Thanks Alex.
Eddie Bell has retired from what I can ascertain, but I do recall he was very known in 'big cat' circles, and was convinced that alien big cats were in living in the British countryside, and spent well over 25 years trying to find evidence to prove their existence. I believe he once declared there were around 20 alien big cats at large in the Durham area alone..
My understanding is the 'droppings' referred to in your article were inspected by Dr Hans Kruuk in 1995, and as your article states, 'confirmed they were from a puma or leopard'. So clearly no DNA analysis was undertaken, although there is little doubt of Dr Hans Kruuk's expertise in this field, he is a widely respected mammalian ecologist. I don't recall any mention of this back in 1999-2000, I can't find any comments attributable to Dr Hans Kruuk.
However in an interview in the Scotsman in February 1998 he had the following to say:
Dr Hans Kruuk, an ecology consultant and authority on large cat species, said there is simply no evidence to support the existence of any of these creatures on the loose - despite an almost constant stream of reported sightings.
His remarks met with a cool response, particularly from the Fife Constabulary where officers continue to deal with claims that a large black cat is living off livestock in the area, the so-called Big Cat of Cupar. Officers are convinced the animal really does exist.
Dr Kruuk, who co-founded the Serengeti Research Institute in Tanzania and studied the large cats there for several years, was speaking at the fourth Scottish Police Wildlife Liaison Officers' Conference at the Scottish Police College in Tulliallan.
"It is like Nessie. You shouldn't dismiss it altogether but I am afraid there simply is not sufficient evidence to support any of these claims," he said.
"I have worked at night and it is very easy to overestimate the size of animals. The Scottish wildcat itself in bad light can be thought to be much bigger than it actually is."
'Dr Kruuk, formally with the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, has been called out by police and landowners to investigate around ten reported sightings in the north-east of Scotland.
"I am pleased that the police forces take this matter seriously because these animals, if they are in Scotland, would originally have been captive and will be less frightened of people. A large cat on the prowl can be very dangerous."
Dr Kruuk does not doubt people genuinely believe they have seen a large cat but thinks there is also a great deal of "wishful thinking" on the part of those who want to believe there is more danger in our environment.'
And in an interview with the Press and Journal in March 2002:
'
Dr Hans Kruuk spent years studying big cats in their native habitats in Africa and North America and took a particular interest in Scottish sightings while working for the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology at Banchory.
"
I'm always conscious of how easy it is to make mistakes," he told the Press and Journal. "Very often I'd think I'd seen one kind of animal and, on closer inspection, I'd realise it was another.
"If it can happen to me, I'm fairly sure it can happen to people who don't have so much experience or knowledge.
"
I'm sceptical," he acknowledged. "But I'm keeping an open mind. We seem to have a great many sightings but little evidence in the form of tracks, remains and carcases. You come across these things when you're looking for big cats in Africa and North America and I'd expect people to be coming across these things in the countryside here."'
Odd that he didn't mention having identified puma/leopard droppings collected at the scene of a kill, maybe he doubts regarding the veracity? Who knows?
http://scotcats.online.fr/abc/why/catsof99tales.html
http://scotcats.online.fr/abc/sightings/scotland/nightstalkers12.html
