This film is part of Free

Barnstaple's Pet Puma

The Beast of Bodmin - A pet puma takes its owner for a walk in Barnstaple, Devon

News 1976 1 mins Silent

From the collection of:

Logo for South West Film and Television Archive

Overview

This film shows a man walking his exotic pet puma by a school in Barnstaple. The Exotic pet trade started as a fashion statement in the 1960s and 1970s, Harrods Pet Kingdom famously sold exotic animals for almost 100 years including Christian the lion cub. The Endangered Species outlawed the practice in 1976.