Lorry Driver Spots Dartmoor "Beast", Finds Chubby Tabby Cat

Over the past few years, there have been numerous reports of large animals prowling the moors in Devon and Cornwall. The area, made famous by the Sherlock Holmes novel "The Hound of the Baskervilles," has been the site of alleged sightings of a mysterious, panther-like creature known as the "Beast of Bodmin Moor."

However, the latest reported encounter with this elusive creature has been revealed as a case of mistaken identity. Mick Jenkins, a 42-year-old lorry driver, recently found himself face-to-face with the supposed "beast" near a quarry in Lee Moor, Devon. Instead of a fearsome predator, Jenkins discovered the animal was simply a chubby domestic cat, likely a Maine Coon breed.

According to Jenkins, the cat had a "lot of fur and a really short, bobbly tail" and "looked quite menacing." He filmed the encounter and showed the footage to a worker at the quarry, who confirmed there had been numerous sightings of large cats in the area. However, local expert Danny Bamping of the British Big Cat Society stated that this particular sighting was not a wild animal, but rather "a big fat cat" that probably just needed a haircut.

While there have been reports of actual big cats, such as leopards or panthers, being spotted on the moors in the past, the latest incident appears to be a case of overactive imaginations and misidentification. The "Beast of Bodmin Moor" remains an elusive legend, while the "Hound of the Baskervilles" has been revealed as nothing more than a chubby house cat.