Thursday, January 14, 2010
THE 150-YEAR-OLD mystery of what caused a long trail of hoof-like marks could be solved — thanks to the latest batch of snow.
In February 1855, after a fall of snow, footprints were discovered in Devon, stretching 100 miles from Exmouth to Teignmouth.
For the greater part of their course they followed straight lines. Houses, rivers, haystacks and other obstacles were travelled straight over, and footprints appeared on the tops of snow-covered roofs and high walls.
The prints were dubbed The Devil's Footprints. Then in March last year, similar footprints appeared in a Woolsery garden after a fall of snow.
The prints, which were five inches long and had a stride of between 11 and 17 inches, caused an academic punch-up in the zoology world as scientists wondered what animal could be responsible.
Jon Downes, from the Centre for Fortean Zoology, an organisation which studies strange animals, studied the prints.
He was sure the Woolsery footprints were not caused by supernatural means but believed they were from a rabbit or a hare.
Other academics argued they could have been formed by mink, sheep or muntjac deer.
However, Jon believes the 150-year-old puzzle will soon be solved as one of its scientists, Jan Edwards from County Durham began testing theories on Friday.
Jan has an animal sanctuary where all the animal's prints are being tested.
She has more than 30 different rabbits and as it is a sanctuary many have disabilities — so it would be possible to see if the Devon-based Devil was in fact a disabled rabbit.
Jon added: "This is the best chance we have had of solving this 150-year-old mystery and we're all looking forward to the results."
But, the work of the CFZ team is never over and although one mystery may soon be solved another riddle is still to be cracked.
Again the conundrum centres around a bizarre footprint found in the snow — this time found at Powler's Piece woods between Parkham Ash and East Putford.
The print is bigger than a human foot and was found by Jon's wife Corinna and her children Shoshannah and Gavin when on a walk.
He believes it looks like a one-legged dinosaur, but doubts one of them has been running around Torridge.
He said: "It is the fact that it is a single imprint in the snow that intrigues me, but it probably isn't even a footprint.
"My best guess is that it is what happens when a bird of prey momentarily lands to capture some poor hapless rodent, but that is only a guess."
http://www.thisisnorthdevon.co.uk/news/Fortean-zoologists-snow-footprint-trail/article-1702895-detail/article.html
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