There may not be actual giant bipedal humanoids wandering the wilderness, but that hasn't stopped Bigfoot fanatics from coming up with some seriously weird theories explaining all those footprints and blurry videos.While Bigfoot seems like a North American phenomenon, there are tales of giant wildmen around the world, from the Tibetan Yeti to the Australian Yowie and Siberia's Chunchunya. Could these creatures really be endemic worldwide? Or is there some deep part of the human psyche that peers into the wilderness and sees not something alien, but rather a horrifying reflection of what we could have been (and might still be) without the thin veneer of "civilization" we've wrapped ourselves in?Or maybe we're actually seeing invisible, telepathic, hypnotic other dimensional aliens.Here are the five weirdest theories of what's really going on when people report a Bigfoot sighting.
Read the full thing here also includes photos and video:
On a warm summer night in 1997, local Bigfoot researcher and part-time gold-mining enthusiast William Allen Barnes was plunged headlong into the world of cryptozoology. (Barnes dislikes using the term Bigfoot due to its exploitation by those who have tried to capitalize on, or trivialize the phenomenon, preferring to use the term North American ape/hominoid.)Barnes was camping alone near Greenhorn Creek, southeast of Grass Valley. He was asleep in a small pup tent with the rain flap up when a loud noise woke him sometime after midnight.“About 1 or 2, I heard this thing coming down the canyon and I could hear it walking around,” Barnes said. “I figured it was a bear.”As he listened and tried to catch a glimpse of what was approaching, he began to realize that it might be something completely unfamiliar to him.“I could see this dark blob and when it got about thirty feet from my car, I noticed how tall it looked above the hood,” he said. “I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, it can't be a bear.' It got to the car, then headed straight toward my tent.” What happened next is something that Barnes says has haunted him ever since, and fueled his desire to prove the existence of a giant creature most consider well outside the realm of possibility.“It was looking down on me through the flap in the tent and I had no place to go, no gun and no flashlight,” Barnes said. “My heart was beating so loudly, I could hear it pounding in my ears. When it turned sideways, I saw how thick it was and I realized it had no neck and didn't seem to have a nose. It looked ape-like.”
Eventually, the creature — which Barnes guessed to weigh somewhere between 450 and 500 pounds — seemed to lose interest, turning to walk up a nearby hill and disappearing into the darkness. “After it left, the adrenaline hit me and I just sat there and shook,” Barnes said. “I got up the next morning and left. It took me four years to go back out there into the canyon by myself, and my gun got bigger every year.”Since that time, Barnes has driven himself to find out as much as he can about the creature he encountered, while thinking of possible ways that he could prove its existence.In the last decade, he has joined forces with several other researchers, namely Jason Valenti (SasquatchResearch.net) and William Dranginis (VirginiaBigfootResearch.org), to initiate the Falcon Project to capture motion picture evidence of a hominoid.The plan is to travel to hominoid hot spots in the U.S. and Canada where multiple sightings have been reported, and to nightly launch a remote-controlled blimp, using thermal imaging, carbon dioxide recognition and high-tech audio equipment to track what is below.The camera on board will be so powerful that it can zoom in on objects with almost microscopic detail from as high as 2,000 feet and will be able to film from any angle, Barnes said.“The airship is actually two helium-filled blimps held together by graphite and will float in the same way a catamaran does,” Barnes said. “We'll be searching in Northern California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Virginia, Eastern Tennessee around the Smoky Mountains and Florida.”Barnes estimates the trip could last as long as a year and will cost in the neighborhood of $190,000.The airship is to be manufactured by a Canadian company and the equipment used to operate and monitor the Falcon will be housed inside an RV that Barnes and his cohorts will travel in.The group is still in the process of raising the necessary funds, but Barnes believes the wait will not be much longer.It would be easy for the casual reader to dismiss the Falcon project, its founder and the creature it seeks to uncover, but remember the coelacanth, a fish thought to be extinct for at least 65 million years, found alive when a specimen was caught in South Africa in 1938. There have been other documented sightings since then, including discovery of a second species of coelacanths found in Indonesia in 1999. And think too of explorers like German businessman Heinrich Schliemann, who in 1868 discovered the ancient city of Troy, while the rest of the archaeological world was convinced it was only a legend.When discussing hominoids with Barnes, it's difficult not to be struck by his earnestness and the missionary-like zeal with which he approaches his subject. He very much appears a true believer propelled by “scientific revelation.”
“We want to film a hominoid over a long period of time, so that scientists can then study its movements,” Barnes said. “I'm not trying to prove something that others don't already know. I'm just trying to film it in its natural habitat.”For more information about Barnes and the Falcon Project, go to www.Bigfoot24-7.com.
Lake Norman: Is It Really As Dangerous As They Say
Thursday, September 02, 2010 By Meghan Gillogly
As summer is coming to an end, there have been many rumors about dangerous fish living in Lake Norman. But how dangerous is Lake Norman? Is it really the home to dangerous fish, or even worse, a new type of monster?
I sat down with Caroline Earnheart, Sophomore, to see what she thought of the reports of such creatures. Caroline has been going to the lake about three times a month for eight years, so she has seen some crazy things. “One time, I was about to climb back into the boat, when something large bumped into my leg. I was certain it was an alligator, so I climbed out really fast,” said Caroline. She added that her grandparents, who have lived there for eight years, have thought they have seen alligators over by the dam, so could this “creature” possibly be an alligator?There have been scary reports of unusual fish living in Lake Norman such as Catfish, which happen to be growing into the size of a normal-sized man due to the radiation leaks in the water near the Duke Power Plant. Lake Norman has created a website for this mysterious fish swimming in their waters. If you happened to see this creature, you can report the incident at www.LakeNormanMonster.com.The reports for these fish have been very interesting. Many people have claimed that the fish is rather large, brown and has a triangle snout and somewhat resembling an alligator. It has also been spotted near the surface as if the “alligator” was coming up for air. These circumstances, along with Caroline’s tale, have led me to believe that I have discovered what creature has been haunting Lake Norman. The belief of an alligator has to be cleared up. Although alligators live in North Carolina, they need warm climates from the coast to stay alive. It is impossible for an alligator to survive our cold winters. This piece of information, along with radiation, may lead you to believe that the fish is a large catfish. Catfish live in the bottom of lakes and other bodies of water, so that couldn’t have been the fish that bumped into Caroline. From my understandings, I think the fish is an Alligator Gar. It is a large fish, growing to be eight or ten feet in length and they can weigh at least 200 pounds. They get their name for their alligator-like snout and brown coloring, just like the fish everyone has been describing. But their most interesting feature is the way they breathe. They have a special organ in their body that allows them to breathe oxygen, and survive outside of water for two hours. They will often come up to the surface, which explains multiple sightings by tubers, boaters, and swimmers. The best thing about this fish is that they never attack humans, despite of their sharp teeth. Knowing what fish is living in Lake Norman is very important to us as a community. Hopefully, everyone can feel safe swimming in this amazing place, now that we understand that our “Lake Norman Monster” is actually a harmless fish in disguise. Source:http://my.hsj.org/Schools/Newspaper/tabid/100/view/frontpage/schoolid/2714/articleid/369033/newspaperid/2744/Lake_Norman_Is_It_Really_As_Dangerous_As_They_Say.aspx
BIG cats roaming wild in the Highlands - fantasy or fact?Numerous sightings of large felines have been reported over the years and this week brings two more separate sightings of such animals in the area - one at Dornoch caravan park and one at Fendon near Tain.The descriptions are very similar, that of a large black panther-type cat with a muscular body and long thick tail.There have been many well attested spottings of the animals throughout the Highlands and Islands, and indeed throughout Britain, going back 30 and more years and there seems little doubt these animals are in our midst.What is convincing about the big cat debate is the complete credibility of many of the witnesses who have spotted them.They are people who know the terrain and the beasts that are likely to be on it - farmers, keepers and crofters - folk not prone to fancy.The most likely explanation for the cats' presence in the Highlands is that they were released after the Dangerous Wild Animals Act came into being in the early 1970s, when it is suspected that enthusiasts who kept exotic cats as glamorous pets turned them lose in remote spots rather than comply with regulations, spawning a new hybrid of cat.They are ideally suited for their new environment - hardy, athletic, non-pack animals who thrive in our miles of forests, can cover ground very quickly, and as meat-eaters have an unlimited supply of food in the Highlands' wild game.While there have been reports of big cats taking the odd domestic animal such as sheep, there have been very few reports of big cats posing any threat to man. It seems unlikely that these elusive felines will breed to such numbers that they will become emboldened and threaten communities.In the meantime they add a bit of mystique to Highland life, and serve as a useful predator for the huge numbers of deer and rabbits that in many areas land managers are struggling to control.
And news of the Bigfoot footage at McKenzie River:
Mckenzie River Bigfoot Analysis: No Bigfoot Here
Submitted by Javier Ortega on September 2, 2010
So I’ve taken the liberty on doing some analysis of the ‘Mckenzie River Bigfoot’ footage. I started by slowing the video down by 15% and cropping and zooming in on the supposed mysterious creature. I have to say that the outcome isn’t surprising.read the rest and see footage here :
For the past two months, shepherds in Mexico have been reporting hundreds of identical attacks on their goats. Multiple goats are beheaded "in a strange way." Many are blaming the legendary chupacabra.Inexplicata has a report on the sightings in Puebla and Guanajuato, Mexico:
Shepherds from various communities in Puebla State are frightened by the attacks to their herds. They suspect the presence of natural predator, a nahual (shapeshifter) or the Chupacabras. Authorities have combed the area.Shepherds from Colonia San MartÃn, Los Reyes Metzontla and Cañada Ancha in Puebla State are frightened by the attacks on their flocks by either the Chupacabras, wild dogs or some other wild creature that they've been unable to hunt down, and which has caused the deaths of over 300 goats for some 50 days now.Felix Martinez Hernández, president of Colonia San Martin, said that on August 14th at around 7:00 a.m., over 36 goats were found butchered in the Colonia San Martin strip, located 18 km south of the municipality. The presence of a predator, nahual or the Chupacabras is suspected.People who live in the community explained that the phenomenon increased after the rains, and this led them to seek support from the authorities in dispelling the mystery, which has people frightened due to the cruel way in which the goats were dispatched.Anacleto Enrique Montiel Barbosa spoke of his concerns, acknowledging his fear over what is occurring in Zapotitlán: In this community, in the southern reaches of the state, most families owning this sort of livestock have been affected.According to Anacleto, he first heard gunshots originating on his terrain, where he kept over 120 goats in a pen, "supposedly secure". Upon reaching the site, he saw his fellow shepherd, Alvaro Mendoza, firing a rifle against some "dogs" that were fleeing the area.Other residents arrived to see what was going on. They found that over 36 animals had been beheaded in a strange way and furthermore, without a single drop of blood in evidence.Local authorities under commander Leonardo GarcÃa Sánchez combed the area in order to find the goat slayers, but only managed to catch two dogs. The locals killed the dogs, opened them up and found that they did not contain any traces of goat blood or flesh. This caused them to recall the legend of the nahual.
via Inexplicata http://io9.com/5627117/in-mexico-chupacabras-are-blamed-for-300-goat-beheadings
Swap a few big fish talesSunday, August 29, 2010 at 6:01 a.m.
Most people growing up in Etowah County have heard the strange stories of giant fish in the lakes and rivers of Alabama. Horror stories began to surface during the late 1950s and early 1960s when the many dams were constructed along the Coosa River and the other rivers in Alabama.These stories of catfish as large as a Volkswagen have been told over and over again for more than 50 years. While these stories have been told as true, is it actually possible for a freshwater, Alabama catfish to swallow a man?The Coosa River is formed at Rome, Ga., by a junction of the Etowah and Oostanaula Rivers, which flow to Gadsden and on to Wetumpka. Riverboats began bringing commerce to the Etowah County area as early as 1845, when this area was sparsely settled.The steamboats were a major means of transportation for both passengers and goods.As commerce and transportation began, so did the legends of unusual creatures and giant fish.The riverboat traffic on the Coosa River not only brought commerce and growth to the small village of Gadsden, but also a legend of a sea monster that was sighted on several occasions.The serpent was seen by several prominent residents of the surrounding area and also was reported by several riverboat captains making the trip between Rome and Gadsden.While the story about this “sea monster” caused a panic for many years along the Coosa River, it eventually faded into the history of the river.The stories were retold many times during the late 1800s and early 1900s when several alligators were reported killed along the Coosa River.The unusual sightings and reports seemed to explain missing livestock along the river banks The strangest stories seem to have surfaced with the constructions of the dams along the Coosa River and Tennessee River. The stories tell of catfish large enough to swallow a man or at least a small child. These sightings supposedly have come from experienced scuba divers who have witnessed the giants when the structure of the dams have undergone inspection. Do these sightings explain the story of Jonah in the Holy Bible, which tells of an unwilling prophet who was swallowed by a “great fish,” or are they merely the product of an overactive imagination? This question seems to appear in the news more frequently in both print and on the Internet, as well as many television specials.There are historical reports that can’t be verified from the 1800s and early 1900s of catfish weighing more than 200 pounds in Alabama. Those may or may not be true. Still, a 200-pound catfish would not come close to being able to eat even a small child. At a lake in Kansas in 2004, a flathead catfish made national news for its appetite. Lakeside residents there discovered the catfish, estimated at 50 pounds, had inhaled a child’s basketball and it was stuck in the fish’s mouth.The fish was alive and trying to dive to the bottom, but the basketball kept bringing it to the surface. The giant fish was caught in a net and the basketball was punctured, allowing it to be removed from the While these fish are huge and reports of Alabama catfish tipping the scales at 100 pounds or more surely exist, these fish could not come close to swallowing a human, even a small child. The giants either do not exist or may never be caught if they actually are out there. There are saltwater fish that do exist that could possibly swallow a man whole. These include whale sharks and modern day whales.Although there has never been any evidence found to support the stories of giant fish in the Coosa River, there has been evidence found throughout much of the world of a prehistoric shark known as Megalodon. The giant shark was an ancient relative of the Great White Shark found throughout much of the world. It was up to 75 feet long and had a mouth large enough to swallow a bass boat. Teeth from the giant were up to seven and a half inches long, and the monster fed on whales. Teeth from the Megalodon are found throughout the Southeast. Reports of strange creatures and giant fish probably will continue to emerge from the Coosa River. The reports have been a part of living in Gadsden and Etowah County as long as people have lived here.
Mike Goodson is a correspondent for The Gadsden Times. E-mail him at gtdbear@aol.com.
THE world famous Loch Ness monster has been nominated for a top tourism accolade.
Advertising. Usually the shortlist for the Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards is kept secret but the team behind this year's event have decided to release the unusual nomination to spark debate.The legend has been nominated for the honour of Highland Ambassador of the Year - an entry submitted last month under the pseudonym "The Snitch".Awards chairwoman Elizabeth Mackintosh said: "Nessie has made a major impact on the positive profile of the Highlands and Islands worldwide over the years and perhaps we should seriously consider this nomination for HITA's Highland Ambassador of the Year 2010."Two months ago, at a tourism meeting held in Inverness, Councillor Thomas Prag criticised Inverness for not embracing the monster legend to increase visitor numbers.He claimed Inverness had a "snooty" attitude towards Nessie and the city's long-term reluctance to being identified with the monster had not helped when trying to attract more tourists.Yesterday, the Inverness South ward member said the nomination was a lovely idea but added: "I think they may find it a bit difficult to present the award if Nessie were to win!"In nominating Nessie, "The Snitch" said the monster had been an unstinting supporter of tourism for over 1500 years, attracting tourists and sustaining communities across the north of Scotland."Her timely appearances have been carefully measured to tempt many visitors and researchers to come to Loch Ness."The board is welcoming further nominations and entries are accepted at www.highland-tourism-awards.co.uk
There's really no reason to be afraid to swim in LakeNorman or LakeWylie. Or ... is there? On the one hand, the wildlife swimming in our lakes isn't nearly as wild as the man-eating piranhas terrorizing spring breakers on fictional Lake Victoria in "Piranha 3D," the campy gore-fest that made $10 million at the box office last weekend.On the other, toothy fish do lurk beneath the surface of our lakes. And some locals are afraid to get their feet wet."I'll go to about my ankles, but that's it," says Stephanie Sawyer, 35, of Matthews, who has been petrified of lake swimming since her childhood. "(It) definitely has to do with the 'creatures' in the water. Absolutely."LakeNorman resident Whitney Dainko's fear cropped up more recently.
"I was running about a month ago near my house when I noticed an animal lying in the sand trap," she recalls. "As I got closer, I realized it was a turtle. It was huge ... probably 2 feet. When it saw me, it freaked and ran a lot faster than I thought a turtle could move and jumped in the lake. I have to say, I'm not that psyched about swimming in LakeNorman anymore."
It is against state law to own piranhas and several other species of exotic fish. But people occasionally get their hands on them, and in rare cases, release them into the wild because they can no longer keep them.In 2007, state wildlife officials identified a fish caught in the Catawba River as a piranha ... but later they determined it was a pacu - also illegal, but not as menacing-sounding. In recent years, two other predatory nonnative fish have turned up: In 2007, a man caught a snakehead in LakeWylie; another was caught there in 2009.Chris Wood of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission says that even if a piranha got into a lake, a single one could cause little harm. The problem with snakeheads? "They are indiscriminate fish eaters and can have deleterious effects on native fish" - but they aren't aggressive toward humans."Sorry," Wood says, "but (our) fish fauna is pretty benign." Still, there are a couple of types of local fish that would be scary to run into while swimming.One is a gar, which has an elongated jaw filled with sharp teeth. They can grow 2 to 3 feet long and weigh 6 to 7 pounds. The other is a bowfin, which also has sharp teeth and can grow to more than 3 feet long and as much as 20 pounds. Both might bite anglers as they unhook them, but they're otherwise docile.Nope, experts say, there's not a fish around that will attack a human."No man-eaters in the lakes," says Ken Manuel, Duke Power's head aquatic biologist. "But watch out for alligators."Manuel is kidding, of course.
But a handful of people are convinced there's a beast of some sort in LakeNorman. Most of them can be found trolling LakeNormanMonster .com , which features a cartoon dinosaur as its mascot and hawks T-shirts, key chains and a "monster hunting call." The site includes reader "sightings" like this one, from "Jacob" of Denver: "Me and my dad were on our boat and ... we saw a 30-foot fish. It swam away as fast as lightning."Gus Gustafson, a longtime Lake Norman fishing guide and Observer columnist, spins the Lake Norman Monster story as well as anyone: It's a tale about a genetically engineered superfish that escaped from a fishing farm in the '60s.Asked if it's true, he laughs, then says - with tongue in cheek - "Uh, I'm not sure."Ultimately, though, he gets serious: "I don't wanna frighten anybody. ... Your bigger concern really should be the boat traffic and the jet skis. That's a real danger. It's not what these fish are gonna do to you."
New book on kindle- myths, murder, monsters and magic in modern day Loch Ness
New Cryptofiction book out
mysterious creatures roam the countryside,what is the secret of the horror tunnel and what are the modern day witches up to with the fifth reich? our Friends from the book Dark Ness once again meet cryptids and danger . s
Mother, author, cat lover, amateur cryptozoologist, cook and bottle washer, some times lover, single parent,middle aged,a mad woman without an attic, red wine and chocolate lover.Now housebound due to ill health so an armchair researcher.Too wheezy to sit in a hide and watch for cryptids anymore lol.Have now taken up crafting when I feel able.I now have a Fiction book out on amazon Kindle Dark Ness by Tabitca Cope set in, you guessed it, Loch Ness with monsters , murder , myth and magic.
