Monday 23 February 2009

Experts puzzled after sighting of swanpool beast

19 February 2009
The West Briton

When Sam Bradbury told his friends he spotted a strange creature on a Falmouth coast path, they laughed.

However, the 23-year-old stands by his claims that the strange beast was lurking near Swanpool.

It was nearly dusk when he says he saw an animal walking on hind legs like a kangaroo, but with a big bushy tail and a cat-like face.

An expert from Newquay Zoo said that despite the drawing Sam made of the creature, and information given, he has "no clue" as to what it is.

John Meek, animal collections manager, said: "It doesn't look like anything I have ever seen.

"The closest thing is a wallaby, although that does not have a cat's face.

"It is possible one could have escaped from a private collector and although there have been reports in the UK, I have never seen one down here."

Suggestions it was an Aye-aye or a Sspringhare have also been played down as they are too small and were unlikely to survive in this climate.

Sam said: "It was about two and a half feet tall, really quite a big thing.

"It certainly wasn't as odd looking as an Aye-aye.

"It looked very much like a springhare though, but a shorter face and a much bigger body, but the same upright posture. It also had darker fur."

It was after he finished work at Falmouth Watersports Centre he decided to walk the path between Swanpool and Maenporth.

He said: "I was coming up the path when I saw something moving in a bush further along the path.

"I assumed it was a bird or maybe a dog being walked that was rustling the bushes.

"I stopped as I got nearer when I realised it was neither.

"It was bigger than a dog, had the face of a cat with eyes that were glazed over and luminescent like a lion's at night.

"It left when it saw me, but appeared to only walk on two hind legs much like a kangaroo would and had a bushy tail like a fox."

He went straight home after the encounter and drew a picture of how it looked in the hope others may have seen it.

"Nobody believes me, they all say it must have been a dog or just a big house cat, but then I tell them it walked on two legs and they laugh.

"I don't mind though as I'd probably do the same if it was them saying they had seen it."

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