Report from George Markie
Big cat shock for Moray woman
From Yowie Hunters 4 th September 1999
A Moray big cat enthusiast has fulfilled a long-held ambition to catch a glimpse of the mysterious creature.
Hilbre White was left speechless when a large panther-like animal stepped out in front of her car.
She stopped in amazement when the creature wandered across a quiet countryside road near Mulben.
Mrs White, who has held an interest in big cats for a number of years, said she is in no doubt about what she saw.
"I was driving along the road at about 7.30pm last Friday, so it was still daylight.
"This big cat, which was about the size of a labrador, crossed the road in front of me.
"It was an incredibly beautiful creature. It had a very long tail and was so sleek.
"It wasn't as tall as I imagined it would be. I would say it was about 22in tall and about 4ft long. I would say that it was smaller than any of the African big cats, like a puma or panther.
"It casually walked across the road and looked as though it was going hunting. It didn't seem to take any notice of me or the car at all," said Mrs White, of Kingston.
Mrs White, 46, became interested in the big cat phenomenon several years ago after talking to people who had experienced close encounters. She has carried out research and written an article about the enigmatic creatures, but has never came close to one before.
"This has really spurred on my interest in them. I don't think it is a sight which I will ever forget," she added.
"I am very, very pleased that I have been lucky enough to catch sight of one of them. I have heard so much about them, but I didn't think I would ever actually see one.
"Before this happened, I did believe that big cats existed, but now I have actually seen one, I have no doubt that they are out there."
However, Mrs White admits that she was not keen to take a closer look at the animal. She said: "I did not want to get out of the car. The cat dived off into the wood and I had no plans to follow it. If someone else had been there with me, I might have been persuaded to go and have a look."
4 th September 1999
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