15 July 2014 | Comments
The St Helena Police Service announced on Saturday 12 July 2014 that reports had been received of a ‘monkey like’ animal sighted in the Rupert’s Valley area. The public were advised not to approach any such animal and to contact the Police immediately.
This afternoon representatives from the Police, Health & Social Welfare and the Environment & Natural Resources Directorate, including the Island Vet, met to discuss the sightings reported.
There is no conclusive evidence to suggest that an animal that should not be on the Island is here. Witness accounts have described the animal as big, brown, flat-faced and moving at a very fast pace, in an almost ‘cat-like’ manner. This suggests that the unidentified animal could be a very large feral tom cat, but at this stage this cannot be confirmed.
The Police are keeping an open mind and encourage witnesses who might have seen this unidentified animal to report it to them in the normal way. Written statements will be taken and the Police will continue to monitor all reports received and keep the public informed.
As advised on Saturday, any members of the public who see this animal should not approach it, but should call the police immediately. A photograph of the sighting, if possible, will aid the police in their investigation.
SHG
14 July 2014
Comments