Exmoor Beast

Beast Sightings, Reports, News

Sightings, reports and comments connected with the 'beast' sent in by visitors to the Exmoorian website. If you have 'Exmoor Beast' news or views, do, please contact us. Anything halfway sensible will be added to this webpage!

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"On Monday, 16th July 2012 at approx 1515hrs, I was heading east of A361. I had passed the Swimbridge junction when I passed a field of sheep. On a hillock, 15m from the roadway I sighted a wild cat, brown black with pointed black-tipped ears in the 'strike' position. I grew up in Western Canada where cougars and bobcats were regularly sighted and the dimensions of this creature were markedly similar including a long curling tail. With no stopping point and given my previous experience in distancing myself from such creatures, I pulled in at the first layby, Welcombe Copse, and phoned the police. The constable asked for a description and said that emergency vehicles and the RSPCA would be called. A mixed message if ever there was one as I had been instructed never to go into the BC forests alone without a rifle or hunting knife and in the company of our Alsatian! I knew nothing about the veracity of the Beast of Exmoor as having lived in London for forty years I had been fed the line that no such beasts existed in the UK. However, I reflected that young male cougars will often risk being sighted during summer months as deer move into the hills and the cats look for other sources." Linda Napier-Burrows, 16th July 2012.

"On Tuesday 12 October we were driving from Dulverton to Lynmouth around mid to late morning across the moors when we saw the black panther run across the road and stood on top of the hedge so we had a very clear sighting of it. We were well out into the moors no properties in sight." K. Whitrow, 14th October 2010

 
 

"This may be somewhat irrelevant to the Somerset area, but just want to confirm that now I believe that such beasts do roam the English countryside. I live on the Isle of Wight. A few years ago, at about 5 am on a frosty February morning, I was outside my horse's stable, waiting for a friend's horsebox to come and fetch us. It the sky was clear and there was an almost full moon. In the field opposite (about 30 feet away), outlined against the frosty ground, I saw a black animal. Initially I thought, it was a dog or a fox, but it had a long tail with a round end and it walked like a cat. It stopped briefly, looked at me and moved on. Quite scary. Many other people have seen it too. It is known locally as "The Big Cat". I think we better believe that these creatures exist." Anna-Marie Dover, 3rd October 2010

"On Sunday July 30th at 23.35pm I was driving from Barnstaple to Minehead and was half way between Exford and Wheddon Cross and a Black Cat just a bit bigger than an Alsation dog ran out from one side of the road to the other it stopped in the road as I drove towards it of and home and hesitated for a second and went to go back into the hedge it initially appeared from but then climbed the opposite hedge facing towards Dunkery, it looked directly at me and its eyes were emerald green and its tail was the length of the body if not longer with a rounded tip. I've worked on the National Park for 7 years never saw anything like it before and never believed it until now" Mark, 4th August 2010

"I saw what was probably the Exmoor beast between Wiveliscombe and Bampton early this morning. Crossed the road in front of my car. Looked more like a large wolf than a big cat. Bloody scary!" John Petts, 19th March 2010

"Hi, Just thought I would write a quick email to report a sighting of a 
black Panther like creature yesterday. Whilst driving between 
Tiverton and Barnstaple 2-3 miles before the South Molton roundabout 
on the North Devon link road at 12.10 my mother who was sat in the 
front passenger seat suddenly said "there's a black Panther!" pointing 
to the right, looking up a steep incline to my right sure enough 
there it was, a large black Panther walking along the line of a 
hedge. The distance was approximately 30 - 40m from the road. The 
thing that really caught the eye was the sun shining on its glossy 
jet black coat, the grass was short making it easy to get a clear 
view and not mistake it for a domestic black cat, It was much too 
large (at least 2 - 2.5x larger than a cat would be at that distance). 
We are both 100% certain the creature we saw was a Panther.
 
I've always had doubts that sightings people have said they have seen 
were real, now I know for certain there is a big cat out there and 
feel privileged to have caught a glimpse of it. It's making the hair 
stand up on the back of my neck now as I type this, I can't believe 
I've seen one."  Paul Barham, 22nd March 2009

"I've seen a savage looking black wild animal several times in the Simonsbath area. Farmers and locals in this area know the beast exists, and so do their sheep! A pet cat as some townies say the beast is couldn't kill and rip apart sheep." Michael Chase, 10th January 2009

"A big cat or several cat-like animals live on Exmoor. This cannot be doubted. I have seen them." Jack Foster, 12th December 2008

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