- ADVERTISEMENT -
Monsters of every shape and form skulk in the corners of folklore throughout history. From dragons to Bigfoot, people’s reports of strange creatures have fuelled many legends – but have never been confirmed. Yet, with the invention of cameras, and their integration into portable devices like mobile phones, there are increasing instances of people claiming to have captured footage of such monsters.
5 – Pterodactyl spotted over Idaho, USA
Dragon, thunderbird and pterodactyl sightings have been a constant occurrence for hundreds of years.
Sightings of a pterodactyl-like animal by local people across various regions in Africa were documented by author Frank Melland in the 1920s. 1 In Alaska, in 2002, pilot John Bouker reported seeing an extremely large, pterodactyl-like creature whilst flying his Cessna plane. 2
The frequency of such sightings in the present day has been noted by cryptozoologist Jonathan Whitcomb. From his own records, he has estimated that he has spoken to about a hundred credible witnesses of a pterodactyl-like creature from 1980 to 2009. 3
As well as many eye-witness testimonies, there have been reports of pterodactyls being caught on camera.
One piece of amateur footage comes from Idaho, and was published on the internet in September 2015. Since then, the video has been viewed over two million times. Whilst its authenticity cannot be verified, it alleges to depict a pterodactyl-like creature flying above the treeline in the town of Boise.
- ADVERTISEMENT -
One can argue that the wing movement of the supposed prehistoric creature looks too unnatural to be real, suggesting that the footage is a hoax. Amongst those who have seen the footage, opinion seems to be divided.
“Species once thought to be millions of years extinct are discovered all the time, such as and Coelacanth and the Yeti Crab. What we learned from those is that so-called “scientists” we’re [sic.] wrong all along about the timeline of their existence and about the timeline.” – Beyond The Fundamentals 4
Regardless of its veracity, one cannot deny the prevalence of reports of large winged creatures across the world, from Africa to the USA to Asia. Does this prehistoric beast still roam the skies today?
READ MORE ABOUT PTERODACTYL SIGHTINGS
4 – Werewolf caught on camera in Brazil
Since classical antiquity tales of werewolves and wolfmen have abounded.
The father of history, Herodotus, wrote of the Neuri, a tribe of people who resided in central Eurasia, who supposedly turned into wolves once a year for a few days.
“It appears that these people practise magic; for there is a story current among the Scythians and the Greeks in Scythia that once a year every Neurian turns into a wolf for a few days, and then turns back into a man again.” 5.
Other writers and philosophers of antiquity, including Pliny the elder and Virgil, also described cases of people turning into wolves. Usually, men transformed into werewolves in the same way that, in North America, men are said to become Wendigo – after having committed an act of cannibalism. 6
In more modern times, there are still claims being made that werewolves are real.
In 2014, there surfaced on the internet a video purportedly showing security camera footage of a bizarre wolf-like creature in São Gonçalo de Campos, Brazil. 7
As the video is in black and white and of low quality, it is difficult to identify the creature.
Those reporting on the case stated that the beast plagued the town for several days. A local man, who was said to have encountered the lycanthrope, described it as “half man, half wolf”’. Another witness was a boy named Pingo. He described the creature as “a black monster, looking more than five feet tall, hairy, and writhing non-stop.” 8
- ADVERTISEMENT -
Whilst there are many testimonies which appear to describe the same thing, the authenticity of the video has been put into question by local news outlets. It was found that the footage predated the 2014 incident, and had first been published online in 2007. It seems to be the case that this older video was attached to the more recent events after the story broke. Regardless, the caption of the original video presents it as real, stating that it was recorded by security cameras “on the full moon of Lent” in 2007. 9
As for São Gonçalo de Campos, whilst the video may not be connected to their sightings, there was a genuine fear amongst its of the werewolf at the time. As sightings and encounters spread, local residents issued a self-imposed curfew, meaning that everyone was inside by 9 pm. To them, a monstrous “half man, half wolf” did indeed stalk their streets. 10
READ MORE ABOUT WEREWOLF SIGHTINGS
3 – The Wessex Way Monster
Monster animals sightings are surprisingly common in the UK. There is one, however, which stands above the rest in the rankings of the bizarre.
The following piece of footage appears to depict a strange animal, described only as a “monster”.
Filmed on the 14th November 2007 by a traffic surveillance camera on the Wessex Way stretch of the A338, in the South West of England, the “monster” crosses the central crash barrier, barely avoiding a collision with a car. Far from being caught in the car’s headlights, the creature disappears into the shadows.
At first glance, the creature looks like a deer. However, those with experience of the animals have disagreed with this conclusion. One commenter on the original upload, who describes themselves as a deerstalker from Norfolk, England has stated that the creature in the video cannot be a deer.
“I can definitely say it jumped elegantly like a deer would, however, look closely… Its hind legs are not inverted as in having hocks like deer, dogs or horses. The hind legs are clearly like humans ,i.e. knees. whatever it is, It has a shadow, is very large in status and behaved like an animal would crossing a road.” – Shane72634 11
Still images of the Wessex Way “monster”
Although the footage is low quality, its hind legs are discernibly different from that of a deer. Also, its shoulders and upper body appear too broad, suggesting that it is a creature other than a deer.
- ADVERTISEMENT -
Those who have watched the video have provided plenty of colourful theories as to the creature’s identity. Some have suggested that it is a skinwalker; others a Wendigo; and some have stated that it may even be a feral human being.
Asides from these suggestions, there is of course the conclusion that the footage is a fabrication, and that an image has been overlaid onto a real traffic surveillance footage.
READ MORE ABOUT THE WESSEX WAY MONSTER & CREATURE SIGHTINGS IN THE UK
2 – The changing face of El Chupacabra
The Chupacabra is a cryptid most commonly associated with Latin America, and indeed, the origin of its sightings can be traced back there. However, as the mania surrounding this fearsome creature spread in the latter half of the twentieth century, Chupacabra sightings were reported all across the globe. Nowadays, Chupacabra mania has pervaded every corner of the internet.
When reports of the Chupacabra first surfaced in Puerto Rico the 1970s, the creature was described as elusive and vampiric. In the 1990s, it was said to be monkey-like, with large oval red eyes, a spiny back and a serpentine tongue. Since then, as the beast has been sighted across the world, descriptions of its appearance have evolved.
The most common sightings of the Chupacabra paint it as being something akin to a mangy dog. The following video, filmed from a helicopter, alleges to show a dog-like Chupacabra running along Slaughter Beach, in Delaware.
Understandably, it is easy to dismiss such sightings as simply being diseased wild dogs, which prey on domesticated animals as they are easier to hunt than wild ones. With the Chupacabra phenomenon verging on mania in recent years, such videos are more likely wishful thinking than actual evidence.
Yet, this is but one of the many aspects of the Chupacabra legend. Some videos have surfaced which appear to depict something far stranger, and quite possibly humanoid.
Although its authenticity is highly questionable, many have described this as a Chupacabra.
Such reports of Chupacabra push the boundaries of what we are willing to accept as “supernatural”. Many images, supposedly taken by those who have encountered this strange beast, even suggest an extraterrestrial element.
Whilst some reports of Chupacabra are compelling, it seems that it is difficult to capture equally persuasive evidence on camera. Photos and videos are overwhelmingly blurry or unbelievable, or both. Regardless, with reports still flooding in after decades, the mystery of the Chupacabra persists.
READ MORE ABOUT CHUPACABRA SIGHTINGS
1 – Orang Pendek of Sumatra
Tales of mysterious humanoid creatures have been reported all over the world. From Bigfoot in America to Yeti in Siberia. In the remote jungles of Sumatra, people have been recorded witnessing a different type of unknown hominid – the orang pendek.
Described as being about three to five feet tall, orang pendek means “short man” in Malay. The elusive creature is said to be ape-like, bipedal and covered in hair. There have been many sightings of the secretive ape. Based on these reports, it is said to be typically very shy, and when sighted tends to run away, always on two legs. Sightings also suggest that the orang pendek is powerfully built, with broad shoulders and a powerful chest. 12
- ADVERTISEMENT -
The orang pendek’s proposed existence has attracted the attention of respected experts, including scientists like Dr. David Chiviers, a primate biologist at the University of Cambridge.
In 2017 a video was uploaded to the internet which claims to have captured the elusive ape. It was filmed by dirt bike riders in Sumatra as they travelled through the jungle.
The creature in the video does indeed appear to match many of the descriptions given by eyewitnesses – it is small and fast, walks on two legs, and flees when sighted. Could this be tangible evidence of the existence of a new species of ape, one which walks on two legs alongside humans?
READ MORE ABOUT ORANG PENDEK SIGHTINGS
READ MORE FROM CRYPTIDS & MONSTERS
You may also enjoy these stories:
- 5 Lake and Sea Monsters Supposedly Caught on Camera
- The Legendary Sasquatch: 5 of the Strangest Bigfoot Encounters in History
- Battlefield Horrors: 5 Terrifying Wartime Monster Sightings
