French authorities are searching frantically for a huge black cat seen stalking the Northern town of Boulogne-sur-Mer. Witnesses have seen it in a number of places including on the beach and in a cornfield. While reports say the beast appears to be a pure black panther over four feet long, authorities assure residents it's not an inch over three feet.
BOULOGNE-SUR-MER, France (AFP) – Scores of policemen, some armed with shotguns, are hunting a mysterious big black feline spotted in northern France, officers said.
The operation was launched Wednesday near the town of Boulogne-sur-Mer after several panicked people first raised the alarm on seeing what they described as a "panther" about 1.2 metres (four feet) long on a popular beach.
Some 80 officers and a helicopter were immediately deployed on a search, and the beach was closed for a day, but they failed to find their quarry.
Belgian tourists and residents then reported seeing the black beast on Friday, and on Saturday people out strolling saw it in the middle of a cornfield.
Police finally spotted it through binoculars.
"It's a black or dark feline, fairly hefty, not very high but pretty long. It's not a panther. It's a big cat with at least a metre in length," one officer said.
Police have so far not been able to get close enough to actually catch the beast. There was a similar sighting in 1986, and the authorities had no luck catching it then, either. Accordingly, the police have requested help from the only officer on the force with any experience dealing with panthers.
