A British couple on a holiday getaway in Devon were left stunned after filming what appears to be a large, panther-like beast prowling through the countryside, with a leading big cat expert now weighing in on the mysterious footage.
Hotel Guests Spot Mysterious Creature
Karen Carter and her husband were celebrating his birthday at a hotel in Dartmouth, Devon, when they noticed unusual movement from the conservatory restaurant. After enjoying spa treatments, they had settled in for a glass of prosecco at the bar around 200 metres from the scene.
"A couple of sips in and I saw movement on the golf course," Karen recounted. "We couldn't go out and investigate further as we were both in dressing gowns. We are both keen wildlife watchers but we're unsure what this was due to its size."
The 36-Second Video Evidence
The couple managed to capture the creature on camera in a 36-second video before it vanished into vegetation. The footage shows a large, black animal with a long body and thick tail moving cautiously across a field. The location is approximately 50 miles from Bodmin Moor, an area famous for numerous big cat sightings since the 1970s, often referred to as the Beast of Bodmin.
Over 60 suspected panther-like animal sightings have been reported in that region over the past five decades, making this latest incident part of a long-standing mystery.
Expert Analysis Points to Panther Possibility
Big cat expert Rick Minter has examined the footage and believes the creature could indeed be a panther. On his podcast, he provided detailed analysis of what the video shows.
"In looking at the footage, we need to consider the form, the movement, the behaviour and the scale," Minter explained. "The long body, the apparent bulk, the thick tail and the thick legs do suggest a large cat which people might describe as a ‘panther’. In Britain the main specific candidate for a panther is a leopard in its black form."
Characteristics of a Large Predator
Minter noted that black leopards breeding together produce entirely black offspring, allowing for potential populations of such animals. He also observed that "the cautious movement and the gait does fit the bill for a large cat. Large predators are mostly stealthy and cautious even in roaming mode."
While acknowledging that definitive scale confirmation would require reference points like tree widths, Minter added: "Many experienced people getting back to me do feel this is likely a very large cat, possibly a black leopard."
Historical Context of British Big Cat Sightings
The Bodmin Moor area has been at the centre of Britain's big cat mystery for generations. While some sightings have been debunked as domestic cats or other animals viewed from a distance, numerous reports from credible witnesses continue to fuel speculation about large feline predators living wild in the British countryside.
This latest sighting adds to the growing body of evidence that something unusual may be roaming Devon's rural landscapes, though conclusive proof remains elusive.
