(Original Headline: Another sighting adds to mystery of big black cat )
Former provost and chairman of Monifieth Town Council Ian Mortimer is the latest to see a big cat that may have been stalking Dundee and the surrounding area over the last few months.
Mr Mortimer was walking his dog at around 8 am on Sunday at Monifieth beach.
While walking along the path beside the football pitches adjoining the caravan park, he spotted the animal struggling to get through the nearby fence.
“It was definitely not a normal cat,” said Mr Mortimer.
“It was about three times the size of a household cat and it certainly wasn’t a dog.
“It was about the size of a collie dog but moved like a cat.
“I was about 20 to 30 yards away from it when I saw it struggle to get through the wooden slats of the fence by the path.
“Eventually it jumped over the fence and slumped on to the ground and disappeared in to the long grass.
“There are lots of deer and rabbits in the area and it did seem to be a well-fed animal.”
Mr Mortimer’s sighting is one of many reported in the last year, including one seen crossing a main road in Dundee last month and the infamous “Beast of Balbirnie” in Fife.
One explanation for the increasing regularity of these sighting is the effect of the 1976 Dangerous Wild Animals Act.
This act banned people from keeping large predators as pets without a licence and regulated the size of enclosures in which they could be kept.
It is thought that, as a result of the legislation, many owners simply released their animals into the countryside, rather than rehoming them or having them put down.
