[01 SEP 00] CRIMES,
FIRES & ACCIDENTS
Is
There A Beast On The Loose In Warwickshire?
Police are
investigating sightings of a puma in South Warwickshire after a
woman dog walker claims to have seen a big black cat on the loose.
There was a
report of a large cat like in Hampton Lucy about 12.30pm on
Wednesday.
And now police
are warning people to be on their guard. But pumas are solitary
creatures that do not like each other’s company, let alone
humans.
A Warwickshire
Police spokeswoman said:
“A lady who
was walking her dog behind Snitterfield Street in Hampton Lucy
saw about 20 yards in front of her what describes as a puma,
black in colour about three to five feet long with a tassel on
the end.
“This is a
local dog walking area and people are advised to be on the
lookout for this creature.”
Does this mean
Warwickshire will have its own wild cat on the loose to rival the
Surrey Puma of the 1960s, and the Beast of Bodmin Moor, which is
still making the headlines every few months?
Pc Craig Fellows,
Warwickshire Police's wildlife officer, said there was little
chance of such a creature attacking people as they are scared of
people and dogs.
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