Cryptids
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Riverside Monster
The Riverside Monster was sighted in 1958 at Riverside California near the Santa Ana River Bridge. The witness was going to cross the bridge before his car was attacked by a reptilian creature. He shook the creature from his car and ran it over. He drove off and reported the incident to the police. It has been sighted since, often closer to the riverbed, and leaves behind a green residue after attacking vehicles. Citations: Newman, Rich. Haunted Bridges: Over 300 of America’s Creepiest Crossings. United States, Llewellyn Worldwide, Limited, 2016.
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Qattara Cheetah
The Qattara Cheetah is a mysterious big cat from Northern Africa, specifically the Qattara Depression in Egypt. They resemble pale cheetahs with thick coats and are thought to be a morph population of cheetahs. Reports of this creature go back to the 1960’s and a specimen was captured in 1967 by a Bedouin tribesman, but this wasn’t viewed by any scientists. Cheetah-like tracks have been photographed twice in the 1960’s. Citations: Eberhart, George M.. Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology. United Kingdom, ABC-CLIO, 2002. Newton, Michael. Encyclopedia of Cryptozoology: A Global Guide to Hidden Animals and Their Pursuers. United Kingdom, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016. Shuker, Karl. The Beasts That Hide…
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Ohio Highway Dragon
The Ohio Highway Dragon was a mysterious creature from a sighting in 2008 or 2009 recounted to Linda S. Godfrey. The creature was described as resembling a massive bird, dark brown or black in color, resembling an eagle the size of a dragon. While an exact estimate isn’t given, its notable that its wingspan was wider than the two lane highway it was sighted over. It didn’t move very fast and even seemed like it was moving in slow motion. It hovered over the road for about ten seconds about a mile and a half away and disappeared into the trees. It was seen arched up like most pictures of…
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Ninki Nanka
The Ninki Nanka is a creature comes from the fresh water bodies in West Africa. It is described as having a body like a crocodile, a head like a horse with three horns, and a long neck. It is a nocturnal creature that lives in mangroves, and has a ravenous appetite. Some local legends state that it can transform into a thirty foot long giant snake. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
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Ndesu/Nesu
The Ndesu is a cryptid reported from the Republic of the Congo. They’re described as giant hominids covered in dark hair with some lighter tufts mixed in. They prey on human, especially women and children, and have been known to attack both solitary travelers and entire caravans. They are thought to love music and dancing, and can be distracted by playing music. Citations: Eberhart, George M.. Mysterious Creatures [2 Volumes]: A Guide to Cryptozoology [2 Volumes]. Ukraine, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2002.
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Murung River Bear
The Murung River Bear is a cryptid reported from the Murung River in Borneo, Indonesia. They are described as bear-like creatures that gather along the river once a year to feed on berries, while otherwise they live in the jungle. They can swim and have been known to attack boats and claw humans to death. Citations: Eberhart, George M.. Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology. United Kingdom, ABC-CLIO, 2002.
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Miga/Migas
The Migas are large aquatic cryptids from the Congo. They are described as huge flat creatures with long tentacle-like protrusions. Sometimes it’s thought to have a head comparable to a gorgon. They’re thought to live in the upper waterways of the Congo River. Anything that gets too close to them is grabbed and pulled down to their lair. They are known to hide among rocks. They drain victims of blood and eat brains from infants. Some theorized identities of these creatures are freshwater octopus, drastically warped stories of manatees, or giant catfish. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers,…
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Mantis People
The Mantis People are cryptids sighted in various circumstances. This creature is described as being the size of a man, dark in color, and distinctly insect-like. It may have strange-looking hands or mandibles and may be covered with armored plates. It is bipedal and has long animalistic hind legs. One estimate suggested it is 500 pounds. While not frequently sighted, it has been encountered multiple times. – In one instance it was sighted by a man named John clinging to the wall of a building. The creature looked at John and walked up a wall backward. – It was also reported by a man named Troy, him and a friend…
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Lucy And Nancy Creature
The Lucy And Nancy Creature is a cryptid sighted in Florida in 1849. Its name comes from the fact it was sighted by people aboard the ship Lucy And Nancy. It was described as a sea serpent measuring ninety feel long, and seven feet across. It had a dirty brown back, a large serpentine head, and clawed fins that were several feet in length. Renowned Cryptozoology Bernard Heuvelmans suggested it could either be a long necked aquatic mammal, or a giant eel. Citations: Newton, Michael. Florida’s Unexpected Wildlife: Exotic Species, Living Fossils, and Mythical Beasts in the Sunshine State. United States, University Press of Florida, 2007.
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Kinchafoonee Creep/Grey Ghost Of Kinchafoonee
As this creature was only sighted once and wasn’t popularized, I have been unable to find a definite name but the names “Kinchafoonee Creep” and “Grey Ghost Of Kinchafoonee” have been used. This creature was sighted in July of 1955, by a 22 year old man by the name of Joseph Whaley. He was working in the Forestry Commission, clearing brush that was obscuring highway signs with a scythe near Kinchafoonee Creek. He heard a strange noise coming from a thicket and walked to the edge of the woods to investigate. He heard the bushes rattling and went to look in them. Suddenly a large animal emerged, which he described…