By Matt Slaughter, Star News
There has been another supposed sighting of a mysterious big black cat - this time on the outskirts of Christchurch.
Over the years there have been reported sightings of big cats in Canterbury, Otago, Southland and Marlborough, and two weeks ago in North Canterbury.
Now a sighting has emerged at Halswell Quarry in Christchurch.
The trail of the possible sighting leads back to Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton Community Board chairman Mike Mora.
He heard a caller on talkback radio say they saw a cat-like animal at the quarry.
Mora then raised it at a recent community board meeting.
"He [the radio caller] said he was at the top of the ridge at the quarry and he looked down and saw this big, black, cat-like animal and he went down and saw it move away really, really quickly," Mora said.
He said the grass it was spotted in was about 1 metre high, which means a regular-sized cat would not have been able to be seen in it.
Mora said he mentioned the sighting in the elected members' exchange section of the meeting because he thinks it is something the public should watch out for.
"If there is something there, it would be just interesting to get feedback from other people. If there is one in the area, no doubt other people would have seen it."
A Christchurch City Council spokesman said quarry staff hadn't received any reports of big cat sightings, but they are "always keeping an eye out".
- Star News
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