Ben Mee spoke about his experience in an upcoming documentary about bizarre folklore from across the UK
A trustee of Dartmoor Zoo has claimed that big cats are living wild across the UK. However, he was warned the public not run from them.
Ben Mee, who was played by Matt Damon in the movie ‘We Bought a Zoo’, has run the Sparkwell venue since 2006. He recently revealed an encounter with a big cat in the UK and said you should talk “soothingly” to the animals rather than run away.
He was interviewed as part of new TV series ‘Weird Britain’ which will be broadcast tonight (April 17) on Blaze. The show sees Andy McGrath explore and investigate strange mysteries and bizarre folklore from around Britain.
In the latest episode, Andy is investigating the legend of the Beast of Exmoor and visits Dartmoor Zoo to interview Ben. He revealed he not only believes that big cats can survive in the wilds of Britain, but claims he has even seen one himself.
He said: “I picked up my brother from the station, and his business partner at the time, and we were driving back into the village at midnight, and I slowed down to let what looked like a deer cross the road, because a deer is silly enough to make a sudden jump.
“We waited to watch this animal in the headlights. We were able to get a good look at it and it wasn’t a deer at all – it was a big cat, it was a puma.”
He added: “They know you’re there a long time before you bump into them, their senses, their eyesight and their smell is ten times what we’ve got, and they’re stealthy, even a big cat would rather you didn’t bump into it, but if you did bump into it don’t run away, talk soothingly, and step backwards as much as you can.”
Source: Tom Bevan Toby Codd
17 April 2024