As
reports of large cats in the wake of the 1976
Exotic Pets Act gathered speed with sightings of
beasts in Surrey and Bodmin, by the late 70�s
Exmoor too had it�s resident. |
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From
the county that gave the world R.D. Blackmore�s
Lorna Doone comes a creature from the world�s
elusive zoo known as �The Beast of Exmoor�. |
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Not so
difficult to believe as you enter the rolling
wooded hills of the National Park for any
creature, however large to remain anonymous within
these confines, let alone a mammal who�s mere
countenance would fill many with fear and dread. |
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The
descriptions are standard. A large cat like
animal with a long tail standing low to the ground
with Dark Grey to Black fur, sized roughly between
four to six feet in length. |
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There
have however been small percentages that claim the
creature to be of a brownish hue. Dark green
eyes claimed one report of a large black creature
that ran across a road in front of a car. |
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This
elusive creature which is still sighted to this
day was given its name back in 1983 after reports
of a panther type creature killing livestock
started to gather momentum. |
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An
estimate of 80 sheep slaughtered that year
together with the baffling tracks and marks left
only helped to fuel the legend. |
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This
is in deep contrast to some researcher belief that
witnesses are misidentifying known creatures such
as domestic cats that would prefer to eat
something served to them from a tin. |
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One
interesting point is that there is a belief by
some researchers that the beast is descended from
an escaped Black Puma that mated with a Leopard. |
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In
1988 as the number of sheep killed the Ministry of
Agriculture stepped in who in turn called in the
Royal Marines who carried out a massive search for
the creature. |
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This
was an interesting move from a department who up
to that point had dismissed reports of Alien Big
Cats as a form of mass hysteria on behalf of
confused witnesses. |
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The
search however reached the conclusion after
examining a carcass of a dead foal that a fox was
responsible. This did little to quell the
concerns of local farmers who had lost large sums
of money over the killings. |
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Even
so, reporting of large cat like creatures still
came in. Even as recently as 1995 the
Ministry carried out another study. |
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This
revealed creatures indigenous to the area could
have carried out the killing of livestock in the
area. |
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This
however does not say they were due to large Alien
Big Cats hunting in the county. |
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To
this day several photographs exist although none
that are without their flaws as conclusive
evidence. |
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Whilst
cynics still say that the beast is nothing more
than an animal known to the area the activities,
prints and marks are still consistent with those
of other big cats for other counties. |