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
Lore & Curiosities 