A black panther on the loose in Scotland may just be a pet cat on the prowl.
Police in Scotland issued a warning on Friday afternoon following reports of a black panther in Drongan and Coalhall.
But later that evening, officers said they no longer thought the animal on the run was a panther.
A statement read: "Officers who have been investigating a number of reports of a large black cat in fields near to the B730 have been liaising with a big cat expert who does not believe that it is a black panther, however cannot yet confirm what type of animal it is."
Photos from the area appeared to show what looked like a domesticated black cat in fields, with birds nearby.
Police said they would be continuing their enquiries to establish more information, and told members of the public to take care.
Scottish SPCA deputy chief superintendent Tom Gatherer said they believed the animal was a domesticated cat.
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While legitimate photos of the supposed big cat emerged, one prankster also took the opportunity to stir up some fear, posting images of a black cut-out in his garden.
Robbie Brown's pictures fooled many across Facebook, but he told Metro.co.uk he was not behind the calls to police.
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