A mystery "big cat" captured on camera near a fishing lake in Scotland has sparked a fierce debate online. David Duff filmed the animal from his balcony at Ledyatt Trout Fishery near Lundie, where he has spotted it regularly for 18 months.
The fishery owner said the striking feline appeared "bigger than a normal cat" and compared it in size to a Labrador. The 13-second clip was shared on the fishery's Facebook page, causing a huge online debate over what exactly the animal could be.
Details of the Sighting
Spotting the animal from 50 yards away, Mr Duff described it as being of rusty brown colour, with thin black stripes and defined rings on the tail. He said: "Commenters have said it’s a Bengal cat and from what I can gather it looks like nothing like it. It's not conclusive; it could be a hybrid, a wild cat. It's very hard to judge the scale and beauty of the animal from that video. It's bigger than a normal cat. It's somewhere between a Labrador and a cat. Certainly it’s not a vegetarian - carnivore through and through."
But experts from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) told Scottish paper The Courier that the animal "may have some wildcat ancestry" and, given its location, it also "may be a hybrid." The organisation added that without further footage or genetic testing, the animal's identity could not be confirmed.
Frequent Visitor to the Fishery
Mr Duff said the mysterious cat has been a resident in the fishery and he has seen it in the fields hunting rabbits and up trees. He has seen it about 20 times over the 18 months. He added: "He is very elusive; he is beautiful and massive - it’s just awesome to have him here. The terrain here is absolutely perfect. There's loads of animals – it's a mecca for wildlife, and it's no surprise that this animal would make it its home.
"I don't know if it’s a male or a female. Its sexuality is irrelevant. It's marvellous having an apex creature around – means we have a pristine environment and that’s a cherry on the cake of what we do."
Online Reactions and Other Sightings
This was not the only cat that Mr Duff has seen around the fishery, adding that he caught a glimpse of another cat that was "a lot lighter and different" to the one captured in the video. He added: "It's a magnificent area for a predator. I wouldn’t allow anything to happen to scare wildlife away. It means I am doing everything right."
More than a thousand people have weighed in on the mystery creature, with some convinced it is a wild cat while others believe it could simply be a domestic pet. One person said: "Hard to tell if it’s a wild cat or not. Tail would suggest it is." Another added: "What a capture! I would say wild cat with the stripes but hard to tell with the way it extended out her or his body." While a third commented: "If that’s a Bengal then someone is over feeding it!"
However, some others are convinced it’s just a domestic pet. One said: "Domestic cat, tail is wrong for wild cat." Another added: "Not a wildcat, the tail isn't thick enough." And a third said: "It’s just a big cat !!" Mr Duff concluded: "Whether it’s a domestic cat, a cross, purebred, it’s such a buzz to think that an animal has chosen to turn Ledyatt Trout Fishery home. It's a testament to everything we do."
