Report from Chris Smith

Big Game Hunter Brian's Panther Patrol

by Brendan McGinty in The Edinburgh Evening News, May 1997

BIG game hunter Brian Wood has set up a panther patrol in a bid to track down a mystery beast stalking the countryside

The former farm labourer is tracking what he believes is an adult panther by day, then searching for it at night - armed with only a torch and camera and accompanied by his three dogs. Brian 32, first spotted the panther in March when he saw it near playing fields at his home at Boghall, in West Lothian.

He said: "I saw it in the park jumping a six foot fence, It had a great long tail, its body was more than 4 ft long and It was about 3 ft high with a thick neck and very round head."

There has been a spate of sightings in the West Lothian and Pentland Hills areas over recent months.

0n Tuesday a woman walked into the SSPCA 'Balemo office to report seeing a puma-type animal.

And Brian believes he has found tell-tale signs of the cat's presence - two paw prints in a field and panther hairs on a tree trunk nearby.

SSPCA inspectors said at big cat sightings were more common towards the Pentland Hills, but a beast could easily wander further afield.

© The Edinburgh Evening News, May 1997

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