April 1988 Index

Caithness Field Club Bulletin
March 1990

THE  TALE  OF  THE  PUMA
Eric Sutherland

There were several reports of the Moray beast during 1989. My own sightings occurred in July and December.

In July, while my wife and I were travelling on the A96 between Fochabers and Keith, a large cat jumped out in front of the car. It disappeared into the undergrowth. The light conditions were good and the cat appeared to be the size of a puma. It was dark in colour - dark brown or even black.

The second sighting was in the early hours of 26 November whilst returning a removal truck to Aberdeen. I pulled into the first lay-by on the right on the climb out of Fochabers and noticed a large cat on its hind legs clawing at plastic bags in one of the litter bins. Again, the cat appeared to be of the same proportions as a puma. It had a long tail, large paws and equally large claws. The cat continued to claw for a few seconds then turned towards the truck, giving me a good view of its head. The head had a definite feline shape with pointed cars, a very neat nose and very reflective eyes. The cat stared at me for a few seconds and then sloped off gracefully into the undergrowth.

I am always sceptical when I read of sightings but having witnessed such a beast myself, I am more receptive to the idea that this big cat does exist. It would be interesting to hear if anyone else has witnessed such an animal.