There is no danger to local farm animals, as the ‘beast of Tenby’ is thought to reside on St. Catherine’s Island alongside Castle Beach.
A local Ironman and fundraiser with connections to the Rotary Club of Tenby (who did not wish to be named) who regularly trains on the beaches of the resort claims to have heard the ‘animal’ several times.
“I’ve heard noises coming from the island, but I’d always assumed it was just the wind, but last Thursday, I was running in that direction... and there it was again - a beastly sound! I was looking at the island and there I saw it, this dark silhouette of a horned head. At first I thought it was a bull, but it was way too big. It didn’t stay in sight for long, but luckily, I had my phone with me, and I managed to take a picture,” he said.
Following on from that, reports were made by a holidaymaker who noticed unusual footprints in the mud on St. Catherine’s Island when visiting the fort recently, with photos of the footprints being published on Facebook, suggesting that there must be some kind of animal living on the island.
The St. Catherine’s Island’s and Fort Facebook page was quick to deny the existence of any animals on the island, and revealed that a zoologist from the Biology department of the University of Wales, Cardiff, had been to the site to examine the footprints, and found that they were fake and likely to be man-made - as their size, depth, spacing and angulation were not consistent with those made by a hoofed animal.
The Rotary Club member who made the discovery has said he will put the matter on the organisation’s agenda for a future meeting, as it could tie in with an idea that had been floated around for a fundraising event to be held in Tenby! The mystery continues, with more sure to follow on this story...