Living Dinosaurs Seen in Modern Times?

Are Living Dinosaurs Seen in Modern Times?

"Reports of strange flying reptiles, some quite large, have continued well into modern times. As we shall see, reports of pteranodons, dragons, thunderbirds, and other similar monsters, are relatively common. ... Giant bats, huge super-eagles called "pteratorns" and weird "mothmen" have all been put forward as explanations of these various reports. Now I come forward to state, unequivocably, that I believe these legends and sightings can be attributed to still-living flying dinosaurs-to pterodactyls or, more precisely, pteranodons. " -educate

It would be nice to find a reasonable explanation for the Mothman event after all these years, but the descriptions of the Mothman were pretty clear. Would some version of a pteranodon have red eyes in its shoulders, muscular legs like a man, and no visible head??

Living Dinosaurs Seen in Modern Times?

Are Living Dinosaurs Seen in Modern Times?

"Reports of strange flying reptiles, some quite large, have continued well into modern times. As we shall see, reports of pteranodons, dragons, thunderbirds, and other similar monsters, are relatively common. ... Giant bats, huge super-eagles called "pteratorns" and weird "mothmen" have all been put forward as explanations of these various reports. Now I come forward to state, unequivocably, that I believe these legends and sightings can be attributed to still-living flying dinosaurs-to pterodactyls or, more precisely, pteranodons. " -educate

It would be nice to find a reasonable explanation for the Mothman event after all these years, but the descriptions of the Mothman were pretty clear. Would some version of a pteranodon have red eyes in its shoulders, muscular legs like a man, and no visible head??

Of Ligers and Tigons.

"The 10ft Liger who's still growing... He looks like something from a prehistoric age or a fantastic
creation from Hollywood. But Hercules is very much living flesh and blood - as he proves every time he opens his gigantic mouth to roar. Part lion, part tiger, he is not just a big cat but a huge one,standing 10ft tall on his back legs. Called a liger, in reference to his crossbreed parentage, he is the largest of all the cat species. On a typical day he will devour 20lb of meat, usually beef or chicken, and is capable of eating 100lb at a single setting. At just three years old, Hercules already weighs half a ton."

He is the accidental result of two enormous big cats living close together at the Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species, in Miami, Florida, and already dwarfs both his parents. "Ligers are not something we planned on having," said institute owner Dr Bhagavan Antle. "We have lions and tigers living together in large enclosures and at first we had no idea how well one of the lion boys was getting along with a tiger girl, then lo and behold we had a liger."

50mph runner... Not only that, but he likes to swim, a feat unheard of among water-fearing lions. In the wild it is virtually impossible for lions and tigers to mate. Not only are they enemies likely to kill one another, but most lions are in Africa and most tigers in Asia. But incredible though he is, Hercules is not unique. Ligers have been bred in captivity, deliberately and accidentally, since shortly before World War II.

Today there are believed to be a handful of ligers around the world and a similar number of tigons, the product of a tiger father and lion mother. Tigons are smaller than ligers and take on more physical
characteristics of the tiger.

Cute pictures, but don't try this at home. Wild animals can and do turn on their trainers even after years of being friendly. (See Roy Horn. )

Of Ligers and Tigons.

"The 10ft Liger who's still growing... He looks like something from a prehistoric age or a fantastic
creation from Hollywood. But Hercules is very much living flesh and blood - as he proves every time he opens his gigantic mouth to roar. Part lion, part tiger, he is not just a big cat but a huge one,standing 10ft tall on his back legs. Called a liger, in reference to his crossbreed parentage, he is the largest of all the cat species. On a typical day he will devour 20lb of meat, usually beef or chicken, and is capable of eating 100lb at a single setting. At just three years old, Hercules already weighs half a ton."

He is the accidental result of two enormous big cats living close together at the Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species, in Miami, Florida, and already dwarfs both his parents. "Ligers are not something we planned on having," said institute owner Dr Bhagavan Antle. "We have lions and tigers living together in large enclosures and at first we had no idea how well one of the lion boys was getting along with a tiger girl, then lo and behold we had a liger."

50mph runner... Not only that, but he likes to swim, a feat unheard of among water-fearing lions. In the wild it is virtually impossible for lions and tigers to mate. Not only are they enemies likely to kill one another, but most lions are in Africa and most tigers in Asia. But incredible though he is, Hercules is not unique. Ligers have been bred in captivity, deliberately and accidentally, since shortly before World War II.

Today there are believed to be a handful of ligers around the world and a similar number of tigons, the product of a tiger father and lion mother. Tigons are smaller than ligers and take on more physical
characteristics of the tiger.

Cute pictures, but don't try this at home. Wild animals can and do turn on their trainers even after years of being friendly. (See Roy Horn. )

The Popo Bawa, a Lustful Bat-Like Ogre.

(reuters). The Popo Bawa, a Lustful Bat-Like Ogre.

The Popo Bawa is "a bat-like ogre said to prey on men, women and children. ... for superstitious Zanzibaris a visit from the sodomising gremlin is no joke. Although no one ever has seen it, belief in the monster and his unnatural lust is so strong that entire villages will sleep out of doors for protection: Popo Bawa (Swahili for Bat's Wing) prefers to attack behind closed doors at night. In huts set amid rustling groves of jackfruit and mangoes on Zanzibar's Pemba island, victims told Reuters in interviews that they detected a bad smell, became cold and went into a trance in the moments before they felt the creature's inhuman strength. Some attacks were heralded by the sound of giant wings and claws rattling and scraping on huts' tin roofs. Others cringed in terror at what sounded like a car engine ticking over."

The bat-like part makes me think of the Mothman. Could the two be related? What foul beasts dwell unseen in Zanzibar?

The Popo Bawa, a Lustful Bat-Like Ogre.

(reuters). The Popo Bawa, a Lustful Bat-Like Ogre.

The Popo Bawa is "a bat-like ogre said to prey on men, women and children. ... for superstitious Zanzibaris a visit from the sodomising gremlin is no joke. Although no one ever has seen it, belief in the monster and his unnatural lust is so strong that entire villages will sleep out of doors for protection: Popo Bawa (Swahili for Bat's Wing) prefers to attack behind closed doors at night. In huts set amid rustling groves of jackfruit and mangoes on Zanzibar's Pemba island, victims told Reuters in interviews that they detected a bad smell, became cold and went into a trance in the moments before they felt the creature's inhuman strength. Some attacks were heralded by the sound of giant wings and claws rattling and scraping on huts' tin roofs. Others cringed in terror at what sounded like a car engine ticking over."

The bat-like part makes me think of the Mothman. Could the two be related? What foul beasts dwell unseen in Zanzibar?

Reader Comments: Chupacabra

Yo, I am a veterinarian in northern minnesota and I have two of these type of creatures in my practice. They are dogs suffering from genetic skin mutations. Many dogs which have "blue" coats, like some Samoyeds, some Dobermans, and others can throw dangerous genetic skin mutations which will make the animal hairless. In addition the condition is frequently accompanied by nasty scaly lesions, atypical toenail growth and appearance and even strange tooth growth. Many Chinese Hairless dogs have wierd spikey teeth. Some wierd gene brought along with the hairless thing. Having more than one in an area probably means they are related a generation or two back. Since the animal with this kind of near lethal genetic mutation probably has a whole host of genetic problems, immune dificiency among them it would also be possible for an immune compromised animal to be more likely to have mange. You have probably received similar reports from other vets. Nice site. You got to love the Aye-Aye

See our Chupacabra article, and Crytpozoolgy news (to wee the Aye Aye).

Reader Comments: Chupacabra

Yo, I am a veterinarian in northern minnesota and I have two of these type of creatures in my practice. They are dogs suffering from genetic skin mutations. Many dogs which have "blue" coats, like some Samoyeds, some Dobermans, and others can throw dangerous genetic skin mutations which will make the animal hairless. In addition the condition is frequently accompanied by nasty scaly lesions, atypical toenail growth and appearance and even strange tooth growth. Many Chinese Hairless dogs have wierd spikey teeth. Some wierd gene brought along with the hairless thing. Having more than one in an area probably means they are related a generation or two back. Since the animal with this kind of near lethal genetic mutation probably has a whole host of genetic problems, immune dificiency among them it would also be possible for an immune compromised animal to be more likely to have mange. You have probably received similar reports from other vets. Nice site. You got to love the Aye-Aye

See our Chupacabra article, and Crytpozoolgy news (to wee the Aye Aye).

Latest Bigfoot video.

(canoe) Wednesday on A CURRENT AFFAIR. The latest Bigfoot video.

Foremost Bigfoot expert Matthew Moneymaker of the Bigfoot Field Research Group Matthew Moneymaker testified to the videotapes' apparent authenticity.

?It leans toward being not a human, and when it's not a human and it does not fit the description of things people see in other places, then it's more likely a Sasquatch."

Perhaps all photos and video of Bigfoot are blurry because Bigfoot actually is blurry. See our Bigfoot article for much more.

Latest Bigfoot video.

(canoe) Wednesday on A CURRENT AFFAIR. The latest Bigfoot video.

Foremost Bigfoot expert Matthew Moneymaker of the Bigfoot Field Research Group Matthew Moneymaker testified to the videotapes' apparent authenticity.

?It leans toward being not a human, and when it's not a human and it does not fit the description of things people see in other places, then it's more likely a Sasquatch."

Perhaps all photos and video of Bigfoot are blurry because Bigfoot actually is blurry. See our Bigfoot article for much more.

What exactly was the ‘Dover Demon?’

The bizarre tale begins at 10:30 p.m. on April 21 as three 17-year-olds, Bill Bartlett, Mike Mazzocca and Andy Brodie, are driving north on Farm Street. Bartlett, who's behind the wheel of a Volkswagen, spots something creeping along a low wall of loose stones on the left side of the road. At first he thinks the image is a dog or a cat until his headlights shine on it and he realizes it's nothing he's ever seen before.

The figure slowly turns its head and stares into the light, its two large, round, glassy, lidless eyes shining brightly "like two orange marbles." Its watermelon-shaped head, resting at the top of a thin neck, is the size of the rest of its body. Except for its oversized head, the creature is thin, with long spindly arms and legs, and large hands and feet. The skin is hairless and peach-colored and appears to have a rough ure. "Like wet sandpaper," Bartlett subsequently tells Coleman. Standing no more than 3 1/2 to 4 feet tall, the figure is shaped like "a baby's body with long arms and legs." It had been making its way along the wall, its long fingers curling around the rocks, when the car lights surprised it. Read more.

What exactly was the ‘Dover Demon?’

The bizarre tale begins at 10:30 p.m. on April 21 as three 17-year-olds, Bill Bartlett, Mike Mazzocca and Andy Brodie, are driving north on Farm Street. Bartlett, who's behind the wheel of a Volkswagen, spots something creeping along a low wall of loose stones on the left side of the road. At first he thinks the image is a dog or a cat until his headlights shine on it and he realizes it's nothing he's ever seen before.

The figure slowly turns its head and stares into the light, its two large, round, glassy, lidless eyes shining brightly "like two orange marbles." Its watermelon-shaped head, resting at the top of a thin neck, is the size of the rest of its body. Except for its oversized head, the creature is thin, with long spindly arms and legs, and large hands and feet. The skin is hairless and peach-colored and appears to have a rough ure. "Like wet sandpaper," Bartlett subsequently tells Coleman. Standing no more than 3 1/2 to 4 feet tall, the figure is shaped like "a baby's body with long arms and legs." It had been making its way along the wall, its long fingers curling around the rocks, when the car lights surprised it. Read more.

Mongolian Death Worm?

Scientists search for Mongolian Death Worm Attempt to confirm existence of legendary beast.

Mongolian nomads have made extraordinary claims about the animal, reporting that the death worm can spit a corrosive yellow saliva that acts like acid and that they have the ability to generate blasts of electricity powerful enough to kill a full grown camel.

The Mongolian Death Worm is generally considered a cryptozoological creature, an animal whose existence is disputed and/or unconfirmed. To date there are no scientifically reliable sightings but the expedition's leader, cryptozologist Richard Freeman, hopes to prove once and for all whether this much feared beast of legend actually exists.

Freeman has his own theory on the death worm: I don't think that it's a worm at all. True worms need moisture. I think it is a limbless, burrowing reptile, probably a giant member of a group of reptiles known as amphisbaenas or worm lizards. These are a primitive group of poorly studied animals. They are not snakes or lizards but are related to both. I think the Death Worm is a giant member of this group. - mongabay

Mongolian Death Worm?

Scientists search for Mongolian Death Worm Attempt to confirm existence of legendary beast.

Mongolian nomads have made extraordinary claims about the animal, reporting that the death worm can spit a corrosive yellow saliva that acts like acid and that they have the ability to generate blasts of electricity powerful enough to kill a full grown camel.

The Mongolian Death Worm is generally considered a cryptozoological creature, an animal whose existence is disputed and/or unconfirmed. To date there are no scientifically reliable sightings but the expedition's leader, cryptozologist Richard Freeman, hopes to prove once and for all whether this much feared beast of legend actually exists.

Freeman has his own theory on the death worm: I don't think that it's a worm at all. True worms need moisture. I think it is a limbless, burrowing reptile, probably a giant member of a group of reptiles known as amphisbaenas or worm lizards. These are a primitive group of poorly studied animals. They are not snakes or lizards but are related to both. I think the Death Worm is a giant member of this group. - mongabay

The Aye-Aye.

(guardian). The Aye-Aye. Here is a story about a real gremlin, found linked from americanmonsters.com. Thanks to Anthony for the link! Google search the aye-aye.

The aye-aye is a creature thought so ugly that in its native jungle superstitious villagers beat it to death - but it has become the pride and joy of Bristol Zoo.

At first keepers wanted to call this baby Gollum, after its striking resemblance to the anti-hero of The Lord of Rings, but instead decided on Kintana, which means star in Madagascar, where the aye-aye originates.

These extraordinary nocturnal creatures are so rarely seen that they were once thought to have become extinct. Numbers are uncertain and they are listed in the international "red book" of endangered species.

Bristol is only one of two zoos in the world which have bred aye-ayes successfully and hopes the lessons learned will help to ensure the species' survival.

"They do look like gremlins, and at first sight it is hard to believe they are real," said Caroline Brown, senior keeper of small mammals at the zoo's Twilight World. "Initially we were wary of getting too attached to Kintana but when he comes ... across the cage in welcome and sits in your hand it is very hard not to."

New Bigfoot Video Alleged.

New Bigfoot Video Alleged. (Video remains private for now...)

"Residents have been flocking to Georgina Henry's house to watch two minutes and 49 seconds of video shot by her son, Bobby Clarke, on the banks of the Nelson River shortly after dawn Saturday morning. "It's pictures of Bigfoot," she said. "It's black and it's big. Oh god, it's huge - seven or eight feet high," Henry said. "We can see him walking, and then turning to look at him (Clarke). Clarke said he was on duty at his job as a car ferry operator when he saw a "big, black figure" on the opposite bank, about 250 to 300 metres away. He grabbed his camcorder, which he said he always has with him. "It was just massive, standing tall. I'm freaked out," Clarke said Monday in an interview from the ferry at an uninhabited bush area 40 kilometres from Norway House. ... He said the creature walked upright on two legs back into the bush, barely 200 metres away from the ferry dock." -azcentral

For more, including video, sounds, photos and links to thousands of eye-witness sightings, see our Bigfoot Article.

Reader Feedback: Deep sea hoax photos?

About your news: "Phuket deep sea creatures found on the seaside after the tsunami." As a former student in marine biology, i've found it weird, most of these species belonging to bathypelagic depth... Hmm... It's a hoax, please check it at: http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=546 However, the PHOTOS ARE REAL and come from: http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/about/fieldwork/norfanz/index.htm

Please, have a look at Mr Blobby! ;) Nice "eclectic" site, your report on the "chupacabra" is interesting, especially with the poor dog: did you show these pics to a veterinarian? Keep it skeptic, have a nice day, Blob

Thanks! Good to know, I'll update my Cryptozoology news archives asap. For the curious, "The bathypelagic zone refers to water of a depth deeper than 1000m ( 3,280 feet or 0.62 miles). 74% of the volume of the worlds oceans are bathypelagic ." -mrothery

About the dog in my chupacabra article, I had a bird scientist look at the photos, but not a vet. Good idea! Will do if the opportunity comes up.

Reader Feedback: Deep sea hoax photos?

About your news: "Phuket deep sea creatures found on the seaside after the tsunami." As a former student in marine biology, i've found it weird, most of these species belonging to bathypelagic depth... Hmm... It's a hoax, please check it at: http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=546 However, the PHOTOS ARE REAL and come from: http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/about/fieldwork/norfanz/index.htm

Please, have a look at Mr Blobby! ;) Nice "eclectic" site, your report on the "chupacabra" is interesting, especially with the poor dog: did you show these pics to a veterinarian? Keep it skeptic, have a nice day, Blob

Thanks! Good to know, I'll update my Cryptozoology news archives asap. For the curious, "The bathypelagic zone refers to water of a depth deeper than 1000m ( 3,280 feet or 0.62 miles). 74% of the volume of the worlds oceans are bathypelagic ." -mrothery

About the dog in my chupacabra article, I had a bird scientist look at the photos, but not a vet. Good idea! Will do if the opportunity comes up.

Rancher Dissatisfied with Chupacabra DNA Results.

(woai) Rancher Dissatisfied with Chupacabra DNA Results."Remember the Elmendorf Beast? That mystery animal a rancher shot dead on his property in South Bexar County? The man who found it is hoping to get new DNA results. Devin MacAnally says he has received the results of a DNA test, but he won't reveal them. He says he's not happy with the results. Representatives from Texas Parks and Wildlife speculate that it's a coyote with mange. The hairless beast with sharp teeth sparked speculation that the animal was a Chupacabra of South Texas folklore. MacAnally says he plans to look for someone else to do a new DNA test. He hopes to make those arrangements in the next couple of weeks. We'll let you know what he finds out."

See our Chupacabra article for more photos and the story of a sighting in California.

Rancher Dissatisfied with Chupacabra DNA Results.

(woai) Rancher Dissatisfied with Chupacabra DNA Results."Remember the Elmendorf Beast? That mystery animal a rancher shot dead on his property in South Bexar County? The man who found it is hoping to get new DNA results. Devin MacAnally says he has received the results of a DNA test, but he won't reveal them. He says he's not happy with the results. Representatives from Texas Parks and Wildlife speculate that it's a coyote with mange. The hairless beast with sharp teeth sparked speculation that the animal was a Chupacabra of South Texas folklore. MacAnally says he plans to look for someone else to do a new DNA test. He hopes to make those arrangements in the next couple of weeks. We'll let you know what he finds out."

See our Chupacabra article for more photos and the story of a sighting in California.