Sightings of a 3ft tall black cat some are suggesting could be a black leopard have been reported in west Fife. They were reported in Carnock, Saline and near Cairneyhill last month.
The sightings were reported to Bob Wallace, central Scotland co-ordinator of Big Cats in Britain, who said he thinks it may be a leopard.
“We have had four sightings of the cat in total in west Fife,” he said. “From the descriptions we have been given, it sounds like it could be a black leopard. I would rule out a puma.
“One of the aims of our group is to try to find out what type of cat this is or is it a whole new species?”
He continued, “On Saturday, March 12, one witness said he saw it near the roundabout at Carnock … He said he had noticed the sheep were agitated and got out of his car when he saw what he thought was a black labrador.
“On the same day another witness said he saw a cat near the quarry beside Saline. This person said the cat was heading in the Kelty direction.
“On Sunday, March 6, at 2.30pm, a separate witness said he saw a cat while he was travelling on a bus just outside Cairneyhill going towards Kincardine.
“As the man was seated quite high he saw this beast walking in a leisurely manner and saw the cat full on. He said it had a long, slinky tail.”
Mr Wallace is urging the public to contact his group if they have any sightings of the cat, but warns against approaching it.
He said, “These cats are very elusive and do not want contact with humans. The times when it has been spotted is when it is making its way on its own.
“Nine times out of 10 these cats will avoid us. However, if people do see one at close distance, give it plenty of room.”
He added, “It is difficult trying to establish what kind of cat it is, as we don’t have DNA. However, if we get a report of a suspected cat kill we will take swabs and send them off for analysis and we do use cameras at certain locations.
“It’s a bit like finding a needle in a haystack though, and that’s where sightings come into their own.”
Any sightings can be reported by emailing wallace-robert@yahoo.co.uk
Photo by Flickr user sibtigre2.