4 days until Halloween!
Sightings of strange beasts and paranormal activity are rampant all over the world. From yetis to chupacabras, even though modern science hasn’t acknowledged the existence of these creatures, many swear that the stories of these sightings are true. There have even been instances of cryptids turning out to be real!
Here are 13 creepy creatures from around the world! Do you have any weird creatures lurking around your neck of the woods?
I) Canvey Island Monster
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In 1953 a weird creature washed up on the shores of Canvey Island in Essex. The Canvey Island Monster was described as:
76 cm (2.4 ft) long with thick reddish brown skin, bulging eyes and gills. It was also described as having hind legs with five-toed horseshoe-shaped feet with concave arches – which appeared to be suited for bipedal locomotion – but no forelimbs. Its remains were cremated after a cursory inspection by zoologists who said that it posed no danger to the public. The 1954 specimen was described as being similar to the first but much larger, being 120 cm (3.9 ft) long and weighing approximately 11.3 kg (25 lb). It was sufficiently fresh for its eyes, nostrils and teeth to be studied though no official explanation was given at the time as to what it was or what happened to the carcass.[1][2]
II) Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp
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Spotted in South Carolina, the Lizard Man is said to be 7 feet tall with scaly skin covering his entire body. There have been several sightings, mostly in the late 80′s but a couple reported having their car mauled by the Lizard Man in 2011.
III) Dover Demon
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With glowing eyes and grey skin, the Dover Demon resides in Massachusetts. First spotted in 1977, the Dover Demon has become a classic cryptid with his own action figure in Japan.
IV) Mongolian Death Worm
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In the Gobi Desert, there have been reports of a bright red worm up to 5 feet long that spits acid and has electric skin. The story of the worm has been around for hundreds of years and many people have attempted to track the creature down.
V) Gef the Talking Mongoose
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In September 1931, the Irving family, consisting of James, Margaret and a 13 year-old daughter named Voirrey, claimed they heard persistent scratching, rustling, and vocal noises behind their farmhouse’s wooden wall panels that variously resembled a ferret, a dog or a baby. According to the Irvings, a creature named Gef introduced itself and told them it was a mongoose born in New Delhi, India, in 1852. According to Voirrey, Gef was the size of a small rat with yellowish fur and a large bushy tail.
The Irvings say that Gef communicated to them that he was “an extra extra clever mongoose”, an “Earthbound spirit” and “a ghost in the form of a mongoose” and once said, “I am a freak. I have hands and I have feet, and if you saw me you’d faint, you’d be petrified, mummified, turned into stone or a pillar of salt!”[2] The Irvings made various claims about Gef: he supposedly guarded their house and informed them of the approach of guests or any unfamiliar dog. They said that if someone had forgotten to put out the fire at night, Gef would go down and stop the stove. The Irvings claimed Gef would also wake people up when they overslept. And whenever mice got into the house, Gef supposedly assumed the role of the cat, although he preferred to scare them rather than kill them. The Irvings say they gave Gef biscuits, chocolates and bananas, and food was left for him in a saucer suspended from the ceiling which he took when he thought no one was watching. The Irvings claimed the mongoose regularly accompanied them on trips to the market, but always stayed on the other side of the hedges, even while and chatting incessantly.
VI) Storsjöodjuret
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Storsjöodjuret is a great lake monster in Sweden who achieved endangered species protection for awhile. The legend of the monster dates back to 1635. Here is the first written description of the monster:
“A long, long time ago two trolls, Jata and Kata, stood on the shores of the Great-Lake brewing a concoction in their cauldrons. They brewed and mixed and added to the liquid for days and weeks and years. They knew not what would result from their brew but they wondered about it a great deal. One evening there was heard a strange sound from one of their cauldrons. There was a wailing, a groaning and a crying, then suddenly came a loud bang. A strange animal with a black serpentine body and a cat-like head jumped out of the cauldron and disappeared into the lake. The monster enjoyed living in the lake, grew unbelievably larger and awakened terror among the people whenever it appeared. Finally, it extended all the way round the island of Frösön, and could even bite its own tail. Ketil Runske bound the mighty monster with a strong spell which was carved on a stone and raised on the island of Frösön. The serpent was pictured on the stone. Thus was the spell to be tied till the day someone came who could read and understand the inscription on the stone.”[5]
VII) Ogopogo
Another lake monster, this one residing in British Columbia, is a 50-foot long sea serpent.
VIII) Jersey Devil
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A well-known cryptid appearing in shows like the X-Files and every paranormal TV show, the Jersey Devil is a goat-like demonic creature constantly spotted in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey.
IX) Tsuchinoko
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A jumping, snake-like creature spotted all over Japan, Tsuchinoko is said to have a high-pitched, blood-curdling scream…it seems most of these cryptids do. Some people say he likes booze and telling lies but maybe that’s just the sake talking.
X) The Beast of Gévaudan
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A wolf-like monster terrorized a French province in the 1700′s, attacking and eating people. With up to 210 reported attacks and 113 deaths, the French government had to step in and spend a lot of money tracking the beast down to kill it. The film, Brotherhood of the Wolf is based on this legend.
XI) Skunk Ape
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The Skunk Ape, also known as the Swamp Ape, Stink Ape, Florida Bigfoot, Myakka Ape, and the Myakka Skunk Ape, is a hominid cryptid said to inhabit Florida,[1] as well as North Carolina and Arkansas, although reports from Florida are more common. It is named for its appearance and for the unpleasant odor that is said to accompany it. According to the United States National Park Service, the Skunk Ape exists only as a local myth.[2]Reports of the Skunk Ape were particularly common in the 1960s and 1970s. In the fall of 1974, numerous sightings were reported in suburban neighborhoods of Dade County, Florida, of a large, foul-smelling, hairy, ape-like creature, which ran upright on two legs.
XII) Akkorokamui
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Akkorokamui is a giant squid-like creature that can be up to 46 feet long with claws at the end of its 12 tentacles. It has been spotted in the ocean around Japan, Korea, and even Thailand. Like a Kraken, it attacks ships with its tentacles and eats people when it’s pissed.
XIII) Reptilians
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Put on your tinfoil hat and watch this:
So much WTF happening there. Hahaha.
Check out some more spooky monsters in my “Monsters of Urban Legend & Folklore” post!
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