Report from Chris Smith
The terrible secret is out . . . the Beast of Keith is on the prowl
by Hilbre White and Stephen McGinty in Sunday Times January 23 rd 2000
FOR years it was spoken of in whispered tones. In the pubs and shops of Keith, the locals would fall silent when visitors entered in case the story leaked out. For in the wooded hillsides of the small Highland town, something sinister was on the prowl.
Despite numerous sightings of large wild cats over the years, the locals have until now kept the news secret for fear that their town might become the Bodmin of the north.
The world's press has regularly descended on Bodmin, in Cornwall, in pursuit of the "beast". But incidents of mysteriously slaughtered sheep and the discovery of large marks in the snow around Keith have gone unreported.
The large cats, variously described as panther or puma types, have been spotted by a range of people including farmers, policemen and even RAF officers. Locals believe that the cats regularly roam across the farming communities of Moray and Banffshire.
A crofter who has spotted the beasts on numerous occasions, but who wished to remain anonymous, said she feared that the village would now gain a reputation.
"If word got out we would have idiots trying to stalk them with video cameras or worse with guns. They're very beautiful and we don't want them harmed. It's why we've kept quiet," she said.
© The Sunday Times, January 23 rd 2000
 |
 |
 |
|
| Return to index | Return to Scottish Big Cats | <Return to Date Moray | td>Return to Date unknown