BY MICHAEL DEVLIN
THERE will be no official searches carried out to find the big cat believed to be on the prowl among the bushes in Tyrone, despite recent photographic evidence almost confirming it's existence. Neither the PSNI, the USPCA nor the Environment and Heritage Service (the body responsible for regulating dangerous animals across the Six Counties) have any immediate plans to undertake any endeavours to try and identify, capture or kill the animal. Moreover, it has been suggested that even if a team of experts were charged with tracking the large feline, it could well turn into "a wild goose-chase."
Featured in the Tyrone Herald on Monday past, an amateur photographer and his brother, Ryan and Aiden Bradley recently happened upon a puma-like monster cat in a field in an area commonly known as the 'Fort' at Ballygowans, close to Omagh town. The duo, who were testing out a new camera at the time, managed to take a photo of the beast before it made off over a nearby hill. The local men say they are in no doubt about what it was they saw and yet despite this and notwithstanding the photographic evidence, nothing is to be done.
"I would be very, very concerned about this," local councillor, Paddy McGowan stated. "I wouldn't be surprised one bit if there thing is real and it's running about out there because we know from past experiences these things are about.
"I can't understand why searches aren't being carried out, because there certainly should be. There's no point leaving things until it's too late and someone gets hurt."
For the PSNI's part, a spokesperson said the best thing anyone can do is contact the police if the cat is spotted.
"Numerous reports have circulated about 'big cats' in various parts of the Province," a spokesperson said. "In recent times, none of the reports has resulted in any beasts being captured or killed.
"Local people may remember that police shot a Lynx on the 18th of February 1996 at Garvallagh Road Fintona.
"Wildlife experts advise that any big cats that may be in existence tend to avoid areas of human habitation. If anyone does spot what they believe is a dangerous wild cat, the first - and perhaps most obvious piece of advice - is not to approach it. Take a note of the location and inform police or the USPCA straight away."
The Dangerous Wild Animals (Northern Ireland) Order 2004 came into effect on December 28 last year to regulate the keeping of dangerous wild animals by private individuals. Up until this time there has been no legal provision for regulating the keeping of these animals. Up until yesterday (March 27) an amnesty period was in operation which allowed current owners of dangerous wild animal(s) to apply for a licence or surrender the animal to the department without penalty.
"We don't have the time or the resources to go after something like this," a spokesperson for Environment and Heritage Service said on Tuesday. "This would be a police matter anyway, as it's a public safety issue."
Similarly, a spokesperson for Glenlark Nature Reserve outside Gortin believes any search – if one were carried out – could well turn out to be a waste of time.
He cautioned, "Any wild animal would be hard to track down anyway. Something like a panther or a puma could be up a tree or underground. A search could well turn into a wild goose chase because these things would be practically impossible to hunt down, especially given the area it would move around in."
The local expert also warned against approaching such an animal.
"Even if this thing has been hand-reared, it will still have wild instincts and so it will still be extremely dangerous," he said. "The best advice is stay away from it and if you do see something tell the police immediately. It's common sense really, people should be careful until it's found."
