One walker, who came within yards of Exmoor’s famous beast in broad daylight, was stunned.
Sam Aston (aged 30) spotted the long-tailed, black creature on a walk with his dog near Brayford in Devon.
Legendary Beast of Exmoor: This phantom cat is reported to have roamed the moors from its first sighting in 1970.
Sam Aston, a dog walker was shocked to come within 50 yards of Exmoor’s legendary Beast of Exmoor while on a long walk near Brayford in Devon.
Sam snapped the picture using his smartphone as the creature ran across a field close to him.
How do you explain the Beast of Exmoor?
Tales of the Beast of Exmoor were first discovered in the 1970s.
In the 1970’s, the Beast of Exmoor was first seen.
The creature has been sighted numerous times since, and witnesses have all claimed that it resembles an enormous, black cat.
It was discovered after the deaths of 100 sheep in 1983.
Over the years, blurred photographs and numerous intriguing sightings were common.
Yet countless bounty hunts, safaris and expeditions – one conducted by Royal Marines – failed to pin it down.
Often, the sightings are attributed to dogs and cars or other types of livestock.
In 2006, a Devon farmer discovered a puma skull. This was confirmed by British Big Cats Society.
The DEFRA stated that it did not believe there were big cats in England, stating, “Based on the evidence”,
“It was 11.45 am and I glanced to my left into an open field and saw that 200 to 300 yards from me a black animal was running,” Mr Aston stated.
“I could not make out what it was, so I took a picture with my smartphone for identification.
“I consider myself a natural wildlife photographer, so when I saw a listing of animals, did it include a deer, cow, or dog? These animals were checked off my list.
“It was a big cat, but it’s not common in the United States. It was about the same size as a Labrador.
It had a very long tail, and I was amazed at how fast it could run for 10 seconds. It was gone.
“I think I know the answer, but it is extremely unlikely that you will see a large cat in the UK,” he said.
“I know the way dogs behave because I’m a professional dog walker. The running of dogs and cats is very different.
“If the cat was large, it probably was released decades or years ago.
“They are shy and do not seek conflict. I would be happy to return there.”
The first sightings were reported by the beast in 1970, but it gained notoriety in 1983 when South Molton farmers claimed they had lost 100 sheep in three months. They said that the animals died from violent throat injuries.
The Beast has been frequently blamed for farm animal deaths throughout the region.
Reports of sightings in Somerset and Devon were made.
The beast could be either a black leopard or cougar that was taken from a private collection in 1960s and 1970s. This was after an act was passed which made it illegal to keep them in captivity other than zoos.