08 October 2009By James Johnston
A WORKMAN has spoken of his shock after spotting a mysterious cat thought to be the legendary Durham Puma.
Ian Richardson, of Silksworth, Sunderland, said he came across the 5ft long beast while driving through a quarry.
The 50-year-old said he was left stunned as he watched the animal make its way through the site.
"I was driving down a quarry embankment when I saw something moving out the corner of my eye," said the dad-of-three.
"I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I had to look twice. It was about 400 yards away or so. It looked like a big cat, moving slowly but very sleekly. It was over in seconds."
Mr Richardson, a service engineer, said he called for colleagues at West Cornforth Quarry, County Durham, and set out to get a closer look at the mystery cat.
However, it made off across nearby railway lines and disappeared into undergrowth.
"I was on my own at the time, but I called the lads over and we went to see if we could see it again," he said.
"I tried to follow its path, but you can't drive very fast in the quarry because of the terrain and I lost it. It managed to get away across the railway line and it went into the undergrowth.
"You hear stories about this big cat wandering the countryside around here, but you don't expect to see it. It was unbelievable."
The Durham Puma has been sighted on numerous occasions over the last two decades.
Forensic scientists have previously confirmed the existence of the fabled beast, which roams the woods and forests of the county.
In 1995, an independent expert examined a dung sample found near a savaged sheep carcass.
The dung, mainly made up of rabbit, was tested by a carnivore specialist at the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology in Aberdeen who concluded it was "a puma or leopard dropping".
And, earlier this year, paw prints measuring 3.5ins long were spotted by a walker in Winston, County Durham, close to the banks of the River Tees.
Running along one length of a muddy field, the footprints clearly show a large paw with deep claw markings.
The beast was captured on film in 1995 with a rabbit between its teeth. But it was the first time fresh tracks had been seen in years.
http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/Driver-in-puma-sighting-claim.5717472.jp
(Submitted by Davy Curtis)
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