Skeptical of the
existence of the Loch Ness Monster, Big Foot, and the goat-sucking El
Chupacabra? Fair enough. But keep an open mind and tell yourself that
nothing is impossible in this life. In fact, we have identified 8
mysterious and supposedly fictitious creatures from folklore for
which there is at least some credible evidence that they might be
real. So sit back, relax, and prepare to be persuaded!
Jersey Devil
The legend: 300
years ago in what is now the state of New Jersey, a baby – cursed
because it was the family’s 13th child – was born. After killing
its mother and the midwife, it flew off into the darkness and has
been stirring up trouble ever sense. New Jersey is known as the
armpit of America for reasons geographically, metaphorically and if
we’re being honest, literally. So it makes perfect sense that if
some kind of nightmarish winged creature with horns and a horse-like
head exists, the Garden State is precisely where it would call home.
The proof: In
1909, police officers in the city of Camden claimed to have spotted
the Jersey Devil and even fired their guns at it.
The odds that it
actually exists: 13%. Those Camden cops were total liars.
Winged Alpaca
Unicorn of Lviv
The legend:
Back in 2015, after eating a stale cookie that had been in the cookie
jar for who knows how long, a resident of Lviv, Ukraine looked out
their apartment window and discovered a majestic creature in the
courtyard that resembled Vicugna pacos, the beloved South American
alpaca. However, it also possessed a few unusual characteristics,
including pink wool, wings, and a unicorn’s horn. Impressive
indeed.
The proof: A
photo that definitely was not photoshopped.
The odds that it
actually exists: 99%. However, the psychedelic properties of that
stale cookie leave room for some very slight doubt.
Skunk Ape
The legend:
Back in the 1960s and 1970s, people in North Carolina, Arkansas and
Florida had reported seeing a hideous, foul-smelling apelike humanoid
creature walking about on four legs. Florida seemed to be the place
where it was most commonly found, which makes perfect sense because,
of course, Florida. The mysterious dude goes by several aliases
including Swampsquatch, Louisiana Bigfoot (presumably the Floridian
monster’s cajun cousin) stink ape, swamp cabbage man, and so on and
so forth.
The proof:
Grainy camera footage. So, yeah.
The odds that it
actually exists: 1%. Floridians bang to the beat of a different
drummer.
Duck Billed
Platypus
The legend:
Mother Nature decided there were too many conventional animals in
this world, so she created something that had the beak of a water
fowl, the tail of a beaver and the feet of an otter. She placed it in
Australia with all of the other misfit animals that the rest of the
world wanted no part of. Back in 1799 when European scientists first
observed the preserved carcass of a platypus, they were convinced it
was several animals stitched together as a hoax.
The proof:
Come on. Your closest zoo undoubtedly has one.
The odds that it
actually exists: 95%. I’ve actually seen one with my own eyes,
but even that wasn’t enough to convince me with complete certainty
that they are real. They just seem so impossible.
Ozark Howler
The legend:
Deep in the boondocks of Arkansas, where banjo-playing, overall-clad
folks named Bubba still live in wood cabins and search for a pretty
mouth to admire, dwells a catlike (or bearlike, depending on which
hillbilly you’re talking to) creature with horns and glowing eyes.
It makes a sound that combines a wolf’s howl, hyena’s laugh, and
the cry of an elk. In other words, something that would fit well in a
platypus’s universe.
The proof: In
2015, somebody sent a photo to an Arkansas TV station supposedly of
this mythical beast. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission insists it
is a hoax.
The odds that it
actually exists: 30%. Maybe the game and fish commission should
spend less time trying to debunk the existence of the Ozark Howler
and spend more time making Arkansas a more welcoming place for game
and fish, am I right?
Sasha the Mermaid
The legend: A
few years ago on a hot summer day, a charming and intelligent girl
from eastern Ukraine decided to take a dip in the Azov Sea. She
immediately fell in love with the experience, and was said to have
transformed into a mermaid, retaining her human form above the waist,
but with her legs being replaced with a fish tail.
The proof:
Merely her words.
The odds that it
actually exists: 3%. None of the photos that she has posted of
herself on Instagram include her with a fishtail. Her excuse is that
nothing so beautiful could ever be captured on camera, which allows
for the slight possibility that she’s telling the truth.
Yeti
The legend:
High up in the Himalayan mountains is a white apelike creature that
wanders around killing yaks and other beasts, wearing their furs like
trophies, and making friends with Boo and Sully from Monsters Inc. At
first glance they appear terrifying, but once you get to know them
you discover they have a heart of gold.
The proof:
big-ass footprints in the snow; scalps that are on display in various
Buddhist monasteries.
The odds that it
actually exists: 100%. Don’t stop believing.
Lagarfljót Worm
The legend:
Basically it’s the Loch Ness Monster, only it makes its home in the
Icelandic lake of Lagarfljót (thus its name) because the weather in
Scotland is too tropical by comparison. It was first reported as long
ago as 1345 and alleged sightings continue today.
The proof: A
2012 video broadcast on an Icelandic television channel contains
footage of the legendary beast swimming in the lake. Some kind of
panel with a whole lot of time on its hands voted 7-6 to declare the
video to be authentic.
The odds that it actually exists: 0%. I’m calling shenanigans on this one. If panels dedicated to determining the authenticity of Lagarfljót conclude that he is real, then it’s only logical that the opposite must be true.
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