Archive for the ‘unexplained’ category

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The Sharks of Jersey…

August 5, 2010

– – This is “Shark Week” on The Discovery Channel, and it appears that sharks are staging their own commemorations off the New Jersey coast…

…during the month of July alone, three shark sightings have occurred off the Jersey coast, one at Ocean Beach and two at South Seaside Park Beach.  This past Saturday at Seaside Heights, N.J. a young blue shark swam toward the shoreline before turning around and heading back for deeper water…atypical behavior for the species.

There have been no injuries so far, but shark sightings have led to beach closings in New Jersey and along the Atlantic coast this summer (theme from Jaws plays)…

Categories: animal occurrences, animals, anomalies, unexplained
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Comments: 4 Comments

Fact or Faked?

August 1, 2010

– – For  those of you hungry for a MonsterQuest fix, Syfy’s new show Fact or Faked:  Paranormal Files may offer you an alternative.  The show has been described as what Fox Mulder might have done after leaving the X-Files; in fact, the show features former FBI agent Ben Hansen.  Adding to the diversified investigative team is a scientist, a journalist, an effects specialist, a photography expert, and a stunt expert who explore video submissions and famous paranormal footage to determine which can be validated or debunked through experimentation.

Topics investigated are a mixed bag that include UFO’s, ghosts, cryptids, and unexplained phenomenon.  A lot of grainy videos are screened by the team in a “situation room” to weed out the obvious fakes and determine which cases are worthy of further investigation.  While it’s too early to tell if this series will be a hit, if you liked Ghost Hunters, Paranormal State, and Destination Truth, you’ll probably like this one.   Fact or Faked is a banquet, so take what you like, and leave the rest of it lying on the buffet table…we think it merits a look!

Categories: aliens, anomalies, creature features, cryptozoology, strange happenings, unexplained, unidentified, weird
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Boat Meets Whale…

July 27, 2010

– – A couple sailing off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa had an unexpected surprise when a 40-ton whale crash landed on their yacht, smashing their mast and bringing down the rigging as well.

The whale was about the size of the boat, which escaped sinking largely because its hull was made of steel rather than fiberglass. The whale thrashed around a bit on the 33-foot vessel before slipping back into the sea, leaving some skin and blubber behind.

–Why did the whale do this?–Some feel that the whale simply did not perceive the boat, which had its engine turned off. Officials are investigating reports, however, that the couple may have come too close to the whale and harassed it, causing it to breach…

The law requires sailors to stay 1,000 feet away from whales, and with good reason. Whales are very territorial, and will charge if they feel endangered…

Categories: animal occurrences, animals, strange happenings, unexplained
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Chupacabra, Once More…

July 15, 2010

– – Once again a supposed chupacabra has reared his ugly head, again in Texas.  In Hood County, an animal control officer shot and killed in an old barn an unsightly creature described as having deer-like ears, big teeth, and pinkish skin that was unlike anything he had seen before. A few days later and within ten miles, a rancher also shot and killed another of the bizarre creatures, leading some to speculate that there were a pack of them.

Hood County Animal Control has sent one of the deceased creatures to Texas A&M for DNA testing, but don’t bet the rent on it being a chupacabra.   Until test results are in, doctors have only said that it’s some kind of coyote hybrid…very possibly with mange, I might add…

Categories: animals, anomalies, cryptozoology, furry, unexplained, unidentified, weird
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Comments: 4 Comments

Fox Attack!

June 9, 2010

– – In a rare but tragic event, a fox crept into a house in east London this past weekend, and attacked nine-month-old twins in their nursery.  One of the sisters received injuries to her arm, while the other received facial wounds.  A fox caught near the family home was destroyed, although it is not known if it was the same animal that attacked the infants.

Parliament banned fox hunting with hounds in 2004, and the incident has caused some to seek a reversal of this ban; others have called for a cull of foxes.  Some even wish for Roald Dahl’s book Fantastic Mr. Fox to be banned in schools, saying that it gives children the wrong idea about foxes!   It should be pointed out that in England alone, some 225,000 people annually receive treatment for dog bites alone, while people aren’t calling for dogs to be culled.

So why did a lone fox turn to the dark side?- -First, he had opportunity, as a door to the house where the incident occurred was left open.  Some have speculated that the attack on the girls was carried out by a confused 3-to 4-month old cub, who may have been lured to the nursery by the smell of diapers, which urban foxes have learned to associate with food as they’re often found aside edibles in household trash;  urban foxes are scavengers.

While the incident was likely an unfortunate freak occurrence, this is not to say that we of the vulpine persuasion wouldn’t try to take over the world if given the opportunity…

Categories: animal occurrences, animals, furry, unexplained

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Giving the Devil His Due…

May 6, 2010

– – Stories of the Jersey Devil have been in oral circulation since 1735, making it possibly the oldest reported “monster” in America.  Two schools of thought exist about the creature, one holding that it is truly supernatural…the “son of the devil,” as suggested by the original Mother Leeds account.  A second explanation for the creature holds that it is some sort of mutated animal that has not yet been identified by science.  Supporting this latter contention is the fact that the Pine Barrens location reported as the Devil’s stomping grounds has been known to have produced genetic malformations in reptiles and mammals, including humans, possibly due to heavy metal or other mineral deposits. Some abnormalities afflicting animals in this location have included odd colorations, extra appendages, and even extra heads.

Native Americans in petroglyphs, some dating back thousands of years, depicted an entity that has reptilian features.  In spite of this and the extensive oral history, the Jersey Devil has been treated satirically, making many reluctant to step forward with their beliefs due to fear of ridicule.  More serious study and treatment of the Jersey Devil may be fostered by a recently opened exhibit at the Paranormal Museum in Asbury Park, N.J. that features a variety of artifacts, including reproductions of a supposed Jersey Devil skull, drawings, and other artifacts.

Despite the lack of hard evidence, the Pinelands area of New Jersey covers more than a million acres…a perfect environment for an unknown animal to hide in!

Categories: creature features, cryptozoology, furry, unexplained
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Gumby, Asian-Style?

May 2, 2010

– – The Shanghai Expo, the largest world’s fair ever, opened today with a mascot, Haibao, who appears to bear more than a passing resemblance to the iconic American character, Gumby. The two figures are shown side-by-side here for your consideration…

The Taiwanese creator of Haibao denies having seen Gumby before creating the mascot.- – Is this some kind of hybrid love-child between Gumby and the genie of Aladdin? Perhaps Pokey the horse could render a judgement…

Categories: cartoons, unexplained
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Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride…

March 31, 2010

– – Anecdotal accounts have existed for thousands of years of animals foreseeing natural disasters such as earthquakes; birds, dogs, snakes, cows, and other creatures have been attributed with such abilities, while documentation could not be reliably made.

A pair of behavioral biologists, Rachel Grant and Tim Halliday, have recently documented proof in the current issue of the Journal of Zoology that large numbers of toads fled a breeding area five days before a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck L’Aquila, Italy in April of 2009. With weather variables such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, and rainfall normal,  it is speculated that the toads may have picked up on environmental signals prior to the earthquake such as foreshocks or changes in naturally occurring magnetic fields that encouraged them to flee.

Scientists who are already studying amphibians in earthquake-prone areas such as Indonesia are being looked to in order to determine if the behavior occurs again...listen to the animals, humans, or ignore them at your peril!

Categories: animal occurrences, animal oddities, animals, science, unexplained
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“America’s Wolfman” on MonsterQuest

March 25, 2010

– – The America’s Wolfman episode of MonsterQuest promised much but delivered little.   It was, at any rate, not another feral dogs or killer bees episode. Described as being a husky 7-7-1/2 feet tall with a large head, dark hair, and pointed ears, the American Wolfman seen in the midwest walks on his hind legs, has a foul odor, and uses his forepaws like hands.

Also known as the Michigan Dogman (similar but not to be confused with the Wisconsin Dogman),  the creature was supposedly revealed on the Gable Film acquired in 2006 with the backstory of having been originally made in the 1970’s and acquired at an estate sale.   The Gable Film was later revealed to be a hoax staged by a family.  A sequel, Gable 2, followed in 2008 and detailed a police investigation of the first film.

In its usual dutiful manner, MonsterQuest in this episode sent its team to the Manistee Forest area in Michigan where sightings have occurred, and camera traps were set revealing footage of deer and other animals suitable as a food source for a wolf and coyote population. Footprints were also found which were judged to be a member of the dog family, specifically a wolf.   Some experts regard the creature to be a misidentified timber wolf, or just an unusually big wolf…right!

Eyewitness accounts related included a fall of 1979 hunting encounter when a hunter discerned a large creature who moved when he did.  In another incident in 1987 in Michigan, claw and puncture marks as well as blood and slobber were found on a cabin with canine footprints in the area.  Other accounts are numerous, and date back to Native American folklore.

Does the Michigan Dogman exist?- -As the episode concluded, “Who’s to say?  It doesn’t want to be seen.” We’ve heard this all repeatedly before…

…but I still like the big guy!

Categories: animal oddities, animals, anomalies, anthropomorphic, cryptozoology, furry, mysteries, rare animal, strange happenings, television, unexplained, unidentified
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The Sierra Nevada Sasquatch

March 18, 2010

– – In what may be the last episode of MonsterQuest ever, we were promised “aggressively territorial packs of Sasquatch,” and received, blobsquatch, a short,  low resolution May of 1991 video taken at Mono Lake that shows something east of the Sierra Nevada mountains.  Some contend that the creature depicted was a black bear, while others feel it was a genuine Bigfoot clone.  Enhancements of the footage revealed little in light of its poor quality, while whatever was depicted was calculated to be between six and eight feet high…

Perhaps more promising were the Jamie Avalos footprint casts suggesting smaller than average Sasquatch that may represent evidence of juvenile creatures; we all know how cute Sasquatch are at that age!  An adult Sasquatch print tends to run about 16″ long and show a flat foot.  MonsterQuest’s scientific team determined that the Sierra Nevada area (near the California-Nevada border) could support a group of large primates.

Lastly, there were the eyewitness reports, including a hunter who saw multiple creatures in 2005, and a motorist who had an encounter in 2006.  Such eyewitnesses appear credible, even if a bit shell-shocked.

If this is the last episode of MonsterQuest ever*, they have gone out with a whimper rather than a bang, and even Dr. Meldrum may not be enough to save the series.  At least we still have Destination Truth and possibly similar shows to come…

…and as for the Sasquatch, as one expert concluded on MonsterQuest, “They don’t want to  interact with human beings; if they do, they’ll let you know.”

(* I’ve since learned that another new episode of MonsterQuest is coming…America’s Wolfman, March 24th!)

Categories: animal occurrences, animal oddities, animals, anomalies, cryptozoology, mysteries, television, unexplained, unidentified
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