Published: Friday, 23rd January, 2009 12:30pm

Big cats on prowl?

Big cats are most definitely on the prowl in the Tweed Valley.

Following last week's story in the Peeblesshire News about the discovery of a sheep carcass readers have flooded us with tales of the weird and wonderful.

One reader, Jez Ippolito, of Cardrona, got in touch to say he had captured a large black cat on camera in the woods at Windy Knowe.

He said: "It looked like a jaguar squatting, I stumbled with the shock of seeing it.

"I didn't get closer as i didn't relish getting mauled and ending up as cat meal.

"People don't seem to realise how vast the forested areas are. An intelligent creature like a cat of the large variety would have no trouble staying out of the public glare.

"If these exotic animals are roaming free in the wild and i've no doubt they are, we are encroaching on them and not vice versa."

Another reader, who refused to be named, spoke of how she and her daughter came across two black wolf-like creatures near Moffatt.

She said: "We were driving from Moffatt and a few miles past the Devil's Beeftub we came onto a long stretch of road with the forest on either side.

"Ahead on the road we saw what looked like a large black dog but as we came closer we saw that it was more wolf-like. It was then we saw another one on top of the embankment.

"We slowed down a bit and they just leapt over the ditch and ran into the forest. Me and my daughter were stunned."

A number of sheep flock attacks around Peebles and Innerleithen have been reported in recent weeks .

And Scottish Big Cats have received 60 reports of sightings in and around the Tweed Valley over the past four years.

Speaking of the recent attacks, Mark Fraser from Scottish Big Cats told the Peeblesshire News: 'I certainly would not dismiss a big cat - with the history of sightings in the area, it seems evident that there is a large feline loose, and they have to eat."

Lothian and Borders Police are still probing an incident near Traquair on January 4, where two sheep were destroyed following attacks.

However, we have also received reports that badgers could be responsible for leaving these sheep carcasses throughout the region.