Hailing from Point Pleasant, West Virginia, in the United States it’s the mothman. The mothman was first allegedly sighted on November 15th, 1966 by gravediggers. The news was then picked up and spread to the rest of the United States by the National Press. Sightings are largely hearsay, but are they true? Read the article and decide for yourself.
First the Stats…
Scientific name: Mothicus Manidae
Weight: Up to 282 lbs.
Length: Up to 6.6 feet
Lifespan: Unknown
Now on to the Facts!
1.) Gray Barker popularized this creature in 1970.
2.) In 1975, John Keel wrote the book The Mothman Prophecies which claimed that their were supernatural events behind the sightings that later lead to the collapse of the Silver Bridge.
3.) Later, in 2002, the book was adapted into a film, starring Richard Gere.
4.) Each year, Point Pleasant holds a festival in honor of the creature.
5.) Within days of the first claimed sighting 8 more reports emerged, all describing a similar creature.
But wait, there’s more on the mothman!
6.) Another popular anecdote states that Newell Partridge, a resident of Salem, West Virginia, experienced TV disturbances which led him outside. He shined his flashlight towards a glowing red pair of eyes. That night, his dog went missing, never to be found again.
7.) One scientific explanation to this beast is that of a sandhill crane. These birds have not only a red flashing around their eyes, but stand nearly as tall as a man.
Did you know…?
This creature is alleged to have up to a 10 foot wingspan and can fly up to 100 mph!
8.) A different theory suggests that someone was pranking the locals by hiding out in the local abandoned World War 2 bunkers and pretending to be the mothman.
9.) Other theories of UFOs, aliens, and even precognition surround the legend of the beast and paint a picture of this creature as a harbinger of doom.
10.) The sightings have waned over the years, since the first ones, but in 2016 a man – who moved to Point Pleasant – claimed to have seen a large creature leaping from tree to tree. Could this be a real creature? You decide for yourself.
Now a Short Mothman Video!
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