Report via George Markie
Possibly five cats in Fife
From the Dundee Courier, 7 th January 2002
Sir,
Many readers will have been interested in the articles published in
your newspaper regarding the sighting of big cats in the Tayside and
North Fife areas. I have been recording details of various sightings
for the past ten years.
I have received many reports covering a wide area of Scotland. many
people have intimated that they wished to remain anonymous as they
had either experienced or feared ridicule when they informed others,
including the authorities, of seeing big cats roaming the Scottish
countryside.
Attitudes are now changing and I think most enlightened people are
more ready to accept that there are or could be some big cats out
there which are not indigenous to our country.
An article appeared in several newspapers last year which named
Scotland as the "big cat capital of Britain". This statement was
apparently based on the fact that during the past three years there
have been 78 big cat sightings throughout Scotland. In fact there is
no accurate figure and one can only hazard a guess at such figures. I
personally have recorded 65 sightings of big cats, mainly from
witnesses in north-east Fife. The witnesses to the majority of these
sightings wished to remain anonymous and although they furnished me
with their particulars I respected their wishes and they were not
publicised.
I believe there may be at least five different big cats in north
Fife. this is based on the various descriptions in the hundreds of
reports given to me over the years.
I continue to receive reports and would welcome hearing from any of
your readers who have been lucky enough to have seen the big cats.
Only by recording all sightings will we ever be able to estimate
accurately the numbers of cats frequenting any particular area and
eventually be able to identify the species.
George Redpath,
Schoolhouse,
School Road,
Balmullo.
Dundee Courier, 7 th January 2002
 |
 |
 |
|
| Return to index | Return to Scottish Big Cats | Return to Fife | Return to 2002 |