so far.
Mrs Kerr's discovery on Monday of a second stripped carcass of a Jacob ewe on her farm, to the north of Monifieth, has prompted her to keep an even closer eye on her animals, although. short of mounting a 24-hour guard there is probably little she can do.
Mrs Kerr discounted the possibility that the killing could have been caused by a dog or humans.
"ItŐs a bit unusual for a dog or butchery by people, and it does not look like that," explained Mrs Kerr.
"A dog would not single out a ewe and it had very frightening horns really.
"Even our own sheep dogs were nervous, of this ewe, it was so big."
Mrs Kerr says she is keeping a watchful eye over her sheep and every time they run across their field she investigates in the hope of discovering the predator.
Unfit someone actually sees what is attacking the sheep, credence cannot be added to the theory that a "big cat" is running wild in Tayside, although many people believe the sheep killings are evidence that such a creature exists.
Sightings of a: black panther-type creature were first reported to The Courier early last summer when separate witnesses saw the creature at Crombie Country Park, Ledcrief. Fisheries near Tutlybaccart, Ninewells Hospital in Dundee and Old Downie Farm north of Newbigging.
A week later the elusive beast was spotted at Whigstreet, five miles south of Forfar, when. Alexandra Ismay, her daughter Hayley (20) and Hayley's boy friend Steve Devlin (27) watched it in fields from the family home.
Other sightings were made close to Linlathen Nursing Home near Balgillo, Broughty Ferry, and in the Muirdrum area.
In early August residents of Checkiefield, on the outskirts of Kirriemuir, saw a mystery black animal in broad daylight but, although they immediately called the police, a search proved fruitless.
Dundee Courier, 4 th January 1995
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