4338.222 · August 10, 2018 AD
The Beast
One week after the Berriedale tragedy, questions remain about the animal destroyed inside 2 Wallcrest Road. No exotic pet has been reported missing. Wildlife authorities cannot identify the species. And the one man who saw it up close isn't talking yet.
The official explanation is simple: an illegally kept exotic animal, probably a big cat, escaped or was released by its owner. Case closed. Except nothing about the explanation holds together. No exotic animal dealer in Tasmania has reported missing stock. No private collector has come forward. The Department of Primary Industries has no record of any large feline being imported, legally or otherwise, anywhere in the state. Wildlife authorities examined the remains and returned only two words: "species unidentified." The animal's body has been secured for further analysis, but details remain classified. Meanwhile, the only surviving witness — Benny Salter, 36, whose injuries were described as "consistent with animal attack" — remains hospitalised and has not yet spoken publicly about what he saw in that basement.
