What is the truth behind big cat sightings in Cornwall?

Many people remain convinced that the so-called ‘Beast of Bodmin’, actually exists, with the beast described as a phantom wild cat, possibly with two sharp prominent teeth, like those found on a leopard.

It was first spotted in 1983 and, since the first sightings, reports of the Beast of Bodmin have flooded in the police’s system.

In 2011, it was revealed that, since 2000, 205 sightings had been reported in the Devon and Cornwall force area.

Now, new Freedom of Information requests have revealed that Devon and Cornwall have been called a further 55 times since the start of 2011 to sightings of ‘big cats’ in the wild.

But only on seven occasions since 2011 have police officers actually attended incidents, and no details on the disclosure log reveals whether there actually was a ‘big cat’ on the loose.

Sixteen of the 55 calls since 2011 took place in July 2016 after Flaviu the Lynx escaped from Dartmoor Zoo. Callers reported that he had been seen as far and wide as Exmouth, Dartmouth, Bideford and Newquay.

Flaviu first escaped from the zoo at Sparkwell on July 7 when he chewed his way out of his wooden house, just a day after arriving from Port Lympne animal park in Kent.

His disappearance triggered a search involving a professional animal tracker with state-of-the-art thermal imaging equipment, a police helicopter and a drone.

He was eventually caught three weeks later, 200 yards from Hemerdon Plantation, a woodland about a mile away from the zoo, in a trap set by keepers after the lynx hunted and caught four lambs.

Other ‘big cat’ sightings in the past eight years have included a large Puma at the back of the Homebase store in Plymouth, a big cat devouring a deer in Cockington and a large cat the size of a pony roaming around Okehampton.

BELOW IS A TABLE OUTLINING THE DATE, LOCATION, SUMMARY OF AND WHETHER POLICE ATTENDED ANY CALLS SINCE 2011

Incident Date

Location

Area

Summary

Attended

Jan 2011

Clyst Valley, Woodbury & Lympstone

Devon

Suspicious animal. Seen 5 mins ago. Went off towards fields from car park of sig. Size of a puma.

Feb 2011

Launceston

Cornwall

Large cat – Possible size of a panther crossed road in front of RP’s vehicle into domestic houses

Aug 2011

Padstow & St Merryn

Cornwall

For info – calve has been attacked by large cat (not a domestic cat)

Aug 2011

Okehampton

Devon

Sighting of large cat – size of a pony – jet black seen east Okement valley

Jun 2012

Roseland & Probus & Trispen & St Erme

Cornwall

Big cat sighting 3 weeks ago in fields   fox sized..mid grey/brown tail bushy

Aug 2012

Okehampton Rural West

Devon

Large black cat saw in the wooded area today – bigger than a collie.

No

Sep 2012

Grampound & Mevagissey

Cornwall

Large cat – size of Alsatian in callers back garden – caller think its injured

Yes

Sep 2012

Holsworthy & Rural

Cornwall

A big black cat jumped into the road then out again.

It was like a panther

No

Nov 2012

Axminster Rural

Devon

Two sheep killed – Have contacted caller who doesn’t think it is a dog but can’t rule it out. The sheep are all attacked by the throat and then ripped open. He did mention a big cat

No

Dec 2012

Torrington Rural

Devon

Two sheep have been killed by a dog or big cat as there are claw marks on the back

No

Dec 2012

Buckfastleigh

Devon

Ram found dead. Caller thinks the killing was by a big cat given circumstances

No

Jan 2013

Axminster Rural

Devon

Two sheep killed. Caller still doesn’t think it is a dog and suspects a large black cat that has also been seen in area by local residents. Advice given to contact DEFRA re possible big cat sightings.

No

Feb 2013

Efford

Plymouth

Caller sure it was a puma. Says he is a hunting man. Definitely not a domestic cat or dog. Approx 18 inches tall, head held high, tail curved upwards not particularly long

No

May 2013

St Blazey & Tywardreath

Cornwall

Caller states saw large looking cat. Not domesticated cat

Yes

Jun 2013

Leigham & Mainstone

Plymouth

About an hour and a half ago I saw a large animal to the rear of Homebase/Next. It was large – about the size of a puma – and grey

No

Sept 2013

Cowick & St Thomas

Devon

Caller reporting a wild beast in his house. Caller said the beast was locked inside a room

No

Dec 2013

Haldon Hill

Devon

Possible sighting of a lynx. Described Cream colour, long tail, pointy ears, cat like face, fluffy comes close to lynx.  Said the animal was the same height as the barrier and trotted across the road like a large cat.

No

Feb 2014

Millbrook & Rame

Cornwall

Caller saw a large beast. Desc of the animal, panther like, black, wiry, long tail, long defined face, whiskers, crossed the road with a middle sized deer in its mouth

No

Jul 2014

Holsworthy & Rural

Devon

Large cat similar size to sheep. She had to use her binoculars to see it

Yes

Jul 2014

Hayle Foundry

Cornwall

Big cat ‘puma sized’ was sighted in a field just by the callers house

Yes

Sep 2014

Porthleven & Helson North

Cornwall

Around July caller saw the back end of a large cat, dark coloured

No

Sep 2014

Okehampton Rural West

Devon

Large black cat seen – Like panther

No

Dec 2014

Barnstaple Newport

Devon

There was a large black cat right in the middle of the road

No

Dec 2014

A38

Plymouth

Two large black cats – caller states that they were larger than Labrador dogs and they were definitely cats

No

Jan 2015

Mount Hawke & St Agnes

Cornwall

There was a big cat in the field

No

Apr 2015

Kingsbridge

Devon

Caller reporting large black cat in the fields by the rugby club – larger than a sheep and not a dog

No

Jun 2015

Lostwithiel & Fowey

Cornwall

Said it looked like a puma. Desc of cat – Ears similar to a bear, tail to the ground and black in colour. About 2 and a half feet tall

No

Jul 2015

Tavistock Rural East

Devon

Looked like a very large black cat but through binoculars caller says it was a panther

No

May 2016

Tavistock Rural West

Devon

Large black panther like animal seen on the main road. Animal was in main road however has now run off into a field

Jul 2016

Ivybridge Town

Devon

As caller went round the back this big animal possibly lynx or domestic cat moved quickly into the Orchard

Jul 2016

Lostwithiel & Fowey

Cornwall

Lynx has just been spotted in field to front of cottage

Jul 2016

Ivybridge Rural North

Devon

Saw what looked to be the lynx. Approx a few mins ago. Was at good speed.

Jul 2016

Totnes West

Devon

About 5 minutes ago has seen the lynx

Jul 2016

Bovey Tracey & Moretonhampstead

Devon

Saw the lynx about 10 minutes ago. It jumped from a bank on the right, stopped in the road and ran off to the left

Jul 2016

Exmouth Halsdon & Withycombe

Devon

Believes he has just seen the lynx cross the road.

Jul 2016

Newquay

Cornwall

Believes she has just seen the Dartmoor lynx – described it as Alsatian sized, fluffy grey coat but looks like a cat

Jul 2016

Totnes West

Devon

States she had seen the escaped lynx at the top of the steps at her back garden

Jul 2016

South Molton Rural

Devon

The lamb has a bite mark behind both ears and it has the breast plate of it eaten out.  Reporting Person has never seen anything like this before and believes it may have been the lynx

Jul 2016

Ivybridge Rural North

Devon

Reporting person was driving home and just thinks he saw a lynx cross the road

Jul 2016

Totnes Town

Devon

Reporting person thinks she may have seen the missing lynx

Jul 2016

Ivybridge Rural North

Devon

Think I have spotted the lynx. It was going across a field towards the river

Jul 2016

Bideford West

Devon

Brown/beige in colour, cat like but not domestic. Reporting person cannot say what type of big cat it was

Jul 2016

Dartmouth Town and Kingswear

Devon

Lynx walked through campsite half hour ago. Pointy ears, sandy colour, long legs.

Jul 2016

Exeter

Devon

Reporting person has been hearing noises outside thinks it may be the missing lynx as it is like a fox but louder and deeper

Jul 2016

Chudleigh & Teign Valley

Devon

Reporting person first thought was the escaped lynx from Sparkwell but this is some distance away

Incident Date

Location

Area

Summary

Attended

May 2016

Tavistock Rural West

Devon

Large black panther like animal seen on the main road coming out of Lifton. Animal was in main road however has now ran off into a field

No

Jul 2016

Roundswell, Tawstock & Longbridge

Devon

Big cat sighting. In field heading towards Bideford. Brown/beige in colour, cat like but not domestic

No

Jul 2016

Dartmouth Town

Devon

Lynx spotted at campsite – markings similar to a cheetah

Yes

Jul 2016

Chudleigh-Teign Valley

Devon

Out of the bushes came a huge cat with a sleek heard and bounded like a cheetah across his drive into the field above

No

Aug 2016

Penzance Rural West

Cornwall

Have spotted a large cat in the woodland area of the garden. Dog size, black and white colourings

No

Aug 2016

St Blazey & Tywardreath

Cornwall

Described as a very large cat like animal, could hear it make some sort of growling noise

No

Aug 2016

Ivybridge Rural North

Devon

There has been a black panther in the area of the school and church in Sparkwell

No

Nov 2016

Cockington-with-Chelston

Devon

Reporting Person stating that he has seen a deer that is fresh and has been shredded by what he believes as a big cat.

No

Jun 2017

Lower Culm & Upper Culm

Devon

Reporting Person believes she came across a ‘big cat’ whilst walking her dogs.

No

Jan 2018

Seaton

Devon

Gone towards the beach- large black cat with yellow eyes

Yes

Jan 2018

Copperhouse & Gwinear

Cornwall

Reporting Person saw what they think was a large cat type animal described as being not as tall as a Labrador and black

No

Feb 2018

Mount Gould

Devon

The  cat is 4 x times the size of a domestic cat and is possibly a Scottish wild cat

Yes

Feb 2018

St Stephen & St Dennis

Cornwall

A black puma emerged and picked the rabbit up and ran off and tucked into the carcass.

No

Feb 2018

Copperhouse & Gwinear

Cornwall

Two beige brown cats puma size walked across the road from farm shop

No

What do officials say about the Beast of Bodmin?

In 1995, an organisation known as ADAS (the Agricultural Development Advisory Service, which used to be part of the old Ministry of Agriculture) spent 26 days and £8,200 for two scientists – MAFF’s answer to Mulder and Scully – to establish once and for all if the Beast of Bodmin Moor was real or fake and carry out a government-funded investigation.

It concluded that it was not possible to prove that big cats were not living wild in the countryside, but experts were confident that even if they are, they pose little threat to livestock.

It read: “It was accepted at the start of this investigation that it would never be possible to prove that such an animal, or animals, did not exist, but it was believed that if they did, hard evidence would be forthcoming. People helpfully supplied material for the investigation and reported sightings, suspected livestock kills and injuries.

“No verifiable evidence for the presence of a ‘big cat’ was found. There were only four suspected livestock kills reported in nearly six months, none of which gave any indication of the involvement of anything other than native animals and dogs. There is no significant threat to livestock from a ‘big cat’ on Bodmin Moor.”