Bait laid to trap mystery wildcat 12.06.07

Gardai have laid bait in the search for a mystery wildcat spotted in the Newtowncunningham area. Cllr. Francis Conaghan said a local resident spotted the large animal which was "twice the size of a large dog" on Saturday and once again in the early hours of Sunday. "There was an operation last night whereby (Gardai) staked the place out and observed it from the early hours of this morning with some bait, some meat. Nothing showed up but I have spoken to them again and they are still taking the issue seriously as we would expect them to do," said Cllr. Conaghan.

He said he accompanied a number of local residents and Garda officers in a search for footprints on Sunday. "We checked the place out and looked at a possible hiding place. My own belief is that it may be harbouring in overgrowth at the disused railway line belonging to my father which is close to our home as well, so we had some concerns there," added the Fianna Fail county councillor.
He told Highland Radio yesterday that the person who reported the sightings was a reliable source. He said some local people suggested that the animal may have been an escapee from a circus that recently visited Letterkenny. He also appealed to anyone who may have been keeping such an animal illegally in the region, to come forward and report if it was missing. Meanwhile, an impression of a footprint taken from the area and sent to Dublin Zoo was determined to be that of a dog.
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