–There’s a special place in my heart for the Jersey Devil, having resided in New Jersey for years in the past. I never liked portrayals of the Jersey Devil that were on the comical side, however, for he’s an awesome cryptid.
A recent episode of MonsterQuest gave the Devil his due, portraying him with proper respect. This blog has featured both the Jersey Devil and the Montauk Monster in the past, and I don’t want to repeat what I’ve already covered. Suffice it to say that the Jersey Devil has a rich and far-reaching history extending back around 250 years to the 13th child of a legendary Mother Leeds, who when pregnant with that child cursed him, saying “Let him be a devil!”–Well, be careful what ‘ya wish for, ’cause ‘ya may get it, right? Not only was the 13th child a devil, but in some variants of the story, he consumed his mother and siblings before ascending up the chimney.– He’ll never get any presents on Xmas or his birthday, but ‘ya gotta love the guy!
Now descriptions of the Jersey Devil vary, but in many accounts he’s described as a winged, horse-like creature with a long neck, red eyes, and a serpentine tail. There have been many sighting of the creature over time, especially in the large, Pine Barrens region of southern New Jersey; in the early 20th century, significant numbers of people reported sightings, causing hysteria. More recent cases include one in 1997 where a mother and child were outdoors and saw the creature in a tree, barely making it indoors before the beast landed on their roof and left footprints that couldn’t be identified as those of any known species.
The Jersey Devil should not be confused with the Montauk Monster, which is now thought to have been a decomposing canine (most likely a Boxer) that washed up on a beach. The Montauk Monster briefly caused a stir when photos of something weird and disgusting surfaced amidst rumors that it had been produced by the nearby Plum Island facility, reputed to be creating biological weapons for deployment against the Russians during the Cold War era (much like myself).
MonsterQuest presented alternative explanations for the Jersey Devil, including that it is actually a misidentified Great Horned Owl, or perhaps an African Hammerhead Bat. For that matter, the Jersey Devils are also a professional hockey team in that state, and far too many people in Jersey drive like bats out of hell…but I digress.
While MonsterQuest investigations in the Pine Barrens yielded nothing, eyewitness descriptions allowed creation of an awesome sculpture of the Devil which the 1997 observers said was much like what they saw; those same eyewitnesses also passed polygraph tests, indicating that they were telling the truth about what they thought they saw…and as it was said, it’s “Possible something is out there that could remain hidden for a significant time.”
…or at least, one can hope!
–MonsterQuest 
–Known as The Swamp Stalker of Boggy Creek or The Boggy Creek Monster, this cryptid is reportedly a large, black-haired, barrel-chested creature who walks upright and stands about 7′ high. He was the subject of a 1972 movie titled, 
—Travis the Chimpanzee was 15 years old and weighed 200 lbs.; an animal celebrity, he had appeared in commercials for Coca-Cola and 
–Some things shouldn’t happen to a dog…but they do!
–Cattle mutilations repel and fascinate at the same time; examination of the photographic record is not recommended for the overly-sensitive or those with weak stomachs. Thousands of cattle mutilation cases have occurred in North America under abnormal circumstances; cows 
–A baby reticulated giraffe born at the Buffalo Zoo has been named Malia after President Obama’s oldest daughter. Amazingly, some people have found this offensive whereas the zoo has maintained that it was intended as an honor. Giraffes have been named after other famous people, including Clint Eastwood
–The Kraken of legend is probably what we know today as the giant squid. A really big octopus might also fit the bill, but squids tend to be more aggressive and are more likely to come to the surface where they might be seen by man. In days of yore when ocean-crossing vessels were small and primitive by today’s standards (Columbus’ Pinta was only 60 feet in length), a giant squid could conceivably attack a boat and capsize it. In the 1930’s alone, giant squid reportedly attacked three ships, possibly mistaking them for whales. The squids tended to get the worse of these encounters, with boat propellers making the big cephalopods into calamari. 
–Chad Carpenter’s comic strip Tundra has been around since late 1991, but has just recently found publication in newspapers in my area. The comic usually deals with wildlife, nature, and outdoor life, and was named best newpaper panel of 2007 by the National Cartoonists Society, also receiving the Reuben Award in 2008. 
FOXSYLVANIA 
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