FOXSYLVANIA

–The Jersey Devil, also known as The Leeds Devil, is a cryptic animal reputed to inhabit the Pine Barrens in southern New Jersey.  The creature was first described in the 1700’s, with sightings reported as recently as 2008.  Most accounts describe the Jersey Devil as having a long neck, wings, and hooves.  The long neck has brought comparisons to the giraffe, while the head is elongated and horse-like.

Legend is rich surrounding the origins of the Jersey Devil, with a Mother Leeds in colonial times reputed to have had twelve children while learning that she was pregnant with a thirteenth child.  “Let it be a devil!,” the woman is reported to have said with understandable exasperation, and so it was!  The product of Mother Leeds’ thirteenth pregnancy ate its mother and siblings, and then burst into the outside world.

By some accounts, the Jersey Devil is said to have red eyes with hypnotic or paralyzing impact.  Some locals regard the Devil affectionately as a protector or kind of area mascot, and it is a source of attraction for tourists and related merchandising...