Sighting from Chris Smith
Villager's fear over 'big cat'- 'Don't approach it' say police
From East Lothian Courier July 20 th 2001
Sighting of a large cat-like creature the size of an Alsatian dog roaming the fields of East Lothian has led to police warning local people to be on their guard and not to approach it.
The creature was first spotted three weeks ago by an Ormiston woman who was walking her dog in a field close to her home in Limeylands Crescent.
Her close encounter with the 'big cat' left Elaine Ainslie, 47, so terrified that she was physically sick.
While walking her dog through the field near her home, Mrs Ainslie caught sight of a cat wandering along the track towards her.
'It was about 8.30 at night and it was just starting to become grey-dark. I saw the creature coming towards me and thought at first it was a big cat.
'Gemma, my dog, seemed terrified, though. She quite often strains at the lead and barks if she sees another animal but this time she started to cower and was very quiet.
'When this animal got closer I realised just how big it was. It was roughly the size of a large Alsatian dog, but the shape was all wrong. It looked more like a cat.
'It came within a few feet of me and sat down. Its tail was swishing and it stared at me. Even sitting down, it came up to hip level on me and its tail was very long and jet black,' she said.
East Lothian Courier, July 20 th 2001 |
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