A large cat believed to be on the loose in Cork has been described as "looking like a labrador dog with a much longer tail".

The Cork Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (CSPCA) has said that it has received several reports of a puma, also known as a cougar, in the region.

They described the reports as "too credible to ignore".

The unconfirmed sightings have been reported over the past two weeks in Fountainstown, Crosshaven and Togher.

Speaking to RTE Radio One's Morning Ireland, Vincent Cashman of the CSPCA said their priority is to identify the creature.

"We have set up some trail cameras in the places the animal has been seen previously so we can try and track the animal and get an ID on it," Mr Cashman said.

"It sounds very far fetched but it's not impossible and the reports that we've received from landowners and people are credible and worthy of further investigation.

"Sometimes we do receive reports of large cats and they may be feral cats.

"The description of this animal is that it looks like a labrador with a much longer tail."

Mr Cashman said they have mapped the areas where the animal has been seen.

"We are pinning sightings on maps and working out where it moves to... in the wild, a puma or a cougar would travel in an area of 300 square miles."

A puma has been described as a "large mountain cat" that holds the potential to be dangerous if cornered.

The puma can also be potentially dangerous to the livestock, since they can consume an animal "as large as a deer."

Since the puma is prone to staying solitary, members of the public have been advised not to go out looking for the mountain cat.

The CSPCA have vets on standby, who may be summoned if the animal needs to be darted.

Online Editors