Published: Tuesday, 10th June, 2008 12:39pm

Webcam set to snare 'Beast of Blairadam'

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THEY see him here, they see him there but, unfortunately, they never have a camera to prove it.

All that could be about to change, however, with plans to once and for all capture the legendary "Beast of Blairadam" on camera.

The Beast, described as a big black cat, has been spotted several times over the years at the Kelty forest but its existence has never been proved.

But now the group Big Cats in Britain (BCIB) want to set up a webcam near the woods to try and spot the monster as it prowls around its territory.

And they are appealing to anybody in the area who can provide them with a safe place to locate their camera.

Between 2000 and 2006, there were 42 sightings of big cats in the Kingdom.

Mark Fraser, founder of BCIB, said Fife is one of the busiest places for big cat sightings and he has heard many reports of the Kelty cat over the years.

'Fife is the biggest hotspot in the whole of Scotland,' he said. 'It has always been the biggest place in the country for big cat sightings.

'We would definitely be interested in putting a webcam up there (Blairadam forest).'

The camera would provide a live feed to the internet, so West Fife "beast spotters" could log on at any time to see if that cat has made an appearance.

Anybody wanting to offer their land would need an internet connection and an outside power supply.

'We would need to have it in a secure location. When we have put them up in other places, they tend to get stolen,' explained Mark.

The Press reported in 2005 of Carnegie Harriers runner Iain Taylor"s experience with the Beast.

He was out in the forest setting up markers for a race when the cat ran across the track about 20 metres away from his car.

'I couldn"t believe it, at the time I remember thinking, "gosh - all these stories about big cats are true",' he said of his near-cat experience.

'The following day, when I was taking the course down, there were what looked like cat prints embedded in the snow.'

Colin Seddon, manager at Middlebank wildlife centre, said he had never heard of any big cat sightings during his time there, despite some false alarms.

'One of the local inspectors came in the other week with a sheep which had its throat ripped out.

'He was asking if it could have been a big cut but I thought it looked too clean,' he recalled.

It is thought that big cats living in the wild are descendants of animals released after the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1972.

The act placed heavy restrictions on dangerous animal owners and so many people decided to just release their pets into the wild instead of conforming.

But, according to Colin, this isn"t as logical as some big cat enthusiasts would have you believe.

'If these cats are released from captivity, they could survive fine. But if there was only one of them, how would they breed? They would disappear.

'Also, they would be going for sheep and fowls so you would hear about it,' he added.

Another theory suggests that they are actually a native species that has managed to remain undiscovered in the woods and forests for centuries.

Other West Fife close encounters of the beastly kind include that of Kelty couple John and Patricia Getley.

They reported spotting a big cat prowling around near their home, days after 15 of their chickens had been mysteriously slaughtered.

And, in 1998, a big cat being hunted by police across Scotland was spotted in Devilla Forest, Kincardine.