Winnie (supposed puma)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In 2005, Winnie was the name given to a supposed big cat sighted in the Veluwe region of the Netherlands.
[edit] First sightings
At the beginning of June 2005, several sightings of a "puma" were reported to the police near Ede, Harskamp and Wekerom. Gamekeepers found traces of eroded wildlife. The police closed down a large part of the Ginkelse Heide while in search of the animal in order to shoot it, as they felt that a puma could be a threat to people living in the Veluwe area.; however, nothing was found. An additional search for the animal performed by the organization Pantera was also unable to track the animal down.
[edit] Unmasked
On September 21, 2005 photographer Otto Faulhaber revealed the supposed puma as being a cross-breed between a European wild cat and a house cat. The cat was 1.5 times as big as a normal House Cat, which may have convinced those who saw it that they were looking at a species of big cat. European Wild Cats do not appear in the Netherlands in great numbers, but occasionally they can be seen.
