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| On the trail of Scotland's mysterious big cats | On the trail of Scotland's mysterious big cats |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Large black cats feature among hundreds of reported sightings from across Scotland | Large black cats feature among hundreds of reported sightings from across Scotland |
| It’s almost 45 years since a big cat native to the Americas was captured in the Scottish Highlands. | It’s almost 45 years since a big cat native to the Americas was captured in the Scottish Highlands. |
| The female puma - later nicknamed Felicity - was caught by a farmer frustrated by a series of savage attacks on livestock. | The female puma - later nicknamed Felicity - was caught by a farmer frustrated by a series of savage attacks on livestock. |
| He set a trap using a cage baited with a sheep's head. | He set a trap using a cage baited with a sheep's head. |
| But was the puma really to blame for the killings or an unwitting participant in an elaborate hoax, and why did big cat sightings continue after she was caught? | But was the puma really to blame for the killings or an unwitting participant in an elaborate hoax, and why did big cat sightings continue after she was caught? |
| 'Torn apart' | 'Torn apart' |
| Lying sprawled in a glass display cabinet in Inverness Museum and Art Gallery is the preserved body of Felicity. | Lying sprawled in a glass display cabinet in Inverness Museum and Art Gallery is the preserved body of Felicity. |
| Back in 1980, when very much alive, she was prime suspect for sheep attacks in and around Cannich, a community on the fringes of Glen Affric's vast area of hills, lochs and woodland. | Back in 1980, when very much alive, she was prime suspect for sheep attacks in and around Cannich, a community on the fringes of Glen Affric's vast area of hills, lochs and woodland. |
| Journalist Iain MacDonald was a reporter for the BBC at the time. | Journalist Iain MacDonald was a reporter for the BBC at the time. |
| "It all began a couple of years before with stories of big cats - people were seeing them, and sheep and other animals were being found apparently torn apart, their bones smashed," he recalls. | "It all began a couple of years before with stories of big cats - people were seeing them, and sheep and other animals were being found apparently torn apart, their bones smashed," he recalls. |
| Felicity the Puma and Inverness Museum and Art Gallery | Felicity the Puma and Inverness Museum and Art Gallery |
| Iain says some people were sceptical of the reports while others convinced there was something out there. | Iain says some people were sceptical of the reports while others convinced there was something out there. |
| He says: "It was a little like the Loch Ness Monster. | He says: "It was a little like the Loch Ness Monster. |
| "You might or might not believe in it." | "You might or might not believe in it." |
| Iain says local police were interested "to a degree". | Iain says local police were interested "to a degree". |
| Then word came that a farmer, Ted Noble, had trapped a big cat. | Then word came that a farmer, Ted Noble, had trapped a big cat. |
| Mr Noble had lost livestock to attacks himself and reported seeing a large cat stalking his Shetland ponies. | Mr Noble had lost livestock to attacks himself and reported seeing a large cat stalking his Shetland ponies. |
| The media descended on Ted's farm. | The media descended on Ted's farm. |
| "It was a circus," says Iain. | "It was a circus," says Iain. |
| "There was this poor beast in a cage snarling and hissing at everybody and a crowd of journalists, photographers and cameramen all milling around. | "There was this poor beast in a cage snarling and hissing at everybody and a crowd of journalists, photographers and cameramen all milling around. |
| "It was a bit bizarre." | "It was a bit bizarre." |
| Iain MacDonald was a BBC journalist covering stories in the Highlands and Islands when Felicity was captured | Iain MacDonald was a BBC journalist covering stories in the Highlands and Islands when Felicity was captured |
| Felicity was caught near Glen Affric, an area of hills, woodland and lochs | Felicity was caught near Glen Affric, an area of hills, woodland and lochs |
| Not everyone believed Felicity was behind the attacks. | Not everyone believed Felicity was behind the attacks. |
| There were a few red flags. | There were a few red flags. |
| Experts described her as elderly, tame and overweight. She also had arthritis. | Experts described her as elderly, tame and overweight. She also had arthritis. |
| Some suggested she was a pet either abandoned - or even used to hoax Mr Noble. | Some suggested she was a pet either abandoned - or even used to hoax Mr Noble. |
| Felicity was taken into the care of the Highland Wildlife Park near Aviemore. | Felicity was taken into the care of the Highland Wildlife Park near Aviemore. |
| Iain interviewed the park's owner, Eddie Orbell. | Iain interviewed the park's owner, Eddie Orbell. |
| "Eddie said 'this beast hasn't been in the wild half an hour. It's been fed and well looked after'," says Iain. | "Eddie said 'this beast hasn't been in the wild half an hour. It's been fed and well looked after'," says Iain. |
| "He cast considerable doubt she could have been haunting the Highlands for years." | "He cast considerable doubt she could have been haunting the Highlands for years." |
| Iain heard stories from the park of Felicity behaving like a household moggy. | Iain heard stories from the park of Felicity behaving like a household moggy. |
| "It allowed people to scratch it behind its ears and there's a story one of the keepers would walk around the park with Felicity draped around his shoulders," he says. | "It allowed people to scratch it behind its ears and there's a story one of the keepers would walk around the park with Felicity draped around his shoulders," he says. |
| Felicity lived out the rest of her days at the park. She died in 1985. | Felicity lived out the rest of her days at the park. She died in 1985. |
| Beast of Balbirnie | Beast of Balbirnie |
| After Felicity's capture, reported sightings of big cats continued almost unabated. | |
| "We still regularly get fresh sightings," says Paul Macdonald of Scottish Big Cat Research. | "We still regularly get fresh sightings," says Paul Macdonald of Scottish Big Cat Research. |
| The project has a network of 80 volunteers and has gathered more than 1,600 big cat sightings going back to 1947. | The project has a network of 80 volunteers and has gathered more than 1,600 big cat sightings going back to 1947. |
| In recent times these encounters included: | In recent times these encounters included: |
| October 2018 - Reports of a large black cat in east Ayrshire. A police helicopter carried out a search, but Scottish SPCA said pictures taken by the public showed a large domestic cat | October 2018 - Reports of a large black cat in east Ayrshire. A police helicopter carried out a search, but Scottish SPCA said pictures taken by the public showed a large domestic cat |
| August 2010 - Police warn of reports of big cats in Easter Ross and Sutherland. A "very large, muscular black cat with a square head" spotted near Tain | August 2010 - Police warn of reports of big cats in Easter Ross and Sutherland. A "very large, muscular black cat with a square head" spotted near Tain |
| July 2010 - Police say a black cat the "size of a German shepherd dog" seen in woods at Inshriach, Kincraig | July 2010 - Police say a black cat the "size of a German shepherd dog" seen in woods at Inshriach, Kincraig |
| December 2008 - A woman reports she was attacked by a large cat while putting out her bins in Alness, Easter Ross | December 2008 - A woman reports she was attacked by a large cat while putting out her bins in Alness, Easter Ross |
| October 2005 - Fife Constabulary put on show a cast of a large paw print in an effort to identify a cat-like creature dubbed the Beast of Balbirinie | October 2005 - Fife Constabulary put on show a cast of a large paw print in an effort to identify a cat-like creature dubbed the Beast of Balbirinie |
| Paul, a Scottish Borders-based sword-maker who grew up in Lochaber, helped to set up the group in 2019. | Paul, a Scottish Borders-based sword-maker who grew up in Lochaber, helped to set up the group in 2019. |
| He has been fascinated by Scotland's mysterious cats since his own sighting in the late 1980s. | He has been fascinated by Scotland's mysterious cats since his own sighting in the late 1980s. |
| Paul says he and a friend were travelling by train near Glenfinnan when they spotted what he describes as a melanistic leopard, also known as a black panther. | Paul says he and a friend were travelling by train near Glenfinnan when they spotted what he describes as a melanistic leopard, also known as a black panther. |
| He says: "It was about 4 to 5ft long in body, had a long tail and muscular rolling shoulders as it slowly slinked away." | He says: "It was about 4 to 5ft long in body, had a long tail and muscular rolling shoulders as it slowly slinked away." |
| Paul Macdonald, far left, with other project members have been gathering evidence of big cats in Scotland | Paul Macdonald, far left, with other project members have been gathering evidence of big cats in Scotland |
| Paul believes many of the big cats were pets dumped after the introduction of 1976's Dangerous Wild Animals Act, external. | Paul believes many of the big cats were pets dumped after the introduction of 1976's Dangerous Wild Animals Act, external. |
| "People used to have them in their flats," he says. | "People used to have them in their flats," he says. |
| The law requires people to buy a licence and keep the animals in appropriate sized enclosures. | The law requires people to buy a licence and keep the animals in appropriate sized enclosures. |
| Paul says: "I think there were multiple release events by owners whose other option was to have the cats destroyed. | Paul says: "I think there were multiple release events by owners whose other option was to have the cats destroyed. |
| "An illicit trade in exotic animals since then have added to those releases." | "An illicit trade in exotic animals since then have added to those releases." |
| Scotland's nature agency NatureScot advises on non-native mammals in the wild and has information on its website, external about how to report unusual species. | Scotland's nature agency NatureScot advises on non-native mammals in the wild and has information on its website, external about how to report unusual species. |
| A spokesperson said: "While we receive one or two sightings of big cats a year, none of the reports submitted over the past 34 years have provided sufficient evidence to conclude that big cats were present. | A spokesperson said: "While we receive one or two sightings of big cats a year, none of the reports submitted over the past 34 years have provided sufficient evidence to conclude that big cats were present. |
| "The last verified sighting of a big cat in the wild in Scotland was in 1980." | "The last verified sighting of a big cat in the wild in Scotland was in 1980." |
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