Letter: Beast of Bont is a wild cat
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: Your article on the Beast of Bont (report, 4 April) overlooks the possibility that the beast may be a wildcat. This creature, known wrongly as the Scottish wildcat, was until the last century widespread over Britain. It was later presumed extinct south of the Highlands.
If a small population survived unbeknown to us this could well explain the beast sightings on Exmoor etc. It is noteworthy that the tail of the cat on the picture (4 April) is the tail of a wildcat, which differs from the tail of a domestic cat in that its end is rounded rather than tapering. It is also noteworthy that wildcat toms can reach three feet from head to tip of tail, which might explain why some of these beasts may have been confused with pumas.
FRANCIS BESWICK
Stretford
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments