Report from Nick Wirsten
Big black puma-like cat seen near Melrose
late September 2002
On the local front, over a week I was told of a new sighting of what is best described as a big black Puma-like cat near Melrose. The sighting ocurred late September at the Reservoir at Bowdenmoor, which is a mile uphill of Melrose right at the side of the Eildon Hills, it's actually right next to a reasonably busy road as well. The reservoir isn't used now and isn't really that large, with trees and bushes around most of it.
The man who has reported the sighting is very well travelled world wide and has seen big cats in the wild in Africa. He was standing by the edge of the Reservoir one evening in late September before sunset, when around 30 yds at the most he saw a large catlike animal come out of the bushes and paused for a while and stared along at him. He said it was the size of a German Shepherd Dog at least, puma like in shape, black or very dark in colour with quite a long tail. It paused for a while then disappeared into the bushes again.
He is still adamant now more than a month on that he saw a big cat and not a large fox or dog. That actually looks similar to what I saw back 5 years ago only a few miles away on Nov.2nd 1997.
late September 2002
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