IT'S A MOST PECULIAR - NOT TO SAY WEIRD - WEEKEND

Guys and Gals - it's that time of the year again, and for once I am going to be relinquishing my self-appointed task as WW blogger in chief.

Instead, it is my pleasure to hand the task over to the lovely Mrs Downes who is doing the job with her usual aplomb and flair...

Preparations

Thursday night

The Dartmoor ' Demon' Pics okay maybe not a demon but it is what the papers around the world are saying.

The Offical Hound Tor Pictures - site http://www.bigcatsinbritain.org/

Martin Whitley sent us the following pictures on the 9th of June 2007, and asked what we thought they depicted. After Merrily Harpur featured the story in the August edition of Fortean Times, the Daily Mail picked up on the story. After that the world descended on Hound Tour on Dartmoor in Devon.

What do the pictures show: we value your opinion.

Martin reports:
9th June 2007: Devon / England I am a professional falconer and was flying a hawk on an area of Dartmoor with some American clients, when one of them pointed out this creature, it was walking along a path about 200 yards away from us, it wasblack/grey, best sieze comparison is miniature pony. It had very thick shoulders , a long thick tail with a blunt end with 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 and this it ignored completely. The clients took some photos which are attached, they are not brilliant but should be of some use.I have worked with dogs all my life and it was definitely not canine . I have also seen a black cat (collie seized) in the area about 10 years ago and it was not that, it was a lot bigger.

Follow up Email:

I was born and brought up very local to the area, and have lived locally all my life, so I have a pretty good idea of what it is not, first of all I wont bother with the pony bit, but as to wild boar, that was one that occurred to me but it had a long thick tail, not at all pig like. Its movement was very definitely not canine, and I have lived and worked with dogs all my life, first glance it was very cat like in the way it moved, very slow and leisurely, a dog walking like that would have been taking more interest in its surroundings (it did not stop to sniff anything.The second guess was more bear like. It had a short head, rounded ears and as far as I can recall a greyish stripe across its head.It is obviously quite hard to remember accurately what I saw as if I look at to many possibilities human nature takes over an I find I am trying to make what I saw fit into a likely category.The only other thing that has occurred to me is wolverine but I think it is to big.I have asked around locally and there was a sighting of a big cat about three weeks ago but I have not found out who by I am sending the pictures to the curator of mammals at paignton zoo tomorrow to see if he can come up with something, and I have a friend who has access to some good photo enhancement stuff and I will be seeing what he has come up with.Unfortunately the area is to dry for tracks.

Aberdeenshire Prints

These prints were found in Aberdeenshire; at first glance they looked promising then certain factors were noted: it has even suggested that they could have been hoaxed on the unsuspecting witness. Opinions are welcomed.