Lee Bay Big Cat (2019)

On 25 August 2019 the Bristol Post published the following article by Max Baker and Alexander Brock entitled ‘Bristol man spots ‘puma’ while on holiday near coast’.

‘A Bristol man claims he had a tense encounter with a puma while on holiday near the coast.

Max Tennant was enjoying a holiday in Woolacombe when he spotted the reddish brown creature 100 metres ahead of him.

He watched it stroll up and down for around 30 seconds on the cliffs above Lee Bay before his dogs disturbed the creature, reports Somerset Live.

Previously a sceptic, he says the sighting has convinced him Beast of Exmoor stories from the area are real.

He added he also spoke to a farmer who believes the big cat is responsible for killing livestock.

Describing the mysterious encounter, Mr Tennant said: “It was like nothing I had ever seen before.

“I’ve got seven or eight snaps of it in different positions but they are not great quality as it was on my phone.

“At first I thought it was a fox as it was quite reddish in colour. Then I realised it was way too big and the tail was massive.

“I’ve got a large border collie and it was much bigger than my dog – and the tail was about another metre long, with a distinctive big white bobble on the end.

“It had black marks on its face. When we googled pumas we found they can come in a variety of colours.”

‘I know there are big cats out there’

Mr Tennant added he wasn’t scared as he watched the creature from afar.

“I was just curious,” he said. “I crouched down very low and then my dogs came up behind me and it looked at me and then disappeared.

“I sat there watching it for about 30 seconds walking up and down the edge of the gorse.”

“I was walking with my family and two dogs. I left them all about 400m behind as I wanted to go to the brow of the hill to see the view. That’s when I saw the creature which I now think is a puma.

“Afterwards we went to an event at Lee village hall and I spoke to a woman who is a sheep farmer. She had seen it too.

“She found a dead sheep in a tree and had another one badly mauled on its shoulder.

“She says when they shear the sheep a few of them have scratches and bite marks on their skin.

“I didn’t believe in the Beast of Exmoor stories until I saw it for myself. Now I know there are big cats out there.”