‘We were in Pacifica MO, tonight around 11:30 and we noticed a massive flying creature, not once but three times. My son even noticed it on his own the third time. We were near a large cliff/mountain with some type of cave openings. We don’t live in the area, I can say for sure we turned onto a road called viaduct road, went past a fire station and continued on for about 1 mile before we first noticed it. It was brownish/grey and the body portion was at least the size of a large adult human. This creature was tracking us – in a circle pattern. We were driving an escalade with the blue color headlights, this may have cause interest in us. The third time around us we viewed it in front of the vehicle, around driver side and around towards the rear of the vehicle, the factory tinted windows did help it vanish into the sky from out point of view.

Please understand when we could see it the range must have been about 150 feet in the air, not more than 250 feet. The distance was never less than 100 yards, often much greater. We were going about 35- 45 MPH. I have never thought of anything like this in my life! It is 3:33 and my son and myself are wide awake in a hotel 17 miles away from the place we first noticed the creature.

Note the creature’s color and size that the witness describes:

“It was brownish/grey and the body portion was at least the size of a large adult human.”

With this in mind, compare that to initial descriptions of the Mothman, taken from Wikipedia:

“Most observers described the Mothman as a winged man-sized creature… large and gray, with glowing red eyes.”

The fact that Mothman was also described having large glowing red eyes lends some strangeness to this next bit of information… is it any wonder that Jon’s post produced the following response from one reader, identified as “Lanette”? See below:

My oldest son, who is 18, was talking last night about seeing something VERY LARGE taking off from a huge old tree. He said it seems like it was 8′ tall and when he put the flashlight on it the eyes glowed back red (which a night hunting animals will at times) then it took off. Then he started in again about the very large part. We live about 20 miles from the Mississippi river.

I cannot say for sure that this animal has been the issue, but we do not have hardly any hawks in the area right now, and I have a coyote who has been using my carport as a hiding place at night, have run him/her off a few times coming home late. That is not normal at all since I have a dog rescue in the back yard which include some decent size hunting dogs. I know when the coyote is in the area at night due to the bays instead of barks out of the dogs.

Indeed, this might have been any number of animals, although the fact that it occurred at night does lend some credence to the notion that it may truly be an anomalous encounter, in some capacities at least. Generally, hawks and other birds of prey (with the exception of owls, which the Mothman traditionally resembles the most) don’t typically operate by night. What did Lynette’s son actually see?

As strange as the thing seems to have been, the “Mothman” has become a poster-child of sorts for the cryptozoological movement. Personally, in spite of my own fascination with reports of this creature, many of the fascinating elements associated with the legends that surround it make it a bit tough to chew; after all, consider that science has already proven that Bigfoot doesn’t defy known laws of physics. Mothman, on the other hand, is a little more hard to swallow, if eyewitness reports are to be taken literally (for instance, the wingspan described by witnesses would not be ideal for lifting a man-sized creature into the air). Still, I’m fascinated by the notion that such a creature–whether an archetypical “tulpa” or a creature as yet unknown to science–might have had such a lasting cultural affect on people.

Perhaps, as evidenced by the new information streaming from Downes’ website, its influence is still very much among us…

Annette’s article reads as follows:

It’s official – the Chase has been hailed one of the spookiest places in the country. The beauty spot, which stretches through Stafford, is renowned for its werewolf sightings, according to a latest paranormal study. It is all revealed in the work of paranormal researcher Lionel Fanthorpe, 74, from Cardiff. The study looks into paranormal events in the UK during the past 25 years. The study provides a breakdown of Britain’s spookiest places and focuses upon unexplained incidents reported to the police and leading paranormal organisations since the 1980s. There have been 21 reported cases of werewolf sightings, with the Cannock Chase werewolf being the most renowned.

I found it particularly interesting that Nick ties a unique series of reports of aquatic “monsters” into the story, referencing a few instances where something dubbed the “Cannock Nessie” was being described in one of the many ponds that exist in the region. “Over the last decade or so, intriguing reports have surfaced – from the many and varied little pools and ponds that can be found in, around, and on the outskirts of, the Cannock Chase – of sightings of exotic fish, crocodilians and much more of a distinctly out-of-place, aquatic nature. Without doubt, the most famous example of such activity occurred a number of years back at a small and semi-secluded body of water known as the Roman View Pond – that exists on the fringes of Cannock.”

Nick goes on to say that “It was from there, in the hot summer of 2003, that hysterical rumors wildly spread around the town of Cannock to the effect that a giant, marauding crocodile was on the loose. Local police, representatives of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), and the nation’s media all quickly descended upon the scene, as they valiantly and collectively sought to ascertain the truth about what, at a local level, fast (and inevitably!) became known to one and all as the Cannock Nessie.’ ”

As Nick goes on to describe, the discovery of Nessie’s next-of-kin ended up being a little less than historic… or in this case, prehistoric. To view the rest of the article, follow the link below:

Cannock Chase is Spooky!

Coast to Coast AM: Tonight’s Show

You won’t want to miss this intriguing (and at times scary) interview with this good pal of mine and master-of-the-strange. For more information, visit Joshua’s website:

The Official Home of Joshua P. Warren

“So why don’t you create a real list for me of the top five scariest cryptids?” Josh asked. Indeed, it seemed we differed a bit on what we called “scary”. Josh clarified that the scariest cryptid monsters should be creatures that could “come and get you,” which is why he wouldn’t have included things like the presumably Chtuhoid “Bloop” in such a roundup; even a giant demi-god isn’t dangerous if it never leaves the ocean to destroy mankind, right?

THERFORE… for your viewing enjoyment, I have now compiled a list of the top five (really) scary cryptids. These are cryptozoological or even alien oddities that might curdle the flesh of even the most experienced monster hunters. Reader beware; due to the nature of some of the alleged attacks these creatures have been associated with, some graphic content may not be suitable for the squeamish. Reader caution is advised.

FIVE SCARIEST CRYPTID-MONSTERS LIST

1) Popobawa- A horrific string of encounters with a demonic monster began occurring in 1995 on the Tanzanian island of Pemba, where a creature called “Popobawa” began its reign of terror. Among various reports of terrifying winged entities from around the world, Popobawa stand out in the crowd; after all, how many cryptid monsters are best known for sexually assaulting their (mostly male) victims by sodomizing them? Even worse, the dreaded Popobawa leaves the assaulted with a parting curse: if they don’t tell others of their encounter, he promises to return and repeat the vile intrusion again. Many Tanzanian villagers were said to wait, sleepless, outside their homes for several evenings for fear of the appearance of Popobawa. What is the creature… a result of mass hysteria? An actual cryptozoological monster? Or perhaps worse still, could it be the living embodiment of the Assyrian demon Pazuzu, to which it bears an uncanny resemblance?

2) The Jersey Devil- In 1735 “Mother Leeds”, a supposed witch having birthed 12 children already, had warned that if a thirteenth child were born “he would be the devil himself.” A child was indeed born, appearing normal at first, and then changing form; suddenly, a creature with hooves, a horse’s head, bat wings and a forked tail appeared, growling and screaming before it killed the midwife and escaped up the chimney. Heading into the unforgiving Pine Barrens of New Jersey, sightings would occur for more than one hundred and seventy years until 1909, when the creature suddenly went on a rampage. Panic-stricken towns throughout the region closed schools and country stores as sightings of the creature were reported in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and West Collingswood, New Jersey. Even as recently as 2008, reports of a winged “devil” resembling an enormous gargoyle have stemmed from the region, causing many to wonder if indeed a horrific monster might still lurk in the lonely Pine Barrens.

3) The Flatwoods Monster- On September 12th 1952, a frightening occurrence took place near the town of Flatwoods, West Virginia. Locals responding to the crash of a large object seen streaking through the night sky investigated a wooded hill, where they encountered an entity that terrified them so badly that many were struck with sudden nausea and fainting. Initial reports of this frightening monster featured in area newspapers described a 10-foot-tall “Frankenstein-like” thing with a green body and a blood-red face that glowed. The creature’s head bore bulging, non-human eyes, as well as a strange “Ace of Spades shaped cowling behind it” and hideous claw-like fingers. What of this Earth—or otherwise—could this horrific creature have been?

4) Batsquatch- In 1994, a mountaineer named Butch Whittaker claimed to have seen a demonic-looking creature—even photographing it—while he was getting ready to climb Mt. St. Helens. Whittaker’s photographs may indeed suggest the existence of a purple-skinned, red-eyed brute with Pterodactyl wings and a head resembling “both a primate and a bat”; with the hulking strength of Bigfoot, paired with Mothman’s ability to glide through the air, Batsquatch remains one of the most potentially terrifying cryptid monstrosities out there.

5) Mongolian Deathworms- Reports of giant, red, man-eating worms living in the sands beneath the Gobi Desert date back to the early 1940s. The creatures are described as being bright-red worms with a wide body measuring 2 to 5 feet in length. Mongolian locals say the creatures can spew acid on their prey from a distance, in addition to emitting terrible electric shocks. In spite of such amazing features—especially its size—giant earthworms do exist elsewhere. Take for instance the Giant Palouse Earthworm, thought to be extinct during the 1980s, though sightings since then have confirmed the species still thrives in small numbers. Measuring up to three feet in length, could the Palouse Earthworm have a deadly cousin in the East?

Coolest guy ever.

Discovery of a strange “Blue Hill Creature” has stirred up controversy among the population, because while some are certain that it is a being of another planet, others simply suggest that it is an animal.

Four adolescents between 14 and 16 years old were playing together in the Blue Hill Spurt this past Saturday.

According to their story, one of them suddenly saw that the creature as it left a cave located behind the water spurt. When it noticed the teenagers, the creature began to climb on stones towards one of them. Badly frightened, he began to throw stones and at it. After killing the animal, they left it by the water and fled the area.

The circumstances surrounding the story are classics of abduction lore; children allegedly see a strange creature emerge from a cave, and as it approaches them, they kill it, and flee the scene with a few photographs that carelessly (or purposely) capture only the parts of the anatomy that give the unsettling, “otherworldly” appearance: in this case, the upper extremities. I’ll tell you this: I’m not convinced this is any alien, and I’m even less convinced it’s anything we aren’t already aware of. Have a look at this series of photographs and you’ll see what I mean:

“Blue Hill Creature?”

If we were to consider that this creature is something already known to animals in the region, what kinds of critters, even sans-fur, might look like the one in the photographs from Panama? A simple search for “animals living near Panama” brings up an excellent WikiAnswers info site that gives us the following relevant information:

Panama’s Darién jungle is the largest tropical rain forest in the Western Hemisphere outside the Amazon Basin. The entire north coast of Panama is densely forested and contains more than 2,000 species of tropical plants. This habitat also supports a wide array of animals common to Central and South America, including ocelots, sloths, armadillos, pumas, anteaters, spider and howler monkeys, deer, caimans, crocodiles, and many snakes. It has one of the most diverse populations of birds in the world, ranging from colorful tropical species to long-distance migrating birds. Due to its unique location, Panama has several animal species found nowhere else, such as the golden tree frog and giant tree sloth. In populated areas, however, most of the native animals have been hunted or driven.

Did any of these animals catch your eye? They certainly caught mine. Read on, dear seekers of truth…

Looking back at the photos of the animal (be sure and reference the above link to the photos occasionally, since Copyright laws may prevent me from linking high-quality images for you here), there are several interesting aspects to consider here. For one, the image in the upper left hand corner seems to depict a portion of the animal’s hand (look just to the right of the creature’s head in the image). As its arm extends down the rock face where it lays, apparently the continuation of the appendage shows a single, long talon or claw. This same “claw” is visible in the image directly below (bottom left corner image), this time looking to the immediate left of the head. Does this “claw” look familiar to any known animals yet?

Another striking–and potentially revealing–visible aspect this creature bears is what looks like hair on its lower stomach (conveniently falling outside the frame of the images). Take another look at the photo in the upper left hand corner, at the top left corner of the image itself. Can we see course gray hair on the animal’s lower belly? This too looks familiar…

Finally, compare the face to this cuddly-looking tree dweller. The placement of the eyes, nose, and mouth all seem to match:

Hopefully, the part of the story about the little fella being beaten and stoned to death is merely a back-story to make the end result sound more anomalous. Sloths are awful damned cute; could you beat this little fella with a stick?

After coming to this conclusion, I did a general search for “sloth without hair”, which led me to the notion that others on the Web are coming to similar conclusions:

Above Top Secret: Something Strange (pic)

So the general consensus seems to be that, indeed, this poor little fella was actually a sloth… but who knows; what if the body is retrieved and we find that the critter has eight spindly spider’s legs? That would be a hoot… one more reason for folks to learn how to properly frame an image, so that future analysis doesn’t have to involve so much guess-work. At very least, this could be said of one other “cryptid” that drew speculation as to its identity.

“Claw” and “Fur” images courtesy of Christian Mehlführer.

The British Telegraph reported that sixty-six-year-old Dean (or Duan… the name varies in written reports) Qiongxiu of Suining, Southwest China, discovered the reptile clinging to the wall of her bedroom–using the talons of its single claw–in the middle of the night. “I woke up and heard a strange scratching sound. I turned on the light and saw this monster working its way along the wall using his claw.”

Although I’ve heard a variety of reports of “spontaneous evolution” and the like recently, this story is particularly interesting… although in all likelihood the appearance of the critter’s “claw” was probably the result of a mutation or strange birth defect. Strange appearances of vestigial tails, pharyngeal slits and other things do sometimes occur, since in early embryonic stages all vertebrates possess these characteristics. According to some, this lends a little weight to the theory of “common ancestry” between various species, and hence evolution in general. However, usually these tails and gills aren’t functional body parts; if indeed this snake had utilized its single claw in the act of climbing along walls, etc, it would certainly be considered a remarkable instance of mutation among the species.

Still, fossils of snakes with legs dating back 95 million years have been discovered in deposits near modern day Jerusalem. Dubbed Haasiophis terrasanctus (see image below), the creature’s sedimentary surroundings indicate it lived a seafaring lifestyle. Science reported in March of 2000 that “its advanced anatomy could overturn a current theory about the marine origin of snakes,” and now, possibly lend to an evolutionary reason for the strange appendage found on Mrs Qiongxiu’s discovery.

In addition to reports of fossilized snakes with legs, it is noteworthy to Gralien Report readers that I found this story to be familiar in other ways (as is often the case in the study of mystery weirdness and crypto-critters). Perhaps you too will recall a similar story that appeared here in March of 2008, where I shared a letter I received a while back in response to an article I wrote for FATE Magazine. In it, the author described a similar creature discovered in Georgia; below I have included this story, a particular favorite of mine, again for you to peruse:

I read and enjoyed your article in FATE Magazine. I am very enthralled by cryptozoology, especially the second variety dealing with critters which seem to match no others in existence, but rather seem as denizens of a bad acid trip.

Here in central Georgia several years ago a retired chiropractor, while driving to a small town, notices a group of DOT (highway repair) workers standing in a huddle on the side of the road. Since small town folk tend to know each other, he stopped and inquired about the focus of their attention.

It seems that they had captured what he describes as a rattlesnake with two front legs with claws, from around which coarse hair hung forth.

The old guy is not a drunk, liar, or one to see things that aren’t there. I plan to try and interview the people in that road crew if they’re still around. I haven’t had the time yet, especially with the cost of gas and long distances in this region…

The fool who had posession of the critter said he wanted to stuff it. I would imagine that a living entity would provide greater proof of its being a true cryptid.

Sincerely yours,

-Clyde

What can be made of Clyde’s story? I’ve always wondered about it, and although I attempted to contact Clyde a few times by email, I don’t think I ever got any responses (hey, some folks prefer pen-to-paper). Nonetheless, his story has always intrigued me… does the appearance of a similar appendage sprouting from a snake on the other side of the globe lend any credence to this unique “tail”? If you have any similar stories regarding snakes with legs, I encourage you to share them in the comment fields below.

Along these same lines, about a year ago my friend and mentor Brad Steiger sent an email requesting a round-up of favorite monsters (Brad often sends questionnaires to his friends and associates for purposes of outsourcing opinions on such matters, resulting in a lot of great compilations that appear in his books). At the time, although I won’t dispute Bigfoot being a personal all-time favorite, I couldn’t help but feel that the Pacific Northwest’s hairiest humanoid giant (with the prolific nature of sightings he and his cousins garner around the globe) seems to dominate lists of “top ten favorites”. Similarly, although she’s relatively concentrated in her specific locale, Scotland’s Lady of the Loch “Nessie” also ranks high among those mysterious monopolizing monsters, with her constituents in various lakes and oceans around the world also garnering a lot of attention. Finally, I have to give credit to those rascally little soft-organ-suckers from the Southern extremities, the Chupacabras, who have spent the last two decades making a name for themselves among the top-ranking cryptids (as well as, strangely, morphing from green-scaled alien monkeys into hairless reptile-dogs with exaggerated canines… no further comment).

However, I feel like there are weirder monsters… scarier monsters… that are often forgotten on such lists. If you’ve listened to interviews with me in the past, you’ve probably heard of a few of these. However, since they are too often forgotten, I figured I would post for you here at The Gralien Report my own “Top Ten Scariest Monsters” list, bearing in mind that all of these are supposed or theorized to actually exist in various capacities… when such things call your belief system and reality into question, what do you choose to believe? Although I question virtually everything presented here (not taking a completely skeptical stance against the possibility, by any means), there is a wide margin of collected evidence which suggests the baddies presented here are worthy of further speculation. You be the judge… but above all, enjoy!

The Official GRALIEN REPORT “Top Ten SCARIEST MONSTERS”

1) BLOOP: In the summer of 1997, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) managed to record a bizarre series of underwater sounds with an array of deep-sea moored hydrophones, formerly used for tracking Soviet submarines. “Bloop” is the name given to one particular ultra-low frequency underwater sound detected by NOAA, the source of which remains unknown. Scientists and marine biologists who have studied the noise report that it “matches the audio profile of a living creature,” although no animal on Earth exists that could have produced the sound. Due to the unique frequency of the recorded “Bloop”, scientists claim the creature emitting the noise “would have to be several times the size of the largest known animal on Earth, the Blue Whale.” Even stranger, the estimated coordinates from which the noise emanated (50 degrees South by 100 degrees West) marks a point furthest from most land masses in the South Pacific Ocean. This coincides almost perfectly with the location of the sunken city of R’lyeh in H.P. Lovecraft’s story The Call of Cthulhu, in which a monstrous alien is revived from beneath the Pacific depths at this same location. The frightening results of NOAA’s research leave us to ask, “was Lovecraft right?”

2) HOMO HADALIS: This term is borrowed from author Jeff Long’s fictional name for subterranean proto-human creatures living below the Earth in his novel The Descent. Though Long’s interpretation of a separate branch of humanity living in elaborate cave systems beneath the surface world is purely fiction, there are occasionally reports of similar creatures that come to light in Fortean circles. Many hominid researchers  have supposed that creatures like Bigfoot may even exist below the Earth in caves, hence their apparent ability to hide themselves and seemingly “disappear” when pursued. Such may be the case with “cavemen” witnessed in the Cannock Chase wilderness preserve in Britain, believed to cover extensive cave systems beneath its rolling hills. However, even more creepy than relic hominids are reports of white-skinned, eyeless “people” sometimes witnessed above ground, often moving on all-fours. Are these denizens of a world that exists below us, or anthropomorphic figments of our collective imaginations?

3) POPOBAWA: This horrific demon-rapist is a devilish cross between Mothman and the Assyrian demon Pazuzu (who was often depicted with a long snakelike phallus; see image at right). Popobawa is known for crawling into open windows, sexually molesting his victims (often males), and promising to return if they don’t tell others of their experiences. Many have cited the creature as the collective fears of people in locales like Zanzibar, where reports of Popobawa are prolific. However, those who have encountered the monster would tell you otherwise…

4) BIG YELLOWS: These giant, glowing man-ape entities were first reported by combat marines during the Vietnam War. Fast, aggressive, and impervious to machine gun fire, author Martin S. Caidin gave a startling account of their existence in his 1993 book Natural or Supernatural? A Casebook of True, Unexplained Mysteries.

5) MOTHMAN: The only “conventional” cryptid to make this list, Mothman’s strange flutterings are renowned among fringe science studies, demonology, interdimensional physics, and cryptozoology alike, landing it the number-five-spot in this collection. Reportedly seen in Charleston and Point Pleasant, West Virginia from November 12, 1966, to December 1967, most descriptions of the Mothman detailed “a winged man-sized creature with large reflective red eyes and large wings” (sometimes erroneously referred to as “moth-like”, although reports generally indicated the creature more closely resembled an owl). Following the tragic collapse of the Silver Bridge on December 15th, 1967 (see image at right), reports of the strange entity diminished, after which sightings virtually ceased. Believed by many to be some kind of “harbinger” for misfortune, the Mothman and the mythology surrounding it is widely studied by a variety of experts in a number of fields, and to this day remains a mystery.

6) THE BEAST OF LE GEVAUDAN: From 1764 to 1767, one (or possibly several) man-eating wolf-like animals were said to have terrorized the former province of Gévaudan (today known as département of Lozère), in the Margeride Mountains in south-central France. Described by a number of frightened witnesses, the monster was said to have formidable teeth and very large tails, a reddish fur, and “an unbearable odor” (see image at left). The creatures killed their victims by tearing at their throats with their teeth, with an estimated 210 attacks, resulting in 113 deaths and 49 injuries. 98 of the victims were partly eaten by these animals… but what were they? Theories range from wolves to cross-breeds between large wild dogs and their wolfen kin; with a history of presumed encounters with these creatures dating back as far as 1693, is it possible that several generations of mixed-breeding of this sort could have produced wildly aggressive “monsters” that terrorized the French countryside for decades?

7) THE GOLEM OF PRAGUE:  In sixteenth century Prague, “the Maharal” Judah Loew ben Bezalel, then chief rabbi of Prague, was said to have created a golem–a man made from mud–to defend the Prague ghetto from anti-Semitic attacks or “blood libels”. According to legend, Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II warned that the Jews in Prague were to be either expelled or killed. In order to protect his community, the rabbi made the Golem out of clay from the banks of the Vltava river by moonlight, and brought it to life with Kabbalistic magic detailed in the Book of Formation. Some accounts say the golem became increasingly violent, while others say the golem fell in love, and when rejected, he became the violent monster as seen in most accounts (this account strongly resembles the scenario outlined in Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein). Interestingly, a manuscript was discovered in a library in Germany centuries after the Maharal’s actions took place, alleged to have been written by one of his students. The manuscript stated that neither story was true, and that the golem, after finishing his civic duties under the Maharal’s guidance, was led into the attic of the 12th century Alt New Synagogue in historic Prague, where it was “deactivated” by its master and hidden beneath a pile of religious manuscripts. Afterward, the Maharal forbid entry into the attic by anyone “for safety reasons” concerning fire hazards, etc, with only one historic mention of a successor to the Maharal entering; the Rabbi was said to emerge with a pale face from fright, and re-instated the Maharal’s orders that the attic be closed. No one has entered since.

8 ) THE HIGHGATE VAMPIRE: The 1970s vampire craze, spurred on by the release of Bram Stoker’s character Dracula into the public domain, also witnessed the arrival of “The Highgate Vampire”. This dark entity (resembling Mothman in various capacities) was said to lurk among the graves in Highgate Cemetary in London. Psychic researcher David Farrant actually camped in the area in December 1969. In a subsequent letter to the Hampstead and Highgate Express on February 6th, 1970, he described having glimpsed a supernatural “grey figure”, asking if other locals had ever seen anything similar. Of the variety of ghosts said to haunt the cemetery (based on reader responses) were “a tall man in a hat” (often associated with the vampire), as well as a spectral cyclist, a woman in white, a face glaring through the bars of a gate (also associated directly with the vampire), a figure wading into a pond, and a “pale gliding form”. Years ago, during an interview with Farrant (with whom I remain in contact), I was told that the entity had red, hypnotic eyes, very much like the Mothman in description. Farrant also told me that he believed ley lines running near the cemetery may have had attracting forces conducive to manifestations such as Highgate’s “vampire”.

9) ENERGYZOA: UFO researcher Trevor James Constable called them “critters”, and even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote fiction describing “terrors” that may exist in the skies. As we know, truth is stranger than fiction, and NASA has speculated that plasma-based “energetic life forms” might be capable of forming spontaneously in the vacuum of space. Could such formations, if they exist, account for various luminescent blob-like UFOs reported over the years?

10) SKY SQUIDS: Initially intended as a joke for savvy Gralien Report readers, I blogged about a cluster of Mylar balloons filmed over Mexico last year, purported by Latin American Ufologist Jamie Maussan to be a UFO. In months that followed, bizarre reports of squid, octopus and jellyfish-like UFOs began to be reported over England and other locales, including one such incident which led to the destruction of a windmill. What are these objects? Are they strange alien craft, or are they atmospheric life forms unto themselves, similar in nature to “Energyzoa”? Might they be Cthuloid entities from vast distant star systems… or even worse, could they being something else, perhaps some cult-oriented ancient deity with powers that surpass the devils and demons of our worst nightmares? YOU DECIDE…

…which marks the anniversary of another Chupacabra discovery in nearby Cuerto, Texas, dating back to 2007. Fox News reported on the find in an article titled “Texas Woman Claims to Have Found Mythical ‘Chupacabra’ ” on the same date two years ago. Although both critters are likely coyotes or foxes suffering from mange, it is strange synchronicity nonetheless that the two reports would both appear at the same time of year, right down to the exact date. Does this indicate any sort of trend about weather, habitat, feeding habits, etc that might indicate what causes these creatures to appear at specific times? Or, in the likely case that it is a known animal suffering from effects of a skin condition, does this provide insight into a cause for the ailment?

The synchronicity between dates was startling enough, at least in terms of the obvious coincidences… but the sudden appearance of Chupacabras and “mystery canines” around this time of year seems to be further enforced by the fact that today’s San Antonio discovery wasn’t the only reported “Chupacabra” discovered today. As it turns out, NewsOn6.com out of Oklahoma also had a similar story posted today, along with photos of the mystery beast:

Woman Says Chupacabra Found Near Stilwell

What is the likelihood that two separate discoveries of alleged “Chupacabras” would turn up on the anniversary of a similar discovery from 2007 (which, I must note, did take place in the midst of an almost identical rash of other reports occurring at the time)? Perhaps the big picture here has more to do with why these creatures begin appearing in these locales around this time of year in general, but I do admit finding a bit of enjoyment in such apparent coincidences, especially when they are Fortean in nature.

Maybe we can name September 1st “National Chupacabra Day”… what do you think?

At the website LagoonKeepers.org, several videos have been posted that depict what is being dubbed a “Muck Monster” (click here to visit the site and view the videos). “This appears to be one animal moving in this direction,” said Thomas Reinert, a Marine Biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “Nothing’s breaking the surface. Typically dolphins break the surface, sea turtles, manatee, a large school of fish… if it were a shark at that level you would see a fin.” Is the “Muck Monster” indeed a bizarre cryptozoological mystery, or is it more likely to be something a bit less glamorous?

Rick Stokes, News Editor for The Anomalist, commented earlier today that “The problem is the video doesn’t show anything breaking the water, so it could be anything, most likely something rather mundane.” Grey Reynolds of LagoonKeepers.org says he cant say with certainty what it is in his videos either. “We spend a lot of time out here on the water and (have) seen a lot of different creatures out here. This is the first time in three and half years that I’ve ever seen anything out here that didn’t know what it was,” Reynolds told WPTV News 5 out of West Palm Beach.

Although Nessie’s new US cousin (do we call it “Muckie”?) has caused a stir near the Lake Worth lagoon in Florida, decades ago in the summer of 69, amidst all the free love and music that proliferated, Lake Worth, Texas residents were being terrified by sightings of an alleged “Goat Man”.

Bud Kennedy, a reporter with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, outlined the story in his 2006 article “Lake Monster May be Myth, but Exhibit is Real”:

If you’re new around here, back in summer 1969, a lot of people were seeing things. Some people thought they saw flying saucers. Some people thought they saw Soviet spies. And some people thought they saw a 7-foot-tall half-man, half-goat threatening motorists near Lake Worth.

John Reichert of South Henderson Street was quoted in the Star-Telegram as saying it scratched his car. Jack Harris of Sansom Park said he saw it throw a tire 500 feet. Allen Plaster of Fort Worth, who owned women’s wear shops, shot a photo of a large, furry-looking, light-colored blob.

That fall, Charles Buchanan said he saw a gorillalike creature. He threw a bag of leftover chicken at it, and it swam off toward Greer Island, where it has apparently lived ever since in an undisclosed location.

Police said later that Brewer High School students were found with a glow-in-the-dark mask and a gorilla costume. Experts back then said the first sightings were probably of a bobcat, and the guess was that the teenagers wanted to scare the curious crowds searching the lake. If so, they not only scared the crowds but also wrote Bigfoot history.

Interesting how sightings of a seven-foot tall bipedal proto-human-goat-thing can be explained away as bobcats and teenagers with glow in the dark monkey masks. Less conveniently explained away by the theories above are some of the stranger aspects of the story that were indicative of an aquatic link to the creature (which, I must note, aren’t mentioned here specifically with interest in drawing parallels to “the muck monster” mentioned earlier). These features include frequent reports that the creature had “scales” on its skin, in addition to hair and ape-like attributes. This seems reminiscent of reports of another southern ’squatch, referred to as “The Lizard Man” of Scape Ore Swamp, South Carolina. Also, the fact that the creature was witnessed swimming on at least one occasion is interesting, since most primates outside humans and, recently, some island-dwelling chimpanzees aren’t known to be swimmers.

Another unique parallel I noticed was that my good friend, conspiracy writer Jim Marrs, was apparently the journalist who broke the story back in 1969 (although the Wikipedia entry on the Lake Worth Monster states the journalist who wrote the original Star-Telegram article was named Jerry Baker. This seems incorrect, so I’ve asked Jim if he knew who Baker was, and if he may have also been writing about the creature around the same time. Response is awaited as I type this).

In the image at right, you can enjoy seeing Jim and I give our best impressions of what the Lake Worth monster may have looked like.

What are these strange cryptozoological monsters? Was there really a “Goat Man” at Lake Worth Texas? Similarly, is the creature videotaped in Florida recently anything anomalous, or is it a known creature, disguised by the murky depths? Who knows…