THE LATEST ON THE SOUTH PARK BIG CAT

Ever since I started the Centre for Fortean Zoology 21 long years ago, I have always insisted that our watchword is not to either prove or disprove theories about mystery animals.  Our job is to find out the truth.  Because in the end, nothing else matters.

The week before last, whilst Danish zoologist Lars Thomas and his two sons were staying with us, Lars heard a remarkable story from a man in the village.  Lars was out walking by the community centre where we hold the Weird Weekend, on his first morning in the village, when a bloke in a small red car pulled up beside him, and asked whether he was anything to do with the Weird Weekend.  When he replied in the affirmative, the man told him that on the previous Sunday night he had seen what appeared to be a large cat walking along the road, the community centre to the small estate which always amuses my visitors when I tell have in mind that it is called South Park.

Lars went straight to the hedgerow where his new friend had reported seeing the mystery animal, and took some hair samples.  They went back to Denmark with him, and today he wrote to me:

Have been through the hairs from the bush at the road across from the community centre - nothing exciting I'm afraid. Two hairs from a sheep - no surprise there, as there were sheep in the field next to it, and 6 assorted hairs from a dog.

But at least we checked!