by Debbie Hall, West Lothian Courier
A panther could be stalking the streets of West Lothian after a dog walker spotted a big cat - the second such sighting in a year.
Bob Wallace, coordinator for the Scottish Big Cats group, who carry out investigations into big cat sightings from all over Scotland, said he received a report of a sighting at Appleton Parkway in Livingston last month.
Bob said the dog walker saw a large black cat, which measured two-to-three metres in length. He is now appealing to members of the public to come forward if they too have spotted the animal elsewhere.
The sighting, on July 8, comes just under a year after Kirknewton woman Helen Smith said she saw a panther near her farm - for the second time.
Bob told the Courier he believed the animal spotted last month was a melanistic leopard, better known as a black panther.
He said: “I had a report passed onto me from a man from Livingston who saw a large black cat whilst walking his three dogs in the Appleton Parkway area at 06.30am on July 8.
“He spotted the cat at a distance of 150 to 200ft from him, he said it was moving slowly heading towards Appleton Parkway and it didn’t seem to be disturbed by the fact the himself or the three dogs were there.
“He was able to observe it for around a minute or so before it disappeared into the tree line. One of his dogs made a beeline for its position with its nose to the ground, but quickly returned when he called her back.
“He describes the animal as being totally black, one metre tall and two or three metres in length, including the tail.”
The Courier reported in September last year that Helen Smith said she had spotted a panther at her farm in April then August, before finding two of her horses with claw marks.
Anyone who has information of thinks they may have spotted a big cat can telephone Bob on 07936 719909, e-mail at wallace_robert@yahoo.co.uk or fill in the sighting report form at www.scottishbigcats.org.uk.
