Galloway Puma reports and the Dumfries and Galloway big-cat controversy

Record summary

The Galloway Puma is a name used for recurring reports of a large cat in south-west Scotland, especially around Dumfries and Galloway. The reports became part of the wider British big-cat debate involving alleged photographs, livestock injuries and sightings by walkers and farmers. It matters as a comparison case because Scotland’s terrain, deer population and history of exotic-pet ownership provide several conventional explanations without resolving every observation. There is no generally accepted specimen or genetic confirmation of a breeding non-native predator corresponding to the legend.