The Beast of Bodmin
Thers is no doubt that Bodmin Moor is a creepy place. Should you happen to find yourself alone
there as dusk is falling, try not to think about the layers of legend, horror and mystery associated
with this wild and rugged landscape, and in particular, whatever you do, try not to let your mind
dwell on The Beast.
The Beast is the result of some sixty sightings of black-panther-like big cat, supposedly three to
five feet long and sporting white-yellow eyes, combined with numerous reports of mutilated
livestock. The evidence was robust enough that in 1995 the government ordered an official
investigation into the existence of such a beast. The report finally concluded that there was no
verifiable evidence of a big cat on Bodmin Moor, although it was careful to state that there was
no evidence against it, either.
Shortly after the report was published that the public were flaggergasted when a small boy found
a leopard skull lying on the banks of the River Fowey. Big-cat speculation reached fever pitch.
Had it escaped from the nearby zoo? Was it the author of the mutilation? The Natural History
Museum, boringly, soon found the leopard skull to have been imported into this country as part
of a leopardskin rug.
Once again, the controvery died down, although sightings were still reported with reasonable
regularity, until, in 1998, video footage was released that clearlt showed a black animal, probably
a big cat, around three and a half feet long. The video, described by the curator of Newquay Zoo
and wild-cat expert as ‘the best evidence yet’ that big cats do indeed roam Bodmin Moor, was
part of another batch of information submitted to the government by local MP [Member of
Parliament] Paul Tyler.
Theories abound. If it does exist (and many swear if does), perhaps the animal is a big cat that
escaped from a zoo or a private collection and was not reported because it had been imported
illegally, a hypothesis rejected byy scientists on the grounds that the numbers needed to sustain a
breeding population would be too large for the food supply. Some believe the animal is a species
of wild cat that is though tohave become extinct in Britiain more than a hundred years ago.
Some, after reading reports not just if hissing and growling but of sounds like a woman
screaming, are included to blame the paranormal. Meanwhile, the sightings continue.
Ques 1: How does the author create a sense of suspense in the opening paragraph of the passage?
[02 marks]
Ques 2: What does the phrase ‘reached fever pitch’ mean?