In 1810, farmers and townsfolk in Cumberland, England were dealing with a supposed beast that was roaming the countryside and killing their sheep. Over the course of six months, between 300 and 400 sheep were slaughtered. The unlucky sheep were drained of all their blood due to multiple teeth marks around the neck and abdominal region. The stomach was ripped open and several soft organs were torn out and consumed. As many as eight sheep would parish nightly and many others would be mauled to death.

A reward of  £10 ($14) was offered for the capture and killing of the beast and as many as 100 men took to the countryside on horseback to try and kill it. Hunting dogs were used, poisoned sheep were left as bait, and lookouts were on guard during all hours of the day. Eventually, a farmer caught a glimpse of the beast responsible for the carnage.

The Girt Dog (or Great Dog, named for it’s size) was described as very large yet slim, with a long face, tall ears and a long thin tail. It was sandy brown in color and it had dark stripes starting at its mid back and running the remaining length of the body. It appeared to weigh around 110lbs and was around 6ft in length. It acted as if it possessed the qualities of both a dog and a cat.

Eventually, a hunting party was able to catch up to the dog and a farmer by the name of Jonathan Patrickson was able to get close enough to shoot it. The dog (now extremely wounded) tried to run off but was pursued by a pack of hunting dogs. While trying to evade the pack, the beast ended up tumbling down a small bank and into the River Ehen. The pack of hunting dogs lined up on the river bank and kept the Girt Dog from escaping back onto land. A farmer by the name of John Steel approached the dog and was able to shoot and kill it. The carcass was gathered and paraded through town, thus ending the terror of the Girt Dog.

So what was the Girt Dog? It is now widely believed that the beast was actually an escaped Thylacine (or multiple Thylacines). Back in the 1800’s, travelling circuses were known to bring along and showcase a creature that was referred to as a “tiger-wolf”.  The description of the tiger-wolf and the Girt Dog match the appearance of a Thylacine perfectly. Due to there being no exotic animal laws and regulations prohibiting the cross country/continent travel of a non-native species, circus and sideshow owners often took (at their leisure) strange and wild looking creatures from parts unknown and displayed them prominently in cages for paying customers to see.

-The Pine Barrens Institute

*Image Credit: Google