Winnie (supposed puma)
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In 2005, Winnie was the name given to a supposed big cat sighted in the Veluwe region of the Netherlands.
[edit] First sightings
At the beginning of June 2005, several sightings of a "puma" were reported to the police near Ede, Harskamp and Wekerom. Gamekeepers found traces of eroded wildlife. The police closed down a large part of the Ginkelse Heide while in search of the animal in order to shoot it, as they felt that a puma could be a threat to people living in the Veluwe area. However, no trace of the animal was found. An additional search for the animal performed by the organization Pantera with the purpose of tracking the animal down turned out to be unsuccessful as well.
[edit] Revelation
On September 21, 2005 photographer Otto Faulhaber revealed the supposed puma as being a cross-breed between a European wild cat and a house cat. The cat was 1.5 times as big as a normal house cat, which may have convinced those who saw it that they were looking at a species of big cat. European wild Cats do not appear in the Netherlands in great numbers, but occasionally they can be seen.
