Report from Nick Wirsten
Murdermoss big cat
On Sunday November 2nd 1997 I was travelling to work at 10.40 pm east along the Selkirk to St.Boswells road to my work which I'd done for over three years without incident, there's little or no traffic on that stretch of road at night and usually I catch sight of at least one of the farm or feral cats that roam the area just prior to the Murdermoss.
I was that used to seeing them I had names for them, but tonight something else was to capture my attention. I had driven over a blind rise in the road and headed down to the bottom of the dip in the road adjacent the Murdermoss, to my right was a fir forest and to the left a 1 metre fence and open fields and marsh.
As I came up out of the rise at around 45 mph in my headlamps I caught sight of two glaring eyes first at the left hand side of the road and slowed down. At the side of the road was a large cat like creature, dark in colour which then decided to leap over the fence just as I came to a stop, it leapt and looked like a puma which rather startled me!
I sat there wondering what to do next and drove on but decided 400 yds up the road to turn at a junction and head back, this was really something I'd seen and I decided to go back for more so I drew up where I had seen the puma like animal leap the fence, I took out a powerful torch I always carried and shone it into the field but couldn't see anything so I turned the car round and headed into work.
There had been a sighting about a mile away of a cat like creature by a lady about 4 wks previously and as she had been ribbed about it I decided to say nothing to anyone at the work.
Next morning I came back along the road in the daylight at 8.15 am and stopped for a look but found no trace of anything and proceeded home to my bed in amazement that I'd seen a large puma like creature that night.
To this day I'm convinced that I did and I'm a cat person so I know one when I see one. I only ever told my family about sighting that big cat after the ribbing the lady had got when she experienced one. To date there have been no more reported sightings near Selkirk.
There was one at Bowden not long after which is about three/four miles over the fields, I'll try and look that one out for you at the local archive which has all the local papers on microfilm.I hope you have enjoyed my sighting and I have no problem with you putting it on your website, thank you.
Yours
Nick Wirsten
Sighting report
Name Nick WirstenDate. Sun 2 nd November 1997
Time 10.40 pm
Location Also describe the terrain, town, country etc.
Adjacent the Murdermoss on Selkirk to St.Boswells road.
The road goes into a steep dip then rises again, it is about 1.5miles from the town, over 900ft above sea level.
Heading east, fir forest at right hand side, open field and marsh area to lefthandside - that's why it's called Murdermoss and marked on Ordnance Survey maps. Nearest farmhouse about 400 yds east.
Weather. Dry night little wind-and mild for early Nov.
Description of animal. Puma like.
Colour & markings. Dark in colour, possibly black (nightime)
Size.Compared to a German Shepherd. Similar but not likely bigger.
Shape of head. Puma
Shape of ears Too far away
Length of body including head 4 ft at least
Length of tail Too far away to see clearly at night
Type of movement Puma like leap over fence around 1 metre high
Distance away 10 yds nearest when it leapt. First spotted in headlights about 100 yds away
Moving or stationary Standing at side of road
Did the animal make any noise No I was in my car
Was the animal frightened, indifferent, curious etc. Likely startled-by my headlights and noise of car.
What was the animal doing when you first observed it. Standing At left hand side of road looking at me approaching in car.
Duration of sighting. 20secs at most, likely less.
How many witnesses. Only myself, I worked at nights and was on way to work near St.Boswells.
Evidence of sightingi.e. pugmarks, hairs, photographic evidence. None
Special observations. None
2 nd November 2001
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