Archive for the ‘unexplained’ category

« FOXSYLVANIA home page
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

All God’s Kitties Got Wings?

June 3, 2009

cats-wings-2– – Not wishing to alarm you, valued readers, but you may wish to know that a cat has been born in Chongqing, China with wing-like growths on their back…moreover, other cats with this feature were noted in Sichuan province in China in August of 2008 (pictured).

“…and why not?,” you may ask.  “Don’t the Chinese manufacture everything else these days?”

The point is well-taken.  It is to be stressed that these are only wing-like growths, not true wings, even though there is bone in them.  The growths are non-functional at present, and do not seem to be causing the kitties any discomfort or emotional distress.  The speculation is that the growths resulted from exposure to chemicals in utero, or may be a genetic defect.- -The wings may even be the remnants of a cojoined twin!

All of this poses some interesting questions:

…if cats can fly, will pigs be far behind?

…are you in danger from aerial hairballs?

…wouldn’t “Skycat” be a great new Japanese anime character?

…would wings give “Sylvester” an unfair advantage over “Tweety?”

…would wings improve “Scratchy’s” odds against “Itchy?”

…wouldn’t “Catwoman” be even more awesome if she could fly?

(Directions:  Break into small groups to discuss the above.  Alternative activity:  sketch “Skycat”)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

– -Clearly, what is now needed is a cat with a set of wings that work… and I ask you, why isn’t MonsterQuest on top of this story?!    😉


Categories: animal oddities, animals, anomalies, cool things, furry, unexplained
Tags:

Comments: 2 Comments

“The Mysterious Water Ape”

April 30, 2009

ape-island–Vancouver Island off the Canadian coast was visited by MonsterQuest during a recent episode in search of a large, ape-like cryptid 6′ – 9′ tall and weighing about 800 lbs., reported to be agile despite his size.  The island can only be reached by water, but grizzlies can do this and primates likewise can learn to use water.  This cryptid appears near water-rich areas, and appears to enjoy shellfish.

Despite the lack of a fossil trail, numerous eyewitness accounts (at least 80) dating back to 1900 exist of the “water ape,” and castings of footprints remain the most convincing evidence.  “Call-blasting” of reported Sasquatch cries by MonsterQuest failed to yield the rascal, and imaging equipment yielded only a heat imprint.

With casts of “unknown origin,” there appears to be strong physical evidence of something on Vancouver Island.  You don’t want to kill the creature, however, with native legends suggesting that death with find you within seven years if you harm this cryptid…

Categories: animals, cryptozoology, furry, unexplained, unidentified

Comments: 7 Comments

“Wood” You Believe?

April 21, 2009

tree-in-lung–It’s an old wives’ tale not to eat a peach pit or certain seeds, lest they grow into a tree inside you.  –Well, a five-centimeter fir tree was reportedly found in the lung of a Russian man who complained that he had a strong pain in his chest and was coughing up blood.  This is seldom good…

Doctors X-rayed the chest of the 28-year-old male patient, and found a tumor in one of his lungs.  Suspecting cancer, they decided to perform a biopsy, but when they cut the tissue reportedly found a small fir tree growing, which was removed.  The needles were poking capillaries, causing the bleeding.  It was felt that the patient had inhaled a small bud which started to grow inside the lung, a portion of which has been preserved with the little fir tree for further study.

Western experts doubt the entire story, feeling that an object that large couldn’t have been inhaled without being coughed out or lodging in the patient’s airway.  Or perhaps, the patient was taking too seriously the admonition to “…carry a little bit of Xmas around with him all year ’round…”   😉

Categories: medical, medical incredibles, unexplained
Tags:

Comments: 4 Comments

Snakes On A Plane!

April 17, 2009

pythons–Life imitated art (well, bad movies, anyhow) in Melbourne, Australia when four six-inch baby pythons escaped from a container aboard a passenger plane, leading to a search that forced the cancellation of two flights.

There were twelve snakes in the original package, and a reptile expert searched for the missing four, but did not find them! It was unknown of the snakes were still on the plane, or escaped after the plane landed.  The airline (Qantas) fumigated the plane, and returned it to service.  Maybe this is why the koala in Qantas ads once said, “I hate Qantas!”

One can imagine that some folks in Melbourne checked out their toilets and looked under the beds thereafter…for many share the sentiments of Indiana Jones when he said, “I…hate…snakes!”

Categories: animals, strange happenings, unexplained
Tags:

Comments: 1 Comment

Bobcat Blitz!

March 28, 2009

bar-cat–A bobcat walked into a bar…

It sounds like the setup line for a joke, but it was no joke for the patrons of the Chaparral Bar in Cottonwood, Arizona when a real bobcat entered, and injured three people!

It was a barroom blitz as patrons climbed on top of bar stools  and tables as the bobcat made his entrance.  Cell phone cameras recorded the encounter.  The bobcat chased two people around a pool table, and at one point,  began climbing up a guy’s leg, who, growing concerned, punched the bobcat in the face!   The feline exited, and (unhappy ending) was shot dead by police in the bar’s parking lot when he advanced on one of the officers (“I’ll take you all on!–I’ll take you on with one paw tied behind my back!”).

Guess they didn’t serve cats there…tests will be performed to see if the bobcat was rabid.  An Arizona Fish and Game representative likened a rabid bobcat to the cartoon Tasmanian devil…

Categories: animals, furry, unexplained
Tags:

Comments: 3 Comments

Devils in New Jersey

February 26, 2009

jersey-devil–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!


Categories: animals, cryptozoology, furry, rare animal, unexplained, unidentified
Tags: ,

Comments: 2 Comments

The Late Nessie?

February 22, 2009

rines-image-1972–MonsterQuest debuted for a new season this February with an episode on the possible demise of the Loch Ness Monster. Sightings of Nessie have diminished in recent years, leading to speculation by some that the great cryptid may be no more.

Robert Rines is a long-term Nessie researcher who had a sighting of Nessie in 1972, and has made searching for the elusive beast part of his life since then.  Rines is no whack  job and no slouch in the brains department, having a number of college degrees, including some in physics.  Rines used sonar and other technologies in his investigations, capturing the attached image in the 1970’s.

Now in his 80’s, Rines felt that there may have been two or more cryptids in Loch Ness in the 1970’s, but that the creature’s remains now reside in the murky depths.  His possibly final visit to the Loch with the MonsterQuest crew failed to reveal Nessie, living or dead.

Believers can point to a 2007 video of moving objects below the surface of  Loch Ness, however, as hope that Nessie is still with us…

Categories: animals, cryptozoology, furry, unexplained

Comments: 1 Comment

The Swamp Stalker of Boggy Creek…

February 20, 2009

boggy-creek-monster–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, The Legend of Boggy Creek.

Recently profiled on MonsterQuest, sightings of The Swamp Stalker have come from Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas, especially the town of Fouke in Arkansas.  Sightings intensified in the late 20th century.  A theory is that The Stalker may simply be a misidentified black bear, although some of the sightings have come from areas not indigenous to black bears.

MonsterQuest set camera traps with 360 degree lenses which yielded only images of known animal species and a few human hunters.  A large old scat sample (feces) turned out upon analysis to be from a wild boar.

And so as with many similar cryptid creatures, the existence of The Swamp Stalker of Boggy Creek “remains undocumented…”


Categories: animals, cryptozoology, furry, rare animal, unexplained, unidentified

Comments: 5 Comments

Travis the Chimp Shot Dead…

February 18, 2009

travis—Travis the Chimpanzee was 15 years old and weighed 200 lbs.; an animal celebrity, he had appeared in commercials for Coca-Cola and Old Navy. Travis had a stunning repertoire of human-like behaviors; he used the toilet, rode in cars, ate at the table, drank wine from long-stemmed glasses, used a TV remote to channel-surf, and even used a mouse to view pictures on the computer!

Unfortunately, Travis lost it big time this past Monday, brutally mauling a  friend of his Connecticut owner and leaving her with life-changing injuries to her face and hands. In a desperate effort to stop the attack, his owner stabbed him repeatedly with a kitchen knife and hit him with a shovel, but police ultimately had to shoot the animal dead.

While the reason for the attack may never be known, Travis was reported to have suffered from Lyme disease and had been given Xanax by his owner in light of unsettled behavior, and his aggressive behavior may have been a medication reaction.  The woman attacked had also changed her hair style and may not have been recognized by the chimp, triggering territorial instincts. Chimpanzees are wild animals, and are aggressive in their natural state despite their cutesy portrayal on television…

Categories: animals, furry, unexplained
Tags:

Comments: 1 Comment

Cattle Mutilations

February 13, 2009

mutilations–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 are found dead of undetermined causes, often exsanguinated  (all of the blood removed), and have had certain bodily organs removed with surgical precision.  Often reproductive and/or rectal organs have been removed as well.

Intriguingly, abnormally high radiation levels have at times been detected near the dead animals, and scavengers will not in some  cases touch the carcass; nor are there often footprints leading to and from the cows.  Clamp marks have been found on some animals’ legs suggesting that the cattle were taken from their usual habitat and mutilated elsewhere.  Sightings of UFOs and/or black helicopters have been associated with a number of cases.

A recent episode of MonsterQuest has dealt with the cattle mutilations, and one expert concluded that many although not all of the incidents may be attributed to natural predation from species such as coyotes; this explanation hardly explains such incidentals as irradiated soil where it occurs.  Satanic cults have been blamed for the mutilations, although there has been little supporting evidence of this.  The deaths have also been attributed to intelligence agency secret projects involving chemical weapons testing.  Others contend that the deaths were natural occurrences by viruses or lightning blown out of proportion, but the deaths look extraordinary rather than natural.  The extraterrestrial experimentation explanation seems to tie many incidentals together, and UFO “hotspots” such as Nevada and New Mexico have been especially hard hit by the occurrences…

Categories: aliens, animals, anomalies, unexplained
Tags:

Comments: Be the first to comment

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »