Like this summer’s feverish speculation over the so-called Montauk Monster, a mystery carcass is causing much consternation in England.
Over at Cryptomundo, Loren Coleman correctly identifies this mystery corpse as a grey seal. But the British Tabloids are having a jolly ol’ time attempting to link the hapless animal to the Beast of Exmoor.
The Beast of Exmoor is a phantom cat said to live on the fields of Exmoor near Devon. During the late 1970s and 1980s, it caused a small sensation and was blamed for numerous livestock deaths. Of course, the beach creature could not possibly have been the beast, since it had fins. Hard to kill sheep with paddles for appendages.
And in another wrinkle…someone has actually stolen the skull of Beast of the Beach. A nice souvenir, so long as you really dig dead seals.
No doubts about it being a seal, but for big cat sightings in the Westcountry (Exmoor and Dartmoor national parks, as well as the Forest of Dean mentioned in this article) the Forestry Commission make for some reliable supporters.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/7814960.stm
Bet it smelled like the pit of hell itself ! Some mucky messes had been thrown back into the ocean due to the toxic stench !