The Beast of Bodmin Moor
Issue #5: May 1979
Something is killing sheep on Bodmin Moor. Since 1976, farmers across Cornwall have reported livestock losses that defy conventional explanation: throats torn out with surgical precision, carcasses dragged considerable distances, and wounds characteristic of large cat predation rather than dog or fox attacks.
The sightings accompanying these killings describe a creature that should not exist in the British countryside: a large black cat, panther-sized or larger, moving through the gorse and heather with unmistakable feline grace.
The Evidence
Reports of large cats on Bodmin Moor stretch back decades, but the past three years have seen a dramatic increase in both frequency and detail. Farmers, ramblers, and motorists have come forward with accounts that share striking consistencies.
Witnesses describe a large black animal, low-slung and powerful, moving with the fluid motion characteristic of big cats. Estimates of size vary, but most compare the creature to an Alsatian or larger. The animal appears primarily at dawn and dusk, and displays the wariness of a genuine predator rather than the boldness of a feral domestic cat.
Physical evidence supports the sightings. Plaster casts taken from soft ground near kill sites show paw prints far exceeding the dimensions of any domestic cat or native British carnivore. The stride length suggests an animal of considerable size.
Sheep carcasses examined by local veterinarians display wounds characteristic of big cat predation: focused throat attacks, efficient consumption of muscle tissue, and the occasional caching of kills beneath vegetation for later feeding. This last behaviour is typical of leopards and pumas but is not observed in any native British predator.
The Dangerous Wild Animals Act
How might a large exotic cat come to roam the Cornish moorland? The most probable explanation lies in recent legislation.
The Dangerous Wild Animals Act of 1976, which came fully into force last year, requires owners of exotic pets to obtain licences and meet stringent housing requirements. For those who had casually acquired leopards, pumas, or other large cats during the more permissive 1960s, the new regulations presented an unwelcome choice: comply at considerable expense, surrender the animal to a zoo, or face prosecution.
Reports have circulated of exotic cats being quietly released into remote countryside during 1976 and 1977. Bodmin Moor, with its sparse human population, abundant prey, and rugged terrain, would offer near-ideal habitat for such an animal. A released puma or melanistic leopard, accustomed to human proximity, might well establish itself as the apex predator of such a landscape.
Historical Context
The Beast of Bodmin is not without precedent. The Surrey Puma made headlines throughout the 1960s, with dozens of witnesses reporting a large tan-coloured cat in the countryside south of London. Despite extensive searches, the animal was never captured.
Similar reports have emerged from Exmoor, the Scottish Highlands, and various locations across Wales. Whether these represent a single widespread phenomenon, multiple escaped exotics, or something else entirely remains unclear.
Cornwall itself has ancient associations with mysterious beasts. Tales of phantom black dogs and spectral hounds permeate West Country folklore. Some researchers have suggested that sightings of genuine exotic cats, escaped from travelling menageries or private collections, may have contributed to these legends over centuries.
The Official Response
Local farmers have organised informal patrols, and several have applied for firearms certificates specifically to protect their livestock. The police investigate each reported sighting and killing but remain officially sceptical, attributing the losses to dogs or foxes.
This official dismissal frustrates farmers who know their land and recognise that the kills they are witnessing bear no resemblance to dog attacks. The pattern of predation, the nature of the wounds, and the consistent witness descriptions all point to something the authorities seem unwilling to acknowledge.
Conclusions
Whether the Beast of Bodmin is a single escaped exotic, a breeding population, or something that defies conventional zoology, the evidence suggests that a large predator is indeed present on the moor. The killings continue. The sightings accumulate. And the official silence grows increasingly difficult to maintain.
This magazine will continue to monitor developments and welcomes reports from readers who have witnessed unusual activity in the area. Something is out there on Bodmin Moor. The only question is what, precisely, it might be.