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Sheepsquatch

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A Sheepsquatch as depicted in Bethesda’s Fallout 76 video game. Image:DeviantArt

The legend of Sheepsquatch is a folk tale from the Appalachian region of the United States. According to the legend, Sheepsquatch is a creature about the size of a bear with white fur and big horns.

What is Sheepsquatch?

Sheepsquatch is a big, fluffy, white cryptid that’s been spotted across counties in West Virginia, mainly in the southwest.

People say it’s about the size of a bear and has a long, pointy head with sharp teeth and horns. It has paw-like hands, similar to a racoon or an opossum, and a long, hairless tail.

It’s known for smelling like sulfur, but it might actually be a musky scent from a gland similar to those found in other carnivores.

The most sightings have happened in Boone, Kanawha, Putnam, and Mason counties, with a surge in Boone in the mid-90s.

Sheepsquatch Sightings

The first reported sighting of Sheepsquatch was in 1994. A former sailor claimed to have seen Sheepsquatch breaking through the forest and drinking from a creek. They watched it for a bit before it went into the brush.

That same year, two kids saw it while playing in their yard and described it as a big white bear that stood up on its hind legs. The creature got scared by the kids and ran off, breaking tree branches as it went.

More sightings occurred in 1995. A couple spotted Sheepsquatch sitting in a ditch by the side of the road. They stopped their car to get a closer look and saw that it was similar to previous descriptions, but with four eyes.

This time, the creature didn’t run away. Instead, it jumped out of the ditch and attacked the car. The couple drove away fast and later noticed big scratches on the side of their car where the beast had attacked.

In 1999, a couple of campers were hanging out in the forest at night near Boone County, around a bonfire. They heard some snorting and shuffling around the camp, like an angry bear, but it didn’t come into the light of the fire right away. Suddenly, Sheepsquatch charged out of the darkness at the campers. They freaked out and ran back to their house, with Sheepsquatch chasing after them. The creature stopped at the edge of the forest, let out a terrifying scream, and then headed back into the woods. The next day, the campers went back to the campsite and saw that it was all torn up, like someone had plowed it for gardening.

In Fulks Run, Virginia in 2105, Sheepsquatch was seen again in the Appalachia forests. Six campers who were spending the night in the woods saw it close to midnight. They describe it as being around 8-9 feet tall with shoulders about 4-5 feet wide. One of the campers first spotted it on top of a nearby hill, crouched down. Then it stood up and started running down the hill towards the campers, but there was a river separating them.

The Sheepsquatch tried to cross the river, which made the campers panic even more. They watched as it emerged from the water looking like a huge white dog standing on two legs. Then, all of a sudden, a loud screech was heard from a couple of miles away and the Sheepsquatch looked up, revealing its face in the moonlight. The campers were scared as they saw it let out a whimper and then took off running in the opposite direction of the noise. The campers quickly packed up and left, and only told the locals about it because they were afraid of being made fun of if they told the authorities.

Possible explanations for Sheepsquatch Sightings

There are several possible explanations for these sightings of Sheepsquatch:

Misidentification: People may mistake other large animals, such as bears or coyotes, for a Sheepsquatch, especially if they are seen at a distance or at night.

Folklore: The idea of a Sheepsquatch may have originated as a folktale or legend and has been passed down through generations. People may see things that fit their expectations based on these stories, leading them to believe they have seen a Sheepsquatch.

Hoaxes: Some Sheepsquatch sightings may be hoaxes, created for fun or to gain attention. This can be difficult to prove, as the people who claim to have seen the creature may sincerely believe that they did.

Psychogenic illness: Some people may have experienced hallucinations or delusions that led them to believe they saw a Sheepsquatch. This can be caused by a variety of psychological and physiological factors.

Undiscovered species: In rare cases, Sheepsquatch sightings may be the result of an undiscovered species of animal that has yet to be scientifically documented.

A video telling the story of Sheepsquatch

Do you think Sheepsquatch is out there somewhere in the remote areas of Appalachia? Let us know in the comments.

If you are interested in the legend of Sheepsquatch you might also be interested in the story of a train hitting a bigfoot or a sea monster killing four teens off the coast of Florida.

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Cryptids

Nandi Bear: A Ferocious African Cryptid

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An artist’s interpretation of the Nandi Bear. Photo: Cryptid Archives.

The Nandi Bear is a ferocious cryptid spotted in the highlands of Kenya during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Description of the Nandi Bear

A footprint of a Nandibear

The Nandi Bear is also known as the Chemosit, Kerit, Koddoelo, Ngoloko, or Duba. It has been described as as a carnivorous animal with a formidable build, possessing long legs exceeding a height of four feet, and a back that slopes downward. It is described as being highly aggressive in nature.

Nandi Bear Sightings

A drawing of a Nandi Bear encounter by A. McWilliams

A number of early 20th century authors mention the Nandi Bear in their work.

Richard Meinertzhagen claimed in 1905 that he was told by the Nandi people that the Nandi bear was once widespread when they first settled in the highlands of present-day Kenya, around the early 17th century.

The Nandi people believed that the rinderpest epidemic towards the end of the 19th century pushed the Nandi bear to the brink of extinction. Although the Nandi bear was never numerous, it was not uncommon prior to the epidemic.

Unfortunately, the population never fully recovered from the impact of the outbreak. During the colonial era, the Nandi bear was held responsible for the deaths of numerous native people, whose skulls were found crushed every year.

While the Nandi Bear was widely feared by the native population, it does not appear to have been known to Europeans or colonial officials until the beginning of the 20th century.

Prior to 1912, the Nandi reportedly killed a Nandi Bear after it climbed onto the roof of a hut, broke through, and killed everyone inside. Subsequently, the village inhabitants burned down the hut with the animal still inside. Geoffrey Williams had heard of a similar animal’s preserved skin in Kabras, but was unsuccessful in obtaining it.

There were rumors that a Boer had shot a Nandi bear, but was unable to retrieve the carcass. C. W. Hobley wrote of this story.

Similarly, a farmer from Uganda named K. R. Williams supposedly unintentionally poisoned a young Nandi bear while setting out bait for hyenas.

Williams described the animal as being much larger than a spotted hyena, with the same yellowish fur, and a head similar to that of a bear. However, when he returned to his camp to retrieve a knife for skinning the carcass, actual hyenas had dragged the Nandi bear’s body away.

In 1905, while on the Nandi Expedition to the Uasin Gishu in western British East Africa, Geoffrey Williams wrote of his experiences with the Nandi Bear.

He observed an animal of around 5 feet in height sitting upright like a zoo bear, with small pointed ears and a long head, about 30 yards away.

The creature then ran away with a sideways canter towards the Sirgoit Rock. Williams quickly took a snapshot of the animal with his rifle, but missed it.

He claimed the Nandi bear was larger than a typical zoo bear and heavily built, with thick fur covering its forequarters and all four legs. The hindquarters were relatively smooth, and the color was dark.

Williams could not recall much about the ears, but mentioned that they were small, and the tail, if any, was tiny and barely noticeable.

Engineer Dennis Burnett and his wife Marlene reported the most recent documented sighting of the Nandi bear in February 1998.

While driving along the Koru-Kisumu road near the base of the Nandi Escarpment during a rainy evening, they saw a large animal crossing the road.

Upon reversing their car, the couple observed the animal for about fifteen seconds. Although they initially thought it was a bear, they soon realized that it was “an enormous, shaggy hyena – resembling a Striped Hyena but significantly larger.”

Theories about the Nandi Bear

Bob Gymlan of Bigfoot hunting fame has posted a detailed video telling the history of the Nandi Bear.

In 1923, Charles William Andrews proposed that the Nandi bear might be a surviving species of the extinct Chalicothere. Louis Leakey later suggested in the 1930s that the Nandi Bear’s descriptions matched those of the Chalicothere, despite chalicotheres being herbivores.

The Chalicothere hypothesis was eventually abandoned. In 2000, paleontologist Louis L. Jacobs stated that if Chalicotheres still existed, they would have been discovered, much like the giant forest hog. Jacobs concluded that if there was any truth to the Nandi bear story, it could be a description of gorillas passed down orally across the continent.

Zoologist Reginald Innes Pocock argued that the Nandi bear sightings were actually misidentified spotted hyenas. The British Natural History Museum also stated in 1932 that many reports of the Nandi bear were nothing more than spotted hyenas.

Paleontologist George Gaylord Simpson claimed that the Nandi bear turned out to be honey badgers, which zoologists had been aware of since 1776.

Have you ever seen a Nandi Bear? Let us know in the comments.

If you enjoyed learning about the Nandi Bear you might also be interested in the J’Ba Fofi: A Giant Congolese Spider Cryptid or the Tikoloshe, a South African Cryptid.

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Cryptids

Squonk: The Saddest Cryptid

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The Squonk as featured in Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods by William Cox. Photo: Wikipedia

The Squonk is said to be the ugliest creature in the world. It is so ashamed of its appearance that it will hide from anyone who approaches and, if caught, it will dissolve into a puddle of tears.

The Legend of the Squonk

The rock band Genesis wrote a popular song about the Squonk

The first mention of the squonk in written history is in William Cox’s 1910 book “Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods, With a Few Desert and Mountain Beasts.”

Cox describes the as the ugliest animal in the world and claims it is aware of its unfortunate appearance.

Cox claims that the squonk used to have a wide distribution and preferred habitats with plenty of desert vegetation on high plains. As these areas changed into swampy, lake-dotted regions, the squonk was forced to adapt to the water.

Due to its low intelligence, the squonk constantly searched for food by swimming in the marshes, and over time developed webbing between its toes, but only on its left feet that were submerged in water. As a result, it could only swim in circles and could never return to shore, leading to thousands of squonks dying from starvation, as evidenced by fossil bones found in the lake bottoms.

Cox also claimed that the squonk can only be found in the hemlock forests of Pennsylvania. It is said to be shy and reclusive, and can be seen mostly during twilight hours.

It is covered in a loose and warty skin that doesn’t fit properly. The squonk is known to be perpetually unhappy and often weeps due to its distressing appearance, leaving a trail of tears that can be followed.

The best time to search for a squonk is during moonlit nights, as it tends to stay hidden in its hemlock dwelling, afraid to catch a glimpse of itself in a reflective pool.

Sometimes, the sound of a softly weeping squonk can be heard, which sounds like a mournful call resembling that of the cross-feathered snee.

A Mr. J.P. Wentling had a disappointing experience with a squonk near Mont Alto. He captured the squonk by mimicking its crying sounds and tricking it into hopping into a sack. As he carried it home the sack suddenly became much lighter. Wentling unslung the sack and looked in. He found that the squonk had dissolved into tears and bubbles.

Squonk Meme

A variation of the squonk meme that has become popular in recent times.

The squonk has become a meme in recent times, with many internet users feeling like they can relate to the poor little creature. The squonk has even featured in one of our paranormal meme dumps.

Have you ever seen a poor little squonk in the wild? Let us know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this article you might also be interested in the story of the kushtaka or the Central American Whintosser.

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