Report from Chris Smith
Woman is attacked by 'Big Cat'
From in the Press & Journal, January 14 th 2002
A NORTH-east woman has claimed she was pounced on and bitten by a panther-like animal.
The Insch resident had been walking near her home when she was attacked by a big cat.
The woman, who does not want to be named, claimed the black beast grabbed hold of her leg and bit her on the thigh.
"The animal was very fast and it came out of nowhere," she said.
She added: "It wasn't growling or anything so I don't think it could have been a dog."
The woman, who is in her 50s, believes she may have startled the creature by encroaching on its lair.
The beast ripped her trousers and left three painful puncture wounds on her thigh.
She hit the mystery feline attacker several times with her car keys before it let go and disappeared.
Large panther or puma-like animals have been reported across the North-east in recent years.
Experts believe the raft of big cat sightings stems from 70s legislation which banned the ownership of large wild animals as pets.
It believed dozens of exotic beasts were released into the wild.
Grampian Police confirmed they were aware of a big cat being sighted near Insch on Friday night.
The Press & Journal: January 14 th 2002
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