Does this picture show ‘black panther’ on the loose in Scotland?
Stunned residents feared kids could be attacked amid claims a huge beast was spotted prowling in fields
THIS is the picture that sparked a hunt for a loose black panther in Scotland - but what does it really show?
Cops and animal experts were put on high alert yesterday after reports of a big cat on the prowl in Ayrshire.
Villagers were left spooked by reports a lethal animal is on the loose.
Stunned residents feared kids could be attacked amid claims a huge beast was spotted prowling in fields.
And police initially feared a panther was roaming villages.
Last night locals were still on edge despite animal experts later casting doubt.
The pic comes amid a hoax sighting created by a teenager joker.
The prankster caused more panic after creating a panther out of metal and sticking it in a nearby field.
Robbie Brown, 18, crafted the big cat with a laser cutter before posting snaps of his replica on social media.
The welder received hundreds of shares with locals believing it was the real deal — one user even called the cops to report the sighting.
Robbie, of Sinclairston near where the animal was spotted, said: “I just did it for a laugh.
“Everyone was talking about the other sighting so I spent ten minutes crafting one out of metal.
“It got a crazy reaction on Facebook, and some people thought it was real.
“Others realised it was fake because the tail was in the same position in every picture. It’s been a good laugh.”
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Police sources last night confirmed they had one call from a member of the public about the hoax creation.
Meanwhile an online joker has created a fake account on social media for the panther.
Tweeting under Black Cat Fae Drongan, it’s attracted hundreds of followers.
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