Beast of Dean

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The Beast of Dean, also given the colloquial name 'Moose-Pig' or 'Lauren', is reportedly a large animal (possibly many) peculiar to a small area, Gloucestershire, in the south-west of the United Kingdom. The Royal Forest of Dean became a a hot-spot for sightings beginning in 1802, with reports from locals of an exceptionally large wild boar, with occasional reports of felled trees, crushed hedges and fences, and a supposed 'un-earthly roar'. Supposedly at one point local hunters from the village of Parkend, Gloucestershire managed to capture and kill the creature. The hunters, upon examination, all agreed their prey was no boar they had encountered before nor even any familiar indigenous species. After this revelation in March 1807, sightings stopped entirely for almost two centuries.

Over this period of time locals say they had frequently heard a low guttural noise in the woods between Parkend and the nearby village of Bream, Gloucestershire. Speculation had been made between locals to whether there was another Beast roaming the woodland of the Forest of Dean. This would not be apparent until 1998 in which a report had been made by two locals (James Nash, Marshall Davies), that had been passing through the woodland between Parkend and Bream. They claimed a a low sound could be heard, slowly raising in intensity. Then they saw a creature emerge from the bushes and rush towards them as they ran for their lives. They claimed that the beast was the size of a cow but had boar-like qualities and made grunting noises. This was the last reported sighting of the Moose-Pig.

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