Beast of Exmoor
Since the 1970s, a large cat-like creature has stalked the moors of Devon and Somerset. Livestock attacks prompted a Royal Marines investigation, but the Beast of Exmoor was never captured.
Britain’s Phantom Cat
The Beast of Exmoor is a large cat-like creature reported in the Exmoor region of Devon and Somerset, England since the 1970s. Livestock attacks were so severe that Royal Marines were deployed to hunt it.
The Location
Exmoor:
- Devon/Somerset border
- Southwest England
- Moorland terrain
- Rural farms
- Isolated area
Physical Description
Witnesses report:
- Large cat
- Black or dark
- 4-8 feet long
- Muscular build
- Panther-like
Livestock Attacks
The problem:
- Sheep killed
- Distinctive wounds
- Throat tears
- Professional kills
- Pattern established
The 1983 Crisis
Peak activity:
- Over 100 sheep killed
- Three months
- South Molton area
- Farmers alarmed
- Government response
Royal Marines Hunt
Official response:
- Marines deployed
- 1983 operation
- Snipers positioned
- Nothing found
- Hunt failed
Possible Explanations
Theories include:
- Escaped exotic cat
- Released pet
- Puma or leopard
- Wild population
- Multiple animals
The 1976 Act
Legal factor:
- Dangerous Wild Animals Act
- Made exotic pets expensive
- Possible releases
- Timing matches
- Explains origin?
Continuing Sightings
After 1983:
- Reports continue
- Multiple witnesses
- Various locations
- Consistent descriptions
- Ongoing mystery
Physical Evidence
What exists:
- Livestock carcasses
- Paw prints found
- Photos/video (disputed)
- Hair samples
- Circumstantial
Other British Cats
Related phenomena:
- Beast of Bodmin
- Surrey Puma
- Multiple UK cats
- Nationwide pattern
- Same explanation?
Official Position
Government stance:
- No confirmation
- Possible escapees
- Not breeding population
- Individual animals
- Natural deaths likely
Modern Sightings
21st century:
- Reports persist
- Trail cameras tried
- Inconclusive results
- Active legend
- Tourism impact
Documentary Coverage
Media interest:
- TV investigations
- News reports
- Books written
- Ongoing fascination
- Cultural presence
Significance
Decades of sightings, livestock attacks, military investigation, and ongoing reports across southwest England.
Legacy
The Beast of Exmoor represents Britain’s most persistent big cat mystery—a creature seen by hundreds, blamed for countless livestock deaths, but never definitively identified.