Over the years I've read and reported on many odd creatures and anomalies. I've been fortunate to have so many great witnesses and readers send their accounts. I'm going to run this as a series, similar to the 'Humanoid Incursion' posts. This series will not include personal encounters or current research (Flying Rays, Conewago Phantom, etc.). Here are a few interesting examples:
LARGE FLYING CREATURE
I received this email from a man who lives west of San Antonio, Texas near Medina Lake. He states he witnessed a large flying creature last evening (August 11, 2009). He has requested that his full name be withheld at the present time:
Dear Sir. I witnessed a large flying creature this evening that I cannot identify. I found your site during a search. I'm apprehensive of mentioning it to any friends or family until I can get a grip on what this was.
I live west of San Antonio, TX near Medina Lake. Today, I was on a random outing to the area near the Diversion Lake dam. At about 7:30 pm, I was on my way back up the trail when I suddenly heard a loud awful scream coming from below the dam downstream. It sounded like an owl but lasted longer and was much louder. I stopped walking and watched downstream to see if I could catch a look at what caused the sound.
I then noticed a large flock of birds flush out of the trees near the riverbank. Then suddenly this giant flying creature swooped down into the river valley and just as quickly flew back up into the rocks. I continued to watch but did not hear or see it again. I call it a creature because it looked nothing like a bird. I was about 50 yards from it and would say conservatively that it's wing span was 15 ft. or so! It was dark colored and had a very long beak and a strange long thin tail. This sounds crazy, but it actually resembled one of those flying dinosaurs though the head was not as large and it looked like it had feathers.
I got back home and looked on the internet for examples of bird species but found nothing close. I'm not originally from this area and have never heard of anything like this. That is why I'm contacting you. Do you have an idea what it was? I see you have a website, maybe someone who reads your site could help identify it.
Source: Witness JJ
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THE HORNED BEAST
Location: Northern Tennessee
Date: June 1997
Around midnight, the witness and his cousin were on a hunting trip and were sitting on the edge of a large hollow which consisted of very thick underbrush and lots of evergreen. It continued into a larger valley with a clearing and then to a ancient Indian burial site. After sitting there awhile, they heard the sound of the brush rattling deep in the hollow. Whatever it was, the loud racket suggested it was large. One witness was armed with a .22 magnum rifle with approximately 150 rounds of ammo.
On his night vision scope he could see what appeared to be a man, but upon further inspection he realized that the "man" was a creature about 7-8 ft tall covered with thick dark fur. It was slimmer that the popular Bigfoot image, almost skinny and had a neck. Also protruding on either side of its head were long tapered "horns" that were dark in color. On the top of the head also protruded a horn pointing straight up. All horns were approximately 5-6 inch in length and were as dark color as the creature.
The terrified witness emptied a 25 round clip into the creature and then retreated into a nearby cabin about 65 ft away. The next morning they could not find anything except for lots of spent shell casings and bullet holes on a walnut tree. He thought he had struck the creature several times. Nearby animals traps had been sprung and all the bait missing. On a nearby ridge, the witnesses located a series of tunnels made up of brush and various sizes of tree limbs, vines and leaves. They thought it could have been "the lair of the beast." They refused to investigate further.
Source: GCBRO / Alberto Rosales
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'THING' FLYING OVER COUNTY DURHAM, NE ENGLAND
We saw a Thing the other night. Not sure at all WHAT it was, but both myself and Gareth saw it. We were driving back from Darlington to home at about 10pm on Wednesday 7th October, and just west of Harperley roundabout on the A698 to Wolsingham, when “it” flew in front of the car.
Whatever it was, was not a bird, and was not a moth or bat. It was approx. 3 feet long, about 1ft wide at the head, tapering down to a short tail. It was white and almost see-through – like a cloud, perhaps – pear-drop shaped, and moved very fast.
It rose from a hedge (or from the ground close to the hedge), which borders the road. Then it sped across the road at about 30ft high. Not sure how fast it was going, but a few mins later we saw a tawny owl flying across the road, and the Thing was much faster than the owl.
Before anyone gets the wrong idea, I am not suggesting that the Thing and the owl were connected in any way. It was incidental and only serves as an indication of air-speed.
The site we saw it at was close to the POW camp, which has recently been put up for sale on ebay. There are no street lights nearby, and it is a remote area of the high north Pennines. Very few dwellings, not much human activity, other than the fairly quiet A689. There was very little wind, and it was quite dark as it was cloudy/overcast. No rain.
Source: Centre for Fortean Zoology (CFZ)
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WEIRD CREATURE - GARRETT COUNTY, MD
Hello Lon - Early morning, December 16, 2009 at approximately 1:30 AM, I witnessed a weird creature as I drove home from a holiday party. I live in western Maryland a few miles outside of Grantsville, MD. The sighting occurred only 1 mile from my house. I was completely sober since I cannot drink alcohol for medical reasons. As well, I was not tired since I had slept several hours before I went to the party. I was alone, though I had given a friend a ride to her home. I was traveling at the posted speed limit, maybe a bit less since I always watch for wildlife crossing the road after dark.
I slowed down because there appeared to be an animal digging in some trash next to the right sight of the road. It was 20 feet or so from my car. I slowed down to get a better look and noticed that the creature was too tall and bulky to be any animal that I have ever seen locally. I'd say about 4 ft. tall and about 80 lbs. It was dark gray in color with long straight, coarse hair. Then it turned and stared at me with it's large eyes set forward on it's face that appeared bright red in the headlight. The paws were very unusual, almost like human hands with long fingers. It acted surprised that I was there but remained motionless staring back at me. The face was shaped a lot like a large rat but had a flat face. I didn't notice a tail.
After several seconds it crouched down on all fours and scampered off in a long gait towards the woods nearby. I decided not to chase after it since I had a bad feeling about this thing. I told a police officer friend who told me that there was a similar sighting the winter before after a homeowner witnessed it feeding on a deer in their backyard. He said that I should file a report with state wildlife officials but I wanted to see if anyone could suggest an identity of the creature before I file the report.
Thanks for your site. I hope you can post this. I'll watch for opinions.
Source: Witness Darlene, Garrett Co. MD
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UNKNOWN FLYING ENTITY
Sir...thanks for the daily email updates. I had an encounter that I did make a report on but have never received any inquiries. Since your readers send you their experiences maybe there is a chance someone has seen something similar.
The encounter occurred on July 6, 2005 at about 11:30 pm. I had a long day in San Diego then afterward going to the beach at Del Mar, CA for some surf fishing. I arrived at my home in San Marcos about 11:00 pm. After cleaning my fish and showering, I was very tired. I went out to my carport for a smoke and a look at the night sky. I looked north, thinking about a recent UFO sighting and wondering what it's all about. In the distance, at a couple hundred feet, I saw a faintly visible moving object that flitted from side to side. Whatever it was, it reflected light from the streetlights. It's side to side movement was so quick, I couldn't tell if it was one object or two. The object then zipped directly over my neighbors house across the street. By this time, I was certain I'd never seen anything like it. It continued to move side to side, in a space of approximately 50 feet. It then stopped and I observed it more clearly.
It may have had big "eyes" and wing-like appendages, and was probably 2 to 3 feet in width. It remained still and I could see wavering reflections from it's "wings" which were not beating like a birds, but showed shimmering reflections from the streetlights. I felt the hair on my head rise all the way down my back to my ankles! It appeared to be looking at me, as I smoked my cigarette. I felt threatened, and said out loud, "I see you!" Then it went from stationary to out of sight, right over my head in an instant. I came out from under my covered carport, and turned to follow it's movement. Immediately, it zipped into view directly above my head, obviously studying me! I could see really weird large and intensely dark "eyes". It seemed surprised by my looking right at it. It didn't like being seen. My apprehension rose even higher. It turned away and disappeared like a shot.
It had a birdlike shape, but was thicker. My impression was of reflections of the streetlights on wing-like appendages, and big dark eyes!
It wasn't a bird, bat or any familiar nocturnal creature. It's movements did not seem explicable in comparison to any creature that fly's by beating it's wings. The hills and mountains are so rugged and inaccessible near my home, that anything could remain hidden and make night time forays at will. I read about "thunderbirds" but I'm not sure if this was one of these.
Source: Witness SM
Monsters and Mysteries: Bigfoot, Nessie, and Other Unknown Cryptids Around The World
Cryptozoology A To Z: The Encyclopedia of Loch Monsters, Sasquatch, Chupacabras, and Other Authentic Mysteries of Nature
Phantoms & Monsters: Cryptid Encounters
Abominable Science!: Origins of the Yeti, Nessie, and Other Famous Cryptids
