Couple Films Legendary 'Beast' During Devon Hotel Birthday Celebration
A holidaying couple has captured extraordinary video footage of what appears to be a legendary 'beast' while celebrating a birthday at a hotel in Devon, United Kingdom. The incident has reignited longstanding speculation about mysterious large cats roaming the British countryside.
Unexpected Sighting During Birthday Treat
Karen Carter was treating her husband to a birthday getaway at a hotel near Dartmouth, approximately fifty miles from the infamous Bodmin Moor. At 4:05 PM on February 5, while enjoying a glass of prosecco in the hotel's conservatory restaurant after a spa session, Karen noticed movement on the adjacent golf course.
"We were just two hundred metres away," Karen recounted. "I'd booked the hotel as my husband's birthday gift. After relaxing in the spa, we decided to pop up to the bar. A couple of sips in and I saw movement." The couple observed a large, black creature moving through the vegetation in a nearby field before it disappeared from view.
Compelling Video Evidence Emerges
Despite being clad in dressing gowns, which prevented them from investigating further, Karen managed to record a thirty-six-second video of the animal. "We are both keen wildlife watchers," she noted, "but we're unsure what this was due to its size." The footage quickly circulated among big cat enthusiasts and experts, many of whom are convinced it depicts a genuine large feline.
The location is significant, as Bodmin Moor has been the epicenter of over sixty suspected 'big cat' sightings since the 1970s, collectively dubbed the 'Beast of Bodmin.' This latest video adds a compelling new chapter to that enduring mystery.
Expert Analysis Points to Panther
Rick Minter, host of the Big Cat Conversations podcast, provided a detailed analysis. "In looking at the footage, we need to consider the form, the movement, the behaviour and the scale," he stated. "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."
Minter explained that black leopards can produce entirely black offspring, allowing such a population to sustain itself. He added that the creature's cautious movement and gait are consistent with a large predator. "The scale appears large," he cautioned, "but to be fully sure, a reference point would help. Many experienced people getting back to me do feel this is likely a very large cat, possibly a black leopard."
Enthusiasts Hail 'Best Proof' Yet
The video has generated significant excitement within the community of big cat watchers. Enthusiast Lisa Kay remarked, "It does look big, amazing you managed to get footage." Another, Tasha Wilkie, called it the "Best proof filmed I've seen so far."
Mandy Priest agreed, stating, "Definitely looks like a big cat to me." Ruth Stephens, claiming prior daylight sightings, asserted, "One hundred per cent panther. Having witnessed them myself, head shape and tail are right." Chris Smith observed, "Big and bulky, unafraid of anything, looks and moves like big cat." A commenter named Diana highlighted the creature's scale relative to a tree in the video, concluding, "At last a decent video; it's far too big to be a domestic cat."
This incident underscores the persistent fascination with Britain's cryptic wildlife. While definitive proof remains elusive, the detailed eyewitness account and clear video from a credible source provide some of the most persuasive evidence to date in the ongoing saga of the Beast of Bodmin and similar mysterious feline sightings across the UK.
