Police admit possibility of big cats in Tayside cannot be ruled out

A tiger-like creature roaming near Montrose is among 19 unexplained ”big cat” sightings investigated by Tayside Police in the last five years.

A freedom of information request submitted to the force by a member of the public reveals officers continue to be contacted by people who believe they have seen the mysterious animals.

The most recent report was made in June when ”a large black wild cat” was spotted near Rattray in Perthshire.

Other incidents include an apparent sighting of a lynx wildcat near Kelty, a ”puma-like” animal sloping across Caird Park in Dundee and in January an animal, described as possibly a panther, was seen in woodland near Pitroddie.

Tayside Police were unable to say how much money and manpower had been spent on investigating the claims but a spokeswoman for the force said: ”We cannot absolutely rule out the existence of big cats in the area.

”The people who report these incidents are convinced by what they have seen. However there is normally a straightforward explanation behind these sightings.”