Jul 29 2007, 10:43 AM
Post
#1
|
|
![]() Bad Moon Rising ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 1,398 Joined: 25-May 07 Member No.: 1,442 |
Dartmoor Mystery Beast
Some very intriguing photos of an unidentified ambling creature on Dartmoor By Merrily Harpur July 2007 ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() This enigmatic beast was seen by Martin Whitley, a professional falconer, Devon born and bred. On 9 June, he contacted the national research network Big Cats In Britain to relate the following experience: "I was flying a hawk on Dartmoor with some American clients, when one of them pointed out this creature. It was walking along a path about 200 yards [180m] away from us. It was black and grey and comparable in size to a miniature pony. It had very thick shoulders, a long, thick tail with a blunt end, and small round ears. Its movement appeared feline; then ‘bear-like’ sprang to mind. There was a party climbing on the tor opposite, making a racket, but this it ignored completely." Martin’s American clients took a series of photos. They show the Dartmoor landscape, the school party on the tor, and in the middle distance an animal which seems to change shape in each frame, from cat, to bear, to pony, to boar, to various breeds of dog. Indeed, members of the BCIB group invoked nearly the whole of Crufts in attempting to give the creature a ‘rational’ explanation, while the proximity of Hound Tor suggested to some a possible kinship to Devon’s spectral Wisht Hounds. Martin, however, is adamant that the animal was not a dog: "I have worked with dogs all my life and it was definitely not canine. I have also seen a collie-sized black cat in the area, about 10 years ago, and it was not that – this was a lot bigger." While he does not claim to know what the creature was, his impression throughout was that it was more feline than anything else, a verdict confirmed by the experiences of his neighbours. "I am about as local as it gets and liaise very closely with all the landowners in the area and have discussed my sighting with several of them. You would be surprised at the number of people who have seen black big cats (and something resembling a small bear) in the area, over the course of the years. Of course, being Dartmoor farmers they would only mention it when someone else says they have seen one…" (BCIB) In cryptozoological circles, the ‘grail quest’ is for good photos or film of mystery animals: only these, it is generally thought, will provide reliable ‘proof’. How gratifyingly paradoxical it is, then, that when such photos do turn up, far from clarifying the mystery they apparently compound it more deeply, frame by frame. SOURCE -------------------------------------- If this is truly not a dog, then could this animal be the inspiration behind the many Whisht Hound/Black Shuck-type legends? -------------------- This post is not a subliminal message. If you start randomly beating yourself upside the head later, it is not because of this post. I promise.
![]() -------------------------------------------------- The moon, like a flower, In heaven's high bower, With silent delight, Sits and smiles on the night. |
|
|
|
Luna Mysterious Dartmoor Black Beast Jul 29 2007, 10:43 AM
iwona it's very thick-bony, isn't it?
on the fir... Jul 29 2007, 11:26 AM
Minty Freshness QUOTE(iwona @ Jul 29 2007, 06:26 AM) it... Jul 30 2007, 04:55 PM
Matt This is a weird animal- I'd not heard of any m... Jul 29 2007, 06:55 PM
Catseye QUOTE(Matt @ Jul 29 2007, 06:55 PM) This ... Jul 30 2007, 11:15 AM
Matt i have heard briefly about the way spirits can pos... Jul 30 2007, 03:50 PM
Gigan wowza! some excellent photos!
It sure doe... Jul 30 2007, 04:17 PM
Gigan A Bison? on Dartmoor? ye gods man!
serious... Jul 30 2007, 06:21 PM
Chase I couldn't agree more Gigan, although on first... Jul 30 2007, 06:49 PM
Minty Freshness It is possible its a wild dog. Jul 30 2007, 08:12 PM
pucker The very last photo almost looks fox-like...I don... Jul 30 2007, 10:40 PM
Lily of the Lake I'm seeing a bison in the 1st pic and a bear/p... Jul 30 2007, 10:48 PM
Luna QUOTE(Lily of the Lake @ Jul 31 2007, 08... Jul 31 2007, 02:26 AM
Lily of the Lake QUOTE(Luna @ Jul 30 2007, 09:26 PM) Thank... Jul 31 2007, 02:36 AM
Luna QUOTE(Lily of the Lake @ Jul 31 2007, 12... Jul 31 2007, 03:01 AM
SammyTerry QUOTE(Luna @ Jul 30 2007, 11:01 PM) I thi... Jul 31 2007, 11:55 AM
Luna QUOTE(SammyTerry @ Jul 31 2007, 09:55 PM)... Jul 31 2007, 12:02 PM
iwona i just read the whole thread under the link you po... Jul 31 2007, 01:32 PM
SammyTerry QUOTE(iwona @ Jul 31 2007, 09:32 AM) my o... Jul 31 2007, 05:05 PM
Chase Its a great pic though! Dartmoor more then lik... Jul 31 2007, 06:10 PM
iwona hahaha Sammy....i never thought about it this way,... Jul 31 2007, 06:38 PM
Luna QUOTE(iwona @ Aug 1 2007, 04:38 AM) hahah... Aug 1 2007, 12:23 AM
Lily of the Lake QUOTE(Luna @ Jul 31 2007, 07:23 PM) ROFL ... Aug 1 2007, 12:30 AM
SammyTerry QUOTE(Lily of the Lake @ Jul 31 2007, 08... Aug 1 2007, 03:27 AM
Lily of the Lake QUOTE(SammyTerry @ Jul 31 2007, 10:27 PM)... Aug 1 2007, 03:35 AM
Luna QUOTE(SammyTerry @ Aug 1 2007, 01:27 PM) ... Aug 1 2007, 03:52 AM
Luna *UPDATE*
Demon of Dartmoor? That's just anot... Aug 5 2007, 08:48 AM
iwona a newfoundland???
oh, how cruelly it destroyed our... Aug 5 2007, 09:56 AM
Matt To be honest, I can't see how the animal could... Aug 5 2007, 07:28 PM
Minty Freshness Just a dog!?
Noooooooooo! Aug 5 2007, 07:40 PM
Lily of the Lake That is one weird looking dog.
It really really lo... Aug 5 2007, 07:53 PM
Luna QUOTE(Lily of the Lake @ Aug 6 2007, 05:5... Aug 6 2007, 12:57 AM
SammyTerry He thinks its pretty funny...... Aug 6 2007, 12:02 PM
Catseye QUOTE(SammyTerry @ Aug 6 2007, 09:02 AM) ... Aug 6 2007, 12:11 PM
Gigan *pffft*
well. so much for that! And here was ... Aug 6 2007, 01:24 PM
Lily of the Lake QUOTE(Gigan @ Aug 6 2007, 08:24 AM) *pfff... Aug 6 2007, 09:37 PM
pucker That pic is great Sammy, I needed that laugh, than... Aug 6 2007, 07:37 PM
Matt I still think the "dog" looks more like ... Aug 7 2007, 07:19 PM
SammyTerry QUOTE(Matt @ Aug 7 2007, 03:19 PM) I stil... Aug 7 2007, 07:26 PM![]() ![]() ![]() |
| Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 9th February 2010 - 12:48 AM |