The animals from the woods are frantically fleeing in another direction. The birds have quit singing their songs. An eerie silence enveloped the whole place. And then, something slowly moved in a corner like a predator stalking a prey. It’s time for the kill and when the morning comes, all that will be seen is what’s left of a farm animal attacked by the Beast of Bodmin Moor.

To see is to believe.

We humans have lived on this philosophy for a very long time. But why is it that people in Bodmin Moor fear a certain beast even though its existence is yet to be proven? For years, several farm animals are said to be a victim of this phantom beast called the Beast of Bodmin Moor. So, why don’t we take a closer look and try to assess whether a real beast inhabits the region or it’s just a normal wild animal exaggerated by imagination?

Let’s Meet the Beast

The Beast of Bodmin Moor is a phantom “black panther” wild cat that roams around Cornwall, England. Since its first reported sighting in 1983, there were at least 60 recorded sightings of the big black cat. There were also reported cases of mutilated livestock that seems to be connected with the story of the creature.

Based on different theories, the beast is a puma or a dark leopard. However, there are also others who think it was a panther. But no matter what its breed is, the beast has become the talk of the town for a long time now. And it became a feared creature in folklores told by dozens of people.

What do experts say?

The Beast of Bodmin Moor remained a mystery and a threat to everyone whose livelihood rely on raising livestock. Until the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food conducted an official investigation in 1995. They found that there was no “verifiable evidence” of exotic cats stalking the lands in the UK, according to Dailymail.co.uk.

Allegedly, the mauled farm animals were attacked by common indigenous species and not likely by a beast. But where did this predator come from? The authorities said that the creature might have been illegally imported into the region. It might have escaped from its cages in the zoo or was set free by a private collector of exotic animals.

However, a new study may just shed some light about the phantom cat. After spending £84,000 on photo and video examination as well as staging reconstructions, experts have concluded that the Beast of Bodmin Moor is just a 12-inch black cat. The researchers haven’t proven that indeed big cats are “not present” in the area but they have disproved the idea that a beastly wild animal inhabits the Bodmin Moor.

Mike Thomas, a wild cat expert and zoo curator of Newquay Zoo has another say on the matter. He said that videos of the big black cat should be enough as a proof that these exotic felines do exist and it should be considered as the “best evidence yet” of their existence. Moreover, he believes that this creature could be a species of a wild cat that was supposed to be extinct more than a century ago.

Reported “Evidences” of the Beast as Disproved by Experts

A skull with large fangs was found by a teenage boy near the moor in the River Fowey. The skull measured about 4 inches long and 7 inches wide; it lacked its lower jaw but it has two sharp, prominent canines. As the story hit the papers, people thought it belonged to the beast but The Natural History Museum in London verified that it was a skull of a young male leopard.

In 2012, John Robertson and his wife, Pauline was walking along a path in Cullen, Morayshire, when they were horrified at the gruesome remains of a terrifying beast near a popular Scottish spot. They were walking two dogs on a Monday morning but when they saw dead birds scattered everywhere, they became curious.

Robertson said, “I couldn’t believe my eyes. I have never seen so many dead birds in one area. They were completely mauled, they had their guts totally ripped out of them lying on the ground. Then a little further on we came across a horrible rotting smell which was this big cat. It looks like it’s feasted on the seagulls and maybe it has fallen down the cliff nearby, injured itself and just lay there till it died.

After reading different accounts concerning the beast, what do you think? Is the Beast of Bodmin Moor a real wild creature stalking the lands of Cornwall? Or it’s just one of the common animal species that was created to become a beast by the imagination of the people?

Before you answer, look around you – the big black beastly cat might just be around.

Sources:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/on-the-trail-of-the-beast-of-bodmin-moor-1574378.html

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/beast-bodmin-moor-mystery-solved-4812877

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beast_of_Bodmin

http://www.beastofbodmin.co.uk/

http://www.paranormality.com/beast_of_bodmin.shtml

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/life/mammals/beast-of-bodmin-moor/bm_12.htm

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2874033/Not-big-beast-Newly-discovered-Government-files-reveal-six-month-investigation-prove-monster-stalked-moors-near-Bodmin-actually-just-cat.html


Photo credits: The Beast of Bodmin Moor via BodminMoor.info

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