Police marksmen have failed to catch the wild cat on the loose in County Antrim, after two more sightings were reported. A spotter-plane was used to help police officers on the ground after the animal was seen in fields near Ballymoney on Friday. The cat was spotted by a local woman, and then seen again by police officers who saw it crossing a country road. A full search was carried out but the animal, said to be bigger than a labrador dog, is thought to have taken refuge in a large forest nearby. Police wildlife liaison officer Chief Inspector Mark Mason said the animal is now believed to be a panther, based on the descriptions given by the two officers. He said it was unlikely that it posed any risk to people. "Even in the wild, these animals will normally only attack the weak and the lame," he said. "This animal has been born and bred in captivity - it's used to being fed on dead animals, like dead birds or bits of meat. "It is not used to killing to live - therefore I think it is of very low risk to us." USPCA chief executive Stephen Philpott said they found a footprint thought to have been left by the animal on Friday. He said 21 eyewitnesses had reported sightings in the last three weeks. "As far as we're concerned, this exotic cat is on the loose and is very unsettled," he said.
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