who are the monsters?

Cryptids are often referred to as monsters, as in The Loch Ness Monster , The Fouke Monster and so on.
I for one would love to see  that Nessie has been found. But then would I? What would happen if Nessie or any other creature were found?
Well it could be kept secret I suppose (conspiracy theorists in the past have claimed that governments know the creatures exist but it has been covered up).
More likely though a media circus would ensue. The poor creature would be placed on display in some special zoo or facility . Any of it's fellows would no  doubt  similarly be hunted ,captured and displayed. It would  make a great deal of money for the owner of the facility.
(My first thought would be 'Has no one seen King Kong?' Large creatures are notoriously difficult to keep contained.)This to me would make us ,the humans, the monsters. To degrade a creature in this manner ,make it a show or a display, takes away its freedom  and its rights.
The answer would be to see it is protected by law and its habitat is kept from development. A camera feed could be set up so people could catch glimpses of it as it went about it's daily life but visitors would be banned.
 A cryptid is a wonder, not a monster and it deserves to be treated with respect. Should any be found I hope it is remembered that it is a living thing not an exhibit .
If someone does manage to clone a mammoth or any other extinct species, it should also be entitled   to the same. A woolly mammoth does not belong in this era of time and should be placed in a habitat as near to its original as possible and allowed to live out it's allotted span in peace.
The so called monsters created by scientists recently such as goats crossed with spider DNA and huge ants , are not monsters either. The monsters are those that made them. They did not ask to be made freaks of nature but no one treated them with the respect they deserved , and said do not to tamper with them.
I truly hope that if such irrefutable evidence be found of a cryptid, that we have the sense to leave it alone and maybe just set up cameras for those who insist on seeing for themselves. Humans will always be the monsters until they treat creatures with respect.

mystery relic hominin fossils found

Fossils foot bones hint at mystery walker

By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC New

Scientists have obtained a fascinating new insight into the evolution of humans and our ability to walk.It comes from the fossilised bones of a foot that were discovered in Ethiopia and dated to be 3.4 million years old.The researchers say they do not have enough remains to identify the species of hominin, or human ancestor, from which the right foot came.But they tell Nature journal that just the shape of the bones shows the creature could walk upright at times.The fossil haul consists of eight elements from the forefoot - bones such as metatarsals and phalanges.The specimens were pulled from clay sediments at Burtele in the central Afar region, about 520km north-east of the capital Addis Ababa.It is a significant discovery because it demonstrates there was more than one pre-human species living in East Africa between three and four million years ago, each with its own method of moving around.The other creature was the famous "Lucy" animal (Australopithecus afarensis), whose remains were first identified in the Afar in the 1970s.

The team says the animal's morphology is reminiscent in some respects to a 4.4-million-year-old creature known as Ardipithecus ramidus. Although, again, it is not ramidus."It may be a relic species that was lingering around until 3.4 or 3.3 million years ago, and which had its origins way back in Ardipithecus ramidus times," suggested team leader Dr Yohannes Haile-Selassie.

Read rest see pics here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17533826

So yet another species of relic hominin found. It does help those who think Bigfoot is a relic hominin though as it could indeed be a yet unidentified species. 

new cryptid fiction out

new book out. last in Dark Trilogy:http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Esk-The-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B007PK6R6E/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1333009549&sr=8-6

First the Hellhound is seen , then the Ghostly coach with the head less driver , a man is found beheaded and a respectable church goer says Dracula drank her blood. What is going on in Whitby? Has someone opened up Hell? The Fifth Reich are funding a dig at the old Abbey ruins. What they are searching for was buried to keep it safe from men a long time ago.Laura and her companions and Henry and the Knights find themselves facing some truths, some ghosts and demons. The end comes swiftly but who for? 

"They stood transfixed as the coach raced towards them , unable to move or speak. The sight of the coach was terrifying , black horses foaming at the mouth straining to go faster pulling a black coach with no lights and driving them a man with no head, just a neck stump, the old blood stains showing on his high collared cloak. It looked like something from the 18th Century. The noise of the horses’ hooves and clatter of the wheels on the cobbles was deafening in the narrow street and seemed to reverberate within their heads and echo all around them."

By the successful author of “Dark Ness” (now in paperback) and “Dark Wear”

New book hints at bigfoot responsible for missing people and new fossil find.

 Bigfoot authority takes on Park disappearances

By Joel Davis | (joeld@thedailytimes.com)

A noted Bigfoot researcher has written a book about disappearances in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and across the U.S. David Paulides, a California resident, came to Alcoa Tuesday to distribute copies of a new book to the media during a press conference that touted “disturbing new information” about the cases of Dennis Martin, Trenny Gibson and Thelma Pauline Melton, who all disappeared in the Smokies.

The book, “Missing 411: Eastern United States,” summarizes information from newspaper accounts and other sources to offer recaps of unexplained disappearances. In the book, Paulides also raises questions about what he considers unusual elements of the stories.

Read rest here: http://www.thedailytimes.com/Local_News/story/Bigfoot-authority-takes-on-Park-disappearances-id-022024

The article seems to hint that the author blames bigfoot for the missing people.....well there have been stories over the years of people being kidnapped and held by bigfoot .....so who knows?

New plesiosaur discovered: http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/local/green_bay/snc-prof-makes-significant-discovery

mammoths not interbred to extinction says new study

  Mammoths' extinction not due to inbreeding, study finds

By Dhruti Shah

BBC News

The last known population of woolly mammoths did not "inevitably" die out because of inbreeding and lack of genetic diversity, a study suggests. Scientists used techniques normally used to tackle crime scenes to carry out DNA analysis of samples taken from Wrangel Island in the Arctic Ocean. They said that it was more likely that human activity or environmental factors killed off the healthy creatures. Their work is published in the journal Molecular Ecology. Although mammoths generally died out and disappeared from mainland Eurasia and North America around 10,000 years ago, about 500-1,000 mammoths continued to survive on Wrangel Island for a further 6,000 years. The 7,000 sq km Wrangel is about 140km from the Russian mainland.

Read rest here : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17457561

mystery creature found

Can you identify this creature?

A DOGWALKER who found this grizzly fish head on the beach is appealing for help in identifying the creature.Last Monday, Gary Boyd was out with his dogs near to Victoria Park when his nosy Border Terrier Oliver picked up the underwater animal in his mouth. And when Mr Boyd went to retrieve the creature from Oliver’s mouth he was stunned at what it was. He explained: “He has picked up this thing which had the body of a normal fish but its head looked like a piranha with a big mouth and razor sharp teeth.“I have asked around friends to see if they know what it is but nobody has seen anything like it before.“I even took it to M&M Spink to see if they knew what it was but they weren’t sure.“They said it looked like something pre-historic to them.”

Read rest see pic here : http://www.arbroathherald.co.uk/news/local-headlines/can-you-identify-this-creature-1-2190132#

news roundup ,sighting of spring heeled jack?sharpest teeth in history and new discovery

 Taxi driver breaks silence over "dark figure"

9:30am Tuesday 20th March 2012 in Top Stories By Lauren May

Taxi driver breaks silence over "dark figure" A taxi driver has corroborated the sighting of "a dark figure" in Epsom last month but has played down its significance. The man, who works with NV cars in Sutton has been on holiday since the mysterious sighting on February 14 on the Ewell bypass near Nescot College. His passengers reported seeing a dark figure cross the road in front of the taxi at about 10.30pm before leaping a 15ft bank. They were amazed by what they saw and likened the figure to the legendary Spring Heeled Jack. Since the story broke it has been one of the top stories on our websites attracting thousands of hits and comments from ghost hunters around the world.

Read rest here: http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/local/topstories/9600213.Taxi_driver_breaks_silence_over__dark_figure_/

Scientists Discover Sharpest Teeth in History

A team of scientists from Monash University and the University of Bristol has found that the tiny teeth of a long-extinct prehistoric fish are the sharpest that have ever been recorded.A study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, shows that the teeth of conodonts, a group that first appeared around 500 million years ago, were easily able to bite through the animal’s food despite measuring only a millimeter in length. The fragile nature of the tiny fossil remains of animals that died out more than 200 million years ago meant scientists had to create virtual 3D models of the material using x-rays from a particle accelerator in Japan before they could conduct thorough research.“Evidence suggested the conodonts were the first vertebrates to develop teeth,” said Dr. Alistair Evans of Monash University’s School of Biological Sciences, a co-author on the study. “Conodonts had no other skeleton than the teeth in their mouths. These came together a bit like scissors, to slice up food.”

Read rest here: http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/article00217.html

Should the location of newly discovered species be hidden?

By Stephanie Hegarty BBC World Service

Discovering a new species can be the defining moment of a biologist's career, but for some it can also mean exposing rare and vulnerable animals to the dark world of the wildlife pet trade, with catastrophic results. It's a scientific dilemma that has led some conservationists to question whether it would be better to hide their findings from the world.In 1999, herpetologist Bryan Stuart was working in Northern Laos when he stumbled across an eye-catching newt he had never seen before. The creature was prehistoric in its appearance with thick, warty skin and bright, yellow dots all the way down its back. He spotted it in a bottle of alcohol that a Lao colleague had brought back from a wedding in a remote part of the country - the poison from the newt's skin had been used to make a drink with special medicinal properties for a toast to the newlyweds. Stuart went in search of the newt in the wild and three years later he published an article in the Journal of Herpetology, announcing the discovery of the new species, Laotriton laoensis. "When you see one of these animals in the wild in your hand for the first time and you recognise that it is absolutely unique, it's like discovering a treasure," he says. But his joy turned to horror when he realised his discovery had caught the attention of amphibian dealers around the world. Examples of the species were popping up in pictures on amphibian pet forums as far away as Germany and Japan.

Read rest here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17386764

Lake Creatures of Quebec

Misiganebic a lake creature with a horse's head, or sometimes described as having a snake or eel like head is said to exist in several lakes in theQuebec area. It has been reported in at least eight lakes including Blue-Sea, Cedars, Bitobi, Baskatong Reservoir, Lake Desert and LakePocknock.. There is also an intriguingly named "Snake Lake" nearby. According to locals Blue Sea lake, Cedars lake and Bitobi lake are interconnected. The legend about Misiganebic started with the indigenous people of the area.

Blue Sea Lake is about 90kilometers (56 miles ) north of Gatineau. It is known for its crystal clear water .The story goes that a monstrous snake-like animal with a horse head lived in the lake and was by several people between 1913 and 1930. It was said to be very long and a very fast swimmer. The next report of it’s appearance was in 1980 in the Baskatong Reservoir, located further north. This change of venue was thought to be due to the increase of tourism around the lake and the increased use of motorboats and noise.

The creature was also said to have been seen in Lake Williams in 1928 but looking slightly different. While on a camping trip to the lake, Rev. A. D. MacKinnon and his family came upon a huge, horny-pelted creature which they described as resembling a hippopotamus. The animal, which appeared to be both aquatic and able to move on land, crawled about in the muddy, shallow waters near shore, browsing in the mud and snapping at passing fish. Mr. MacKinnon and his party merely gazed at it from a safe distance and then it went under the surface of the water. It was known that huge sturgeons inhabited the lake but Rev MacKinnon insistedthat the strange creature he saw was not a fish. He said it wasn’t an actual hippopotamus but looked like one. The reverend had been in charge of the Union church there for many years and his truthfulness was considered unquestionable.( N.B. This may have been a different creature)
Lake Saint-Jean is also said to be the occasional home to the snake head monster.
In 1880, a snake "as thick as a telegraph pole " colour "dark green", was seen between the lighthouse and the shore. Since 1975, with a peak in 1980, local newspapers reported persistent observations of a "monster inthe lake.
In (as far as I can establish, I had to translate this from French and I am out of practice) 2000 ,a Mr. Geoffroy and his son , saw an unidentified animal from the edge of Lake Brochu. It made a wave, a convex shape in the water as it swam .Mr Geoffroy’s engine on his boat was 120 horse power so he set off in pursuit. He was going 35 miles per hour (56km / h) but could not catch up with it. . He said it was not of fish under the surface because it went too fast and a fish would not cause the wake he saw. The claim was that it
was a prehistoric beast stuck there as the Gouin dam basin was formerly open to the sea .
Mocking Lake is also located in Quebec, Canada. Local villagers say that a twelve(4 metres) to eighteen feet( 6 metres) long creature lives in the lake with a saw tooth shaped fin on it’s back. A grey coloured creature thirty-five feet( 11.1 metres) long was seen by Donat Lavaseur.( no date) and a Mr. and Mrs. Gage saw a large creature come up out of the water when they were fishing. They saw it’s head and nine feet ( 3 metres) of it’s back. ( again no date)

My translation may be a bit off in places but it appears Quebec is home to several or one travelling snake head lake creature plus a hippopotamus type creature. If anyone has any information please post a comment.

another creature reappears

 Rare fish found after 35 year absence

Vesela Todorova

DUBAI // A fish that walks on land has been spotted in the UAE for the first time in 35 years, according to two Dubai naturalists.

The Walton's mudskipper, known to experts as Periophthalmus waltoni, lives on mudflats in the intertidal zone of coastal lagoons.It spends most of its time out of the water, propelling itself through the mud using its fins, or hiding in burrows in the mud.The fish grows to about 15 centimetres and feeds on snails and insects on the damp surface when the tide is low.The sighting was made by Dubai-based naturalists Binish Roobas and Gary Feulner."The mudskipper's reappearance is a rare bit of good environmental news against a background of continuing habitat loss in the UAE's coastal regions," said Mr Feulner, a long-time resident and naturalist who is a frequent visitor to the country's coastal lagoons.Periophthalmus waltoni is found in the Northern Arabian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and as far away as Pakistan. But in the UAE, the last sighting recorded by scientific observers was in the mid-1970s.

See pics read rest here: http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/environment/rare-fish-found-after-35-year-absence

new species found including possible evidence of different species of humans

New frog species found hiding in NYC

Researchers discovered the new Tree Leopard frog after hearing its distinctive call

Scientists say they have found a new type of frog living in New York City. While new species are usually discovered in remote regions, this so-far unnamed type of leopard frog was first heard croaking on Staten Island. Jeremy Feinberg of Rutgers University in New Jersey noticed the frogs there had a call he had never heard before. They look identical to other species, but genetic analysis showed they are a new species of leopard frog that probably once lived in Manhattan. While studying leopard frogs Mr Feinberg noticed that instead of the long "snore" he was expecting, he heard a short, repetitive croak."When I first heard these frogs calling, it was so different, I knew something was very off," Feinberg said.The frogs are currently found in Staten Island, mainland New York, and New Jersey, sometimes in sight of the Statue of Liberty.

Read rest see pic here :http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17367664

Human fossils hint at new species

By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News

Scientists say the specimens display features that are quite distinct from fully modern humans

The remains of what may be a previously unknown human species have been identified in southern China. The bones, which represent at least five individuals, have been dated to between 11,500 and 14,500 years ago. But scientists are calling them simply the Red Deer Cave people, after one of the sites where they were unearthed. The team has told the PLoS One journal that far more detailed analysis of the fossils is required before they can be ascribed to a new human lineage. "We're trying to be very careful at this stage about definitely classifying them," said study co-leader Darren Curnoe from the University of New South Wales, Australia. "One of the reasons for that is that in the science of human evolution or palaeoanthropology, we presently don't have a generally agreed, biological definition for our own species (Homo sapiens), believe it or not. And so this is a highly contentious area," he told BBC News.Much of the material has been in Chinese collections for some time but has only recently been subjected to detailed analysis. The remains of some of the individuals come from Maludong (or Red Deer Cave), near the city of Mengzi in Yunnan Province. A further skeleton was discovered at Longlin, in neighbouring Guangxi Province.

See pics read rest here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17370170

Another new species of human, all this looks hopeful for believers in bigfoot/yeti as a relic humanoid species. The finding of a new species in an urban environment is even more astonishing and makes one wonder what else is hiding in plain sight.

free book

not cryptozoological but it is free:

frothy coffee stories free on smashwords until april 14th. use this coupon:
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Does lake Utopia have a family of giant eels or is it a lake monster?

The Indigenous people’s legends speak of a serpent with a huge mouth and teeth that inhabits Lake Utopia in New Brunswick, Canada. The serpent is said to break holes through the surface of the frozen lake and snap at people on the lake. There have been sightings reported for about the last 100 years. The lake level varies throughout the year, as more or less water is allowed through a hydroelectric dam on the Maguadavic River in St. George. This may have some effect on whatever creatures live there.

In 1867 sawmill workers on the north shore of the lake reported they saw something 30 feet (nine metres) long and 10 feet (three metres) wide thrashing in the lake.

In 1868 a Saint Croix Courier ( a newspaper) reporter said he and other witnesses saw the monster.

In 1872 a Dominion Gazette article on the monster said "dwellers of the lake, without exception, believe that a huge fish or serpent has a home in Utopia" and they've seen it basking like a pine log on the surface of the water.

In1872 locals describe a monster with a large head following their canoes, snapping its jaws. The Canadian Illustrated News reported a hunting party set out to catch the monster without success.

In 1891 William Francis Ganong, a naturalist, records in his notebook a description of the monster provided by a lumberman who said he saw it 20 years prior. "It was dark red in colour, the part showing above the water was 20 feet long ( 6.6 metres) and as big around as a small hogshead; it was much like a large eel."

In 1969 The Saint John Evening Times Globe reported on an interview with Mrs. Fred McKillop, of St. George, who said she saw a huge creature 18 years earlier. "It looked like a huge black rock . . . It moved up and down the lake, boiling and churning the water, making great waves,"

In 1982 Sherman Hatt says he and family members saw a hump come out of the water about 10 feet (3 metres)long. He said it looked like a submarine with spray coming from both sides.

In 1996 There were reports about Roger and Lois Wilcox who were canoeing on the lake when they saw ripples break the mirror-like surface 100 metres ( 300 feet) from them. It was heading toward Cannonball Island . Wilcox, a retired military airman from St. George area described it as 40 to 50 feet (13 to 16 metres) long, undulating upward, not sideways and he saw a hump  five feet ( 1.6 metres)out of the water. He said, "I just don't know what it was."

The leading Lake Utopia Monster researcher Norma Stewart said most sightings are kept quiet, one was reported to her in 2000. Stewart believes there is a pattern of sightings at about every three to five year intervals.

So is this another giant eel sighting? The descriptions sound very familiar. There could be a family of large eels living in the lake that surface either when food is scare or maybe when they are breeding and are protecting their territory, hence the aggression. Perhaps they come through to breed when more water is put into the lake? Of course that is only one explanation and I am sure everyone has their own.If anyone knows of any more recent sightings please post.

Another big cat sighting

Big cat spotted on Moray golf course

Eyewitnesses said the big cat, a little smaller than this one, looked like a black Labrador.

A MYSTERIOUS big black cat has reportedly been spotted prowling around a coastal golf course, in what is just the latest in a long list of similar sightings in Moray during the past year.

The animal was seen twice last week at Buckpool Golf Club, Buckie, following reports just a few days earlier of a similarly large black feline being viewed near a railway line at Portgordon.

The sighting by one of the club’s greenkeepers was followed last Thursday by second and third eye-witness accounts, courtesy of golf partners John Coull and Joe Smith.

Perhaps better used to contending with misplaced balls that have landed in the bushes, both men got far more than they bargained for when they saw the animal leap from its hiding place beyond the rough.

Mr Coull said he and Mr Smith were close to the sixth tee, between 9.30 and 10am, when they spotted the animal.

Read rest here : http://www.northern-scot.co.uk/News/Big-cat-spotted-on-Moray-golf-course-09032012.htm

Big Cats been around for some time

read full story here :http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-17227857

Painting of lioness attack in Wiltshire is auctioned

The oil painting, a 19th century copy of a James Pollard work, shows the beast attacking the Exeter Mail Coach on 20 October, 1816, near Salisbury.

The lioness had escaped from a travelling menagerie and as the coach drew up at a coaching inn in Winterslow it attacked the lead horse.

Velociraptor , Predator or Scavenger ?

Velociraptor's last meal revealed

By Ella Davies

Reporter, BBC Nature

Velociraptors did not turn down a free meal

The bone of a large flying reptile has been found in the gut of a Velociraptor, sparking fresh discussion among palaeontologists. Velociraptors have previously been described as "hyper predators". However, scientists suggest this pterosaur was too large to be the Velociraptor's intended prey but could have been scavenged. The findings are published in the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, and Palaeoecology.An international team of scientists revealed the drama of 75 million years ago with a detailed analysis of the skeleton found in the Gobi desert, Mongolia.

Read rest here : http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/17276531

The more we find out the less we realise we know. The same could be said about cryptids.

Is this a new film of Nessie?

WEDNESDAY, 7 MARCH 2012

New Loch Ness Video Footage

See film here: http://lochnessmystery.blogspot.com/

What do you think it is?

its raining eels!

Huge eels found swimming in the streets after 'weather bomb' hits New Zealand

By ANTHONY BOND

They are one of the least attractive of all fish species and are normally found lurking in oceans and rivers.

But when part of New Zealand was hit by a 'weather bomb' recently, a number of eels suddenly sprung up in some surprising locations.

Residents in one street in Masterton, Wellington, were left shocked to discover dozens of the slimy creatures swimming in large puddles and gutters in the road.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2110473/New-Zealand-Huge-eels-swimming-streets-weather-bomb-hits.html#ixzz1oKCTH8Ul

Survivors of the Ice Age ?

Scandinavian trees 'survived last Ice Age

Some Scandinavian trees survived the last Ice Age, challenging a widely held notion that they were killed off by the huge ice sheet that covered the region.Modern trees in Scandinavia were thought to descend from species that migrated north when the ice melted 9,000 years ago.But research suggests some conifers survived on mountain peaks that protruded from the enormous ice sheet, on islands and in coastal areas.The work appears in Science journal.

"Our results demonstrate that not all the Scandinavian conifer trees have the same recent ancestors, as we once believed," said Prof Eske Willerslev from the Centre for GeoGenetics, University of Copenhagen."There were groups of spruce and pine that survived the harsh climate in small ice-free pockets, or in refuges, as we call them, for tens of thousands of years, and then were able to spread once the ice retreated.

Read rest here :http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17235229

Could other species have survived the ice age too? well we keep hearing stories of people seeing woolly mammoths and even sabre toothed cats.

http://cryptozoo-oscity.blogspot.com/2010/05/sightings-of-sabre-toothed-cats.html

http://cryptozoo-oscity.blogspot.com/2012/02/stories-of-woolly-mammoth-sightings.html

Monster and big cat news from the Scottish highlands

Monster fury over Nessie hoax claim

"Nessie" on display at the Loch Ness Monster Exhibition Centre in Drumnadrochit.AN author has been branded a "green eyed monster" after describing the Nessie story as "the archetypal hoax of the 20th century" in a Canadian newspaper. Writer Josh Bazell has created waves among Nessie lovers after penning articles in a Canadian paper saying the monster legend was made up as a scam to lure tourists to the area in the 1930s. But outraged Gary Campbell, president of the Loch Ness Monster Fan Club, hit back at Bazell's monstrous claims, saying it is only because he is jealous that a Nessie rival in Canada does not share the same celebrity status.In Canada's National Post, Bazell insisted the Nessie hoaxer was Alex Campbell, water bailiff for Loch Ness, and his motive was to save jobs following the stock market crash of 1929. He said the crash led to a fall in Loch Ness tourist numbers, to the point where it was announced the railway to Fort Augustus would be discontinued.

Read rest here:http://www.highland-news.co.uk/News/Monster-fury-over-Nessie-hoax-claim-7663370.htm

Big cat on the prowl in Corpach?

EXCLUSIVE by Janice MacKinnon

Bill Gibbons in his garden where the mystery animal left large footprints.BIG footprints in the mud – and a dwindling rabbit population – have given Corpach locals "paws for thought" this week.Bill Gibbons of Hillview Drive was astonished to discover a set of large paw prints in muddy ground beneath a bird-feeder in his garden at the end of last week. And he believes they may belong to a "massive" wildcat which has been spotted in the area."I was quite intrigued when I found them," he said. "I suppose a big dog could have been responsible but they look more like a very big cat’s prints to me."I found the prints just below my living room window, directly beneath a bird feeder.

"The front two impressions were more deeply embedded in the soil, as if the creature had stood for a while watching the birds coming back and forth."Bill believes the prints – which are approximately two inches in diameter – were left overnight or in the early hours of the morning as they appeared freshly made when he first noticed them."A plastic box in the garden, which had a couple of mouse traps in it, had been raised up and the traps set off, which also made me think a cat was responsible," he added.John Cuthbertson’s home, also at Hillview Drive, backs onto the railway line running from Fort William to Mallaig, with boggy waste ground on the other side of the tracks leading towards the canal. He believes the terrain would be an ideal place for a large cat to hide out.Just 400 yards away along the railway track is the Snowgoose Mountain Centre, an outdoor activities centre run by John and his wife Tina, who reported several sightings of "an extremely large wildcat"

Read rest here :http://www.lochaber-news.co.uk/News/Big-cat-on-the-prowl-in-Corpach-29022012.htm