For years, the rumours of big cats roaming Dartmoor and savaging livestock have been dismissed as sheer fantasy, no more credible than claims of the existence of the Loch Ness monster.
You can find out more information here.But the doubters may have - dare one say it - paws for thought.For the claims that Big Cats are roaming free may actually be true while the mystery of how they got to Dartmoor and nearby Exmoor and Bodmin Moor solved at last.It is now claimed that three pumas were released onto the wilds of Dartmoor by Mary Chipperfield, the famous circus owner, after her zoo in Plymouth was forced to shut down in 1978.
I personally think it is a possible explanation for some but not all cases of ABCs in the area. If the cats were released in 1978, it doesn't explain the numerous sightings prior to that date. It is an interesting fact to keep in mind, but not the absolute answer.
Interesting, and you're right that this could not explain all the sightings. Unless, of course, other people did the same thing prior to '78.
ReplyDeleteBut who knows, there are also reports of ABCs is Britain that have supernatural qualities to them. Maybe they are something "more" than escaped/released cats.