Tag Archives: creature

Mysteries, Paranormal/Supernatural

The Legend of the Montauk Monster

5 Comments
Picture from Wikipedia

Background:

July 2008. Montauk, New York. A strange animal carcass washes upon the shore of a beach near the business district. The creature was described as being dog-like but with a beak, and it had strange bindings around its legs.

The first media articles name the creature “Hound of Bonacville” before it receives its official name of the “Montauk Monster.” Pictures circulate across the internet and the speculation grows deeper.

Soon after those first reports come in, the carcass disappears. One witness claims someone took it “into the woods into his backyard.” But the truth has never been known.

What’s in a Name?

Loren Coleman, Director of International Cryptozoology Museum helped create the name we call the creature today, the Montauk Monster.

Latest News:

July 2020. Another sighting has been reported. The creature is described as a “hideous, bloated, dead creature.” This same witness has seen other carcasses, like seagulls and fish, but this was a new experience for him.

Interesting Facts:

Once the news spread, the three girls that were the original reporters, vanished from the public eye.

Loren was assigned to investigate the creature, and when trying to speak to the townspeople, they refused to speak to him.

Theories:

The unidentifiable carcass was believed to be a “water-degraded raccoon.” This was based off a Palaeozoologist reports after studying the pictures.

Some believed the creature was an experiment from a nearby animal disease center.

A local reporter, Nick Leighton, visited the disease facility to investigate the above theory. He was required to get government approval and wasn’t allowed to take anything from the facility when he left. While there, he heard rumors about a Viking funeral for a creature. The Viking funeral would have involved the creature being burned and put out to sea. It’s possible this explains the unrecognizable carcass.

Perhaps the creature was actually an alien that succumbed to Earth’s atmosphere.

One last theory comes from my husband. He’s heard of similar cases that end up being hoaxes. The example he shared with me was from the Oklahoma/Arkansas area. A mysterious creature pops up in a not-so-popular town, only to disappear as soon as the fame hits. It’s an excellent way to garner interest from tourists.

My Thoughts:

I personally want to believe this story is real. It goes back to comments I’ve previously made. There’s a lot out there that we simply don’t know about. There are species we haven’t encountered. And not to mention crazy lab experiments that people are hush-hush about.

I would love to hear your thoughts. Have you heard of the Montauk Monster? Perhaps your town had a similar case? Share in the comments!

Media Features:

Fox News
The Huffington Post
Ancient Aliens, TV Show

Sources:

Wikipedia
All Things Interesting
The East Hampton Star

Horror Legends, Mysteries, Unsolved Cases

The Legend of the Mothman

Leave a comment

Background:

Definition – a humanoid creature

Location – West Virginia, area of Point Pleasant

First Report – Two couples-Roger & Linda Scarberry and Steve & Mary Mallette-saw a large flying creature when they were driving just outside their town. The creature was described as gray with glowing red eyes and ten-foot wings. The following day, November 16, 1966, the Point Pleasant Register published an article titled “Couples See Man-Sized Bird…Creature…Something.” So there the story begins.

Origin of the Name:

The name actually came from one of the press companies that first ran stories on the creature.

The first sightings occurred at the same time a popular Batman show was on. In the comic book version, there was a villain called the Killer Moth. It’s believed this is where the name derived.

Sightings:

Since that first sighting in 1966, many people have surfaced admitting that they, too, have seen the creature.

On November 12 of that same year, and only a few days before the reported sighting, a group of gravediggers saw something large moving from tree to tree in a quick pace.

The Gettysburg Times reported eight sightings within a few days of those first reports. This included two volunteer firemen that described it has a large bird with red eyes.

Newell Partridge saw a creature with eyes that glowed “like bicycle reflectors.” In addition, his television set started acting up at this same time, and his German Shepherd vanished.

Sightings declined over the years. The latest stats come from Chicago in 2017, where there were 55 reported sightings.

Theories:

The County Sheriff dismissed the claims, stating the creature was only a large heron.

Wildlife Biologist Robert Smith told reporters he thought it was a sandhill crane that had veered off its migration route.

The collapse of the Silver Bridge in December 1967, was thought to be caused by the Mothman. They blamed the creature for the 46 lives that were lost that day.

Some scientists believe Mothman could be an alien or unknown animal species.

There’s an area just outside of Point Pleasant that the townsfolk call the TNT area. It’s called this because of bunkers lining the area, leftover from the second World War. It’s believed that toxins leaked, affecting the wildlife and this could be what created the mystery creature.

Interesting Facts:

Some people claim the Mothman is only seen during times of turmoil, like the Silver Bridge collapse.

In 2002, the town of Point Pleasant held its first annual festival, celebrating the Mothman legend. More than 10 thousand people attend the event each year. For those interested, the event takes place the third weekend of September. You can see cosplayers, live bands, and guest speakers.

The year following when the festival started, a 12′ metallic statue of the Mothman was unveiled. It was created by sculptor Bob Roach.

Another two years pass and the Mothman Museum and Research Center was opened.

Author’s Opinion:

I’m a fan of legends surrounding unknown creatures and cryptids. I definitely think there are some unknowns out there. I’ve seen stuff with my own eyes. Of course, I also feel like people’s imaginations get the better of them.

As for the case of the Mothman, I like to think it’s true. There are a lot of firsthand stories that corroborate the tale. And I think it did a lot of good for the town of Point Pleasant. It helped them put a mark on the map and the town has grown over the years. Maybe one day, I’ll get to attend the festival.

Sources:

wikipedia.org
allthatsinteresting.com
mothmanfestival.com