Beast of Ormiston? Dog walker films cat 'the size of Alsatian'

Beast of Ormiston? Dog walker films cat 'the size of Alsation'

A Scottish dog walker has filmed what he claims is a black cat 'the size of an Alsatian' in a field in East Lothian.

Barry Pearson, 42, saw the creature going into woods near a railway line Ormiston and Elphinstone last Monday.

Speaking to the Daily Record, Mr Pearson said: "I first thought it was a collie dog but when I took a closer look it was definitely feline.

"It was about the size between a Collie and an Alsatian.

"I was about half a football pitch away from it but if I had been a bit closer to it I might have been a bit frightened.

"It was very strange but very intriguing.

"I saw about six deer cut back across the field, then they cut back across. At that point the cat broke cover.

"I know it was from a distance, but when I saw it sitting in the field it was definitely bigger than a household cat.

"It definitely wasn't scared of us - I think it was eyeing us up."

There have been dozens of reports over the years of a big cat in the area. In the last five years, police forced across Scotland said they had received more than 140 big cat sightings.

According to the Mirror, many people in the 60s and 70s kept exotic wildlife until the Dangerous Wild Animals Act was introduced in 1976.

Most people gave their pets over to local zoos, but some are said to have set them free.

But Ormiston community councillor Cathy Jess said she had not been aware of any recent sightings in the area.

She said: "There are plenty of animals roaming about if you catch them out the corner of your eye. But there are black Labradors, large dark coloured dogs -it could be anything."