Report from Peter Dignam
For comments on this photograph see the Photo album
Paws for thought in Moray garden
From the Press & Journal, 10 th February 1995
A big cat-like creature stalked a couple's country garden near Elgin yesterday.
Pensioner William Bradley (74), Lilac Cottage, Coxton, found large paw-prints in the snow.
"I am just glad that I didn't meet the creature face to face," he said. "By the size of the pawprints about the place. But these were definitely out of the ordinary."
Local farmer and shooting expert Jim Silvestri, who saw the prints, said the prints had been left by a cat-like animal the size of a small spaniel.
The prints were more than two inches wide and 17 inches apart.
A big black cat was spotted at Bramuckity, half a mile from Coxton, a few weeks ago.
Mr Bradley, a former TV engineer, found the paw prints after returning from buying his evening newspaper.
"I decided to take a walk round the garden and I saw the paw prints in the snow," he said. "They are certainly bigger than a normal cat's."
Mr Silvestri, North Darkland, Lhanbryde, said the creature would have been bigger than the famous Kellas wildcat shot in Moray a few years ago.
Press and Journal, 10 th February 1995
I am writing regarding the large paw prints found in the snow on the 10 th February 1995. A listing appears on your web site in the sightings section and I'm sure this is the associated report to go with the listing. The article is from the Press & Journal.
William Bradley the man who found the paw prints is my grandfather and this was not the only run in he had with the cat. On a late summer evening my Grandmother and Grandfather were out for a walk when across the field they witnessed a spaniel-sized cat walking slowly along the brow of a hill. They were able to watch the cat for about 20 seconds but as always there was no camera handy to take that elusive photo.
Farms nearby lost sheep around the time of the sightings and at one point my Grandfather tried to tell me the cat was living in the woods near to his house. As you can imagine I did not go out after dark for a little while.
My interest in the big cats blossomed when my Grandmother took me along to visit Di Francis and her Kellas cats and from that point on I was hooked on finding the elusive feline. My interest in the felines has been put on the back burner lately as most of my time is spent trying to finish course work for University but I have been able to collect newspaper clippings in my spare time.
Peter Dignan.
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