Ghost Stories

Image by TheMorlock via Deviantart Many years ago Josh Gates from Destination Truth visited Umboi Island, Papua New Guinea in search of an alleged extinct dinosaur. The locals refer to it as a Ropen a.k.a. "demon flyer", but it was believe to be a   Rhamphorhynchoid  pterosaur. It is said to have a wing-span of about 20 ft with two leathery, featherless wings like a bat, gray in color, a long tail with a flange or diamond shape on the end, a beak filled with teeth, razor-sharp claws and exhibits a bioluminescent glow. The Ropen supposedly lives on fish but there are reports of the creature having a taste for decaying human flesh and has even harassed native funeral gatherings and robbed graves. One of the first reports of this flying creature was made by Duane Hodgkinson who was stationed northwest of Lae, near Finschaven, PNG as part of the Army cavalry in 1944. About noon one day in August he was walking down a trail through a clearing in the forest when he was start...

One of the most famous of all lizard man cases is the humanoid cryptid believed to inhabit areas of swampland in and around Lee County, South Carolina. He is described as being about seven feet tall, bipedal, and stout, with green scaly skin and glowing orange or red eyes. It is said he has three toes on each foot and three fingers on each hand which end in a circular pad on them that stick to walls. Sometimes described as having lizard or human-like features. The first known sighting of the creature was made by 17-year-old local Christopher Davis. He reported encountering the creature while driving home from work at 2 AM on June 29, 1988. Davis stopped on a road bordering Scape Ore Swamp in order to change a tire. When he was finishing up, stated he heard a thumping noise from behind him. Turned around to see a creature with glowing red eyes running towards him. Davis jumped in to his car and locked the door, trying to escape. The creature first grabbed the door handle and then, j...

The Emela-ntouka is a mythic African legendary creature among the Pygmy tribes. Its name means "killer of the elephants" in the Lingala language and is also known as the Aseka-moke, Njago-gunda, Ngamba-namae, Chipekwe or Irizima. The Emela-ntouka is around the size of an African Bush Elephant, brownish to gray in color, with a heavy tail, and a body of similar to a rhinoceros. It has one long horn on its snout although it is unknown what the horn is made of whether it be ivory, bone or keratin. It is described as having no frills or ridges along the neck. The animal is alleged to be semi-aquatic and feed on Malombo and other leafy plants. The Emela-ntouka is known to snort, rumble or growl. This cryptid is alleged to mainly inhabit the vast shallow waters in the swamps and lakes of the Congo River basin, particularly in the Likouala swamps in the Republic of the Congo. It is also said to inhabit Lake Bangweulu in Zambia. They are claimed to be solitary and herbivores. Loc...

Earlier in the week, animal control officer Frank Hackett shot and killed an unusual animal in a barn southwest of Fort Hood, TX after hearing it growl at him. Officer Hackett hasn't stated whether or not he believes the creature to be the elusive Chupacabra as he awaits DNA results. However, did comment that “it wasn't normal.” A few days later, a second unidentifiable animal was killed several miles away by a rancher. While Officer Hackett isn't ready to declare his find a Chupacabra, many believe the second one may be. Some have described these animals as “half alien/half dinosaur dog like creature with a spiny back” or “a vampire dog of some sort with huge fangs and no tail”. Others state “it has a tail”, or “a stubby cropped looking tail”. At this point, it depends on who you talk to. Hood County Animal Control sent the animal to Texas A&M for testing. Until DNA results are returned Doctors at Texas A&M would only say it's some kind of coyote hybrid. Se...

Last year, I proposed the question as to whether or not another Giant Palouse Earthworm would ever be found in Idaho. This has officially been confirmed as a yes. Last month, Shan Xu, an Idaho student, and Karl Umiker, a research support scientist discovered an adult and juvenile earthworms along with three earthworm cocoons by using a new high-tech worm shocking probe that was stuck in the ground and used electricity to push worms toward the surface (you probably saw a similar technique used int he remake of Godzilla). The worms were translucent, allowing internal organs to appear and possessed pink heads and bulbous tails. The adult had a yellowish band behind the head. Some believed the giant Palouse grew to a length of 3 feet. However, the adult measure 10 to 12 inches; the juvenile was 6 to 7 inches. The adult was killed and dissected by expert Sam James from the University of Kansas to accurately identify the species; the identity was confirmed on April 16th. The juvenile r...

MonsterQuest is a series on The History Channel which explores the field of cryptozoology. Unlike Destination Truth, their style is more documentary than entertaining. Each week they tackle a subject for example Bigfoot or Loch Ness Monster and try to explain the monster with science: interview witnesses, test evidence, etc. Probably one of the most professional paranormal shows on the air. Unfortunately, it may have hit a snag. After four seasons, there are rumors circulating the web of its pending cancellation. Supposedly, MonsterQuest is on a short list of shows in danger of not being renewed. I haven't found anything from The History Channel confirming these rumors, but it would be a shame if they did give it the ax. It's refreshing to have something paranormal on TV that sticks to the facts and not so worried about the entertainment value. I mean it is The History Channel. It's not like you're going to switch on the channel and find George Lopez doing stand-up come...

In Western Kentucky, there is a national recreation area situated between the Kentucky and Barkley Lakes known as "The Land between Lakes" or LBL for short. This piece of land consists of 300 miles of shoreline, 170,000 acres of forest and 200 miles of walking trails. In 1963, by order of President Kennedy, the federal government used eminent domain to buy and tear down homes and businesses forcing 700 families out of the area known as "Between the Rivers". Over 228 family cemeteries are located throughout the area, long forgotten. White settlers, war veterans, large number of infants, black slaves, Chinese immigrants, and Native Americans lay beneath layers of Earth. There are various tales passed from one person to the next about this vast piece of land. Stories of Indian curses, hauntings, witches, and mysterious lights are told among those who once lived within the area. But there is one tale that has existed for over a hundred years. Witnesses have seen a wol...

If you are a devoted fan of SyFy's Destination Truth, you may have heard the story of the African Ninki Nanka. This legendary creature, depending on who you talk to, is believed to be a large reptilian, possibly even dragon-like. Some say it resembles its Chinese mythical counterpart. Others swear it possesses the body of a crocodile, the neck of a giraffe, the head of a horse with three horns, up to 30ft in length and breathes fire. One witness says it has legs. Another testifies to wings. While its appearance is up for debate, how dangerous it is perceived to be is not. Ninki Nanka has supposedly killed many in West Africa as recently as the 1990s. The mere mention of this creature sends fear in to locals to the point they reach for a mirror. It is believed the only way to get rid of the animal is to show it its reflection. This not being the only superstition/folk tale surrounding the creature. It is said that if a child disobeys their parents and goes in to the swamp they wil...

What elements does a road need to be labeled genuinely creepy? Isolated area? Thick forest on both sides? A dark history? Clinton Road in West Milford, New Jersey certainly would qualify. This ten mile stretch of curves and dips makes you feel like you’re millions of miles from civilization. Clinton Road along with the reservoir and brook received its name from the settlement Clinton, once located where it crosses the brook. The KKK and Satanists have all been known to worship in places near it. The woods next to Clinton Road was also the site of serial killer dumping ground. Richard “The Iceman” Kuklinski was a mob hitman who claimed to have murdered over hundreds of people but the one found near Clinton Road led to his 1986 arrest. The legends attached to the road attracts and terrifies all those who attempt to drive on it. In 1905, a writer warned travelers to avoid the road due to reports of banditry and witchcraft. This was one of the earlier reports but certainly not th...

Does a human-goat hybrid really exist? According to legend, the Pope Lick Monster resides beneath a Norfolk Southern Railway trestle over Pope Lick Creek in Louisville, Kentucky. It has been described as having powerful fur-covered goat legs, an alabaster-skinned face with an aquiline nose and wide set eyes, short sharp horns protruding from its head and long greasy hair the same color as the fur on its legs. Sights of this creature began in the 1940s and 50s. There are several theories on the origins of this creature and how it claims its victims. Some believe it uses hypnosis or voice mimicry using the panicked cries of a loved one to lure trespassers on to the trestle as an oncoming train sends them to their deaths. Others claim it jumps down from the trestle on to passing cars. It attacks with a blood stained rusty axe or the very sight of it sends people flying off the trestle, committing suicide. However, the monster prefers to terrorize people by pelting them with stones and/o...

Has the elusive vampiric "goat sucker" been found? Last week an unusual animal made its first appearance at the Lost World Museum in Phoenix, New York. The stuffed creature is believed to be the mysterious chupacabra. This particular animal was found thousands of miles away in Blanco, Texas in August. The local man who discovered it took the dead beast to taxidermist Jerry Ayer claiming it was none other than the chupacabra. It had been attacking chickens a few days earlier, and met its demise by poison left as bait. A less common description reported by eyewitnesses describes it as a strange breed of wild dog. It's mostly hairless and has a pronounced spinal ridge, unusually pronounced eye sockets, fangs, and claws. This description resembles the beast displayed at the museum. It weighed about 80 lbs and resembled a coyote or dog except the front legs were a few inches longer than most coyotes. The beast's body was mostly hairless other than around the feet and a...

Crater Lake in Southern Oregon is the deepest lake in the United States and the seventh deepest in the world. It was formed of the eruption of Mount Mazama over seven thousand years ago. The blast was believed to be 42 times greater than the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. It expelled so much magma that the summit of the mountain collapsed and formed a giant crater. Over time, the caldera sealed itself off and allowed rain and melted snow to fill the crater. Cinder cones was formed due to earlier eruptions. Only one managed to breach the surface of the water. In 1885, a man named Will G. Steele dubbed it Wizard Island because it resembled a wizard’s hat. Native Americans were known to inhabit the area long before it even erupted. They believed it to be a sacred place. Some believed if you looked upon the lake you would die instantaneously. Crater Lake went undiscovered for so long due to local tribes steering away any visitors. They would deny its very existence. There are so many...

The Chernobyl Power Plant located outside the town of Pripyat, Ukraine (11 miles from the city of Chernobyl) began construction in the 1970s with the first reactor. Over the next few years three more reactors were added and two more were in the middle of construction at the time of the disaster. On April 26, 1986 at 1:23 a.m., the no. 4 reactor was shut down for maintenance. An experiment was being performed to test a safety emergency core cooling feature during the shut down procedure. It's uncertain as to what exact processes led to the explosions but a disruption in regulation seem to be a part of it. The first explosion was that of steam. Steam from the wrecked channels entered the reactor inner space that caused the destruction of the reactor casing, tearing off and lifting by the force of 2,000 tons the upper plate. This ruptured further fuel channels, the reactor core suffered total water loss and a high positive void coefficient could entirely appear.The second explosions...

The Stronsay Beast was first spotted on September 25, 1808 by a fisherman named John Peace lying on the rocks southeast of Stronsay Island in Scotland. He and another man named George Sherar directed their boat towards it for a better look. Unfortunately, it’s position was inaccessible and couldn’t be examined further until ten days later when it washed ashore. This animal could not be identified and believed to be a new species, possibly a sea serpent. It was described as being 55 ft in length (though some dismissed this measurement), 4ft wide and a circumference of about 10 ft. It was initially measured by a carpenter and two farmers. It had a head like a sheep. Skin grey and rough to touch except when if stroked from head down to the back. It possessed six “limbs” and a bristly mane of hair from the shoulders down to its tail which may or may not have glowed in the dark. Drawings of the beast depict it similar in appearance to that of a Plesiosaur. The Natural History Society in E...

In 1869, the first Grassman was sighted in Gallia County, Ohio. Imagine seeing an ape-like creature standing at seven to nine feet tall with brown or reddish hair and a muscular build. What would your reaction be? Now a days, a camera would be retrieved and the next blurry video clip would hit YouTube fame. Some believed the Grassman is yet another Bigfoot in a different location. Those with a close encounter with the creature describe it as having a more human-like face and teeth. The History Channels investigative team Monster Quest went in search for evidence of its existence. Unfortunately, the evidence they recovered was inconclusive. Will the Grassman ever be identified?

A group of Japanese wild boar hunters searched for their prey but instead came across an unknown species of cat on Japan's Iriomote Island. The Yamapikarya is described as being 3 to 4 feet long and twice the size of the known Irimote wildcat. It's reported to have a yellow, dark yellow, or orange coat with large, black spots and a long tail. Since the first sighting, there have been at least 47 eyewitness reports, hitting its peak in the 50s and 60s. Wildcats moved deeper in to the uninhabited areas of the island. Thus, reports decreased. There are only two known species of cats on the island. Could these sightings mean there is another wandering the area?

In July 2008, an unidentifiable creature washed up on the beach in Montauk, New York. Some believed it was a bloated raccoon. Others, thought it might have been all a publicity stunt. I don't think it's true origins was ever revealed. However, another such creature has been found on the beach in Southold, NY on May 6th, 2009. Who broke the story? Why the very person running the creatures official website, Nicky Papers at Montauk-Monster.com . Papers stated the "animal" smelled of "rotten garbage" and therefore, had to take photos and video. Yes, a rotting corpse always makes me want to whip out my camera. Then said it may be the "result of biological warfare and carries the H1N1 swine-flu virus". Gotta love the media. Interesting thing is every attempt I've made to access the Montauk site has gone unsuccessful. He has a new site called Reality in 500 words or less . Wasn't able to access it either. Either he is experiencing technical di...

This post was initially going to be about a ghost town, but my search led me to this juicy find. I was looking for information on a Dead Man's Hole in Oklahoma. I came to find there's one in about every state including California. We've all heard about Bigfoot, Yowie and Nessie, but there was a monster that pre-dated all of them. Dead Man's Hole is located near Oak Grove, California and was a stop of the Butterfield stage line. When the line was established, it ran right by a sparkling water hole. The stage often stopped there to refresh men and horses before continuing their trip. It was on one of these stops in 1858 that a legend was born. The driver got out for a drink. He leaned over the water just to meet face to face with a dead man, the first known victim of the hole. Several reports circulated San Diego of the disappearance of men but were dismissed. A French sheepherder was found dead at the hole in 1870. Six years later, a stage passenger claimed to have s...

From the title, I'm sure you're scratching your head asking yourself "What could be so strange about a couple of white dogs". They haven't been classified as dogs per se. Eye witness accounts describes these creatures as "large, white, and dog-like". In 2008, a man spotted this creatures about 800 feet away. At that distance, some may question his ability to describe them accurately. How did he know they looked like dogs? Or, that they appeared to be in the 200 lb category? According to the eye witness, they were large enough for him to fear the safety of his cattle. He grabbed his rifle and wounded one of the "white dogs". The dog turned red but didn't react like a wounded animal and no blood was found in that area. A couple of days later, his daughter saw the dogs on her property but said there was no blood or evidence it had ever been shot. From September to December, several other people have seen the "white dogs". The onl...

Loch Ness Monsters. Bigfoot. Chupacabra. Stories of these creatures have existed for years, but not much photographic proof has brought credibility to any. The Borneo Monster in Malaysia is now in the news for that same reason. A disaster team monitoring flood conditions spotted something unusual in the Baleh River. It is thought to be the Borneo Monster a.k.a. Nabau, a 100 ft snake-like creature. Photos of this alledge creature have surfaced, two to be exact. One was taken from a helicopter. The other from land. But is it the real deal or another hoax? I've seen both. One looks obviously fake. The other appears more believable to perhaps an untrain eye like myself. Benjamin Radford from LiveScience brings up a lot good questions though. For example, the photos were submitted anonymously. If I had pictures of a mythical creature, I would want credit for it. That's the proof of the century. Also, why are there only two photos? If I see something weird, I'm not going to...