Stunned Devon beachgoers did a double take when they spotted a rather unusual sight in the water. While there have been regular sightings of "big cats" across the county it is rare for them to be so publicly on view.
But a closer look revealed the animal in the shallows of Exmouth beach was in fact a driftwood sculpture. The lifelike creation is the work of Brendan Rawlings who has made a name for himself across the area with his clever artwork.
The full-size panther, named Resilience, is the latest sculpture by Brendan, of Zen Wood Design, to appear on the beach. Others have included a 12ft Neptune/ Poseidon wooden sculpture, an imposing 6ft crouching male angel with wings and a child angel called Faith modelled on his daughter, Kitty.
He told Devon Live how he used local driftwood for the piece. He said: "It took an age to burn the black on but I’m thrilled with the look.
"There have been multiple sightings over the UK since the Dangerous Wild Animals Act was introduced in 1976. My dad spotted a large black cat on Woodbury common back in the '80s when out for a run, so when I’m out running or walking somewhere remote, it’s always on my mind.
" If they are roaming about the UK, then ‘resilience’ is a perfect word to describe them, having adapted to a foreign climate and continued to survive. Perhaps we could take a leaf out of their book in the coming years with our economic climate worsening?"
In 2019, Brendan made his brother-in-law a shark made from driftwood - and soon found himself with 20 commissions for further designs. Within just three weeks, he had enough interest to keep him busy full-time. He has been running Zen Wood Design from his workshop in Topsham, ever since.
Previously he ran a successful fitness company in Dubai and then returned to Devon in the summer of 2017 with his family. Brendan now spends much of his time working on commissions while also planning what his next special project to surprise locals with will be.
He said: "Apart from a busy diary of commissions, I am planning a number of other sculptures this year. My next project is a large galloping horse sculpture which I’m excited about."
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