Return of the Cannock Chase Beast

The disturbing discovery of the fleshless corpse of a mutilated deer on Cannock Chase is leading many to believe that the mythical beast of Cannock Chase is back and on the prowl.

The image was snapped by a local man out for a Sunday stroll with his family.

Matthew Harrison, of Cannock, said that he was disturbed by the discovery. Every ounce of flesh seemed to have been stripped from the animal in a meticulous manner.

Matthew told us: "Me and the family were out for a walk at Cannock Chase on Sunday March 30.

"As we were walking I found a carcass of a deer.

"It was a very fresh kill - no smell and very few flies. What flesh was left was still red and fresh.

"To me, if the animal had died naturally, surely it would take a while for small predators (such as foxes) to dispose of the carcass, or for it to decompose.

"But the most interesting thing was that when I found another carcass only 200-300m away, this one had been killed or died a few months ago.

"Maybe the story of wild cats on the Chase are true, and this is one of its hunting places?"

Texas-based paranormal investigator and author, Nick Redfern, has spent many years investigating the mysterious ancient woodlands of Cannock Chase.

He said: "I've investigated quite a few big cat encounters on the Chase.

"There is definitely something weird going on and the theory that some of them (Bigfoot sightings) could be big cats in trees is a genuinely interesting one."

And Martin Rainer, Cannock Chase Coordinator for Big Cats in Britain, said: "I strongly believe these big cats are out there.

"Maybe not in the heart of the Chase, but possibly around the fringes which do not receive as much human traffic as the main Chase.

"There are several theories as to what these cats are, but we can only go on the facts.

"Seventy percent of all reported sightings are of a black animal.

"These can only be one of two - a black jaguar or a black leopard. Both are known as the Black Panther."

Cannock Chase Beast
Cannock Chase Beast