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A demon
born in the dead of night.
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An insatiable monster
hiding in the ocean's depths.
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And a violent swamp beast
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terrorizing an entire town.
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Since the dawn of humanity,
tales of monstrous creatures
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lurking in the shadows
of our world
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have sparked both
fascination and fear.
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Today, we often dismiss
these accounts as the stuff
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of myth and legend,
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but are we overlooking a
potentially terrifying reality?
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With scientists discovering
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as many as 18,000 new
animal species every year...
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isn't it conceivable
that there could be real-life
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flesh and blood monsters
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living among us?
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Well, that is what
we'll try and find out.
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In southern New Jersey,
a vast sea of trees
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stretches as far
as the eye can see.
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Below the dense canopy of these
woods lies a primeval world
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filled with ominous
sights and sounds
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that are shrouded
by dark undergrowth.
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This foreboding wilderness
is known
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as the Pine Barrens.
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The Pine Barrens is basically
a million acres of woodland
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in the southern tip
of New Jersey.
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You can essentially get lost
in the Pine Barrens
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and never be seen again
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because they are just so vast.
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At nighttime, you can hear
animals crunching all around.
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But the problem is you can't
see where these things are.
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It's a terrifying place.
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And it's very, very scary,
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especially if you're
lost there by yourself.
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The Pine Barrens is
home to over 500 animal species.
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But according to locals,
there is one creature
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said to dwell here that has
yet to be officially identified.
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It's a grotesque, winged
monster that is known
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as the Jersey Devil.
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The New Jersey Devil
legend is ingrained
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into the state of
New Jersey so much.
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It's something that every kid
hears when they're growing up.
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The Jersey Devil's
gonna come and get you.
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One of the most famous
aspects of the Jersey Devil
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is its horrific screech or roar.
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If you hear something
like that in the Pine Barrens,
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you run.
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The Jersey Devil
looks like it should have come out
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of Dr. Frankenstein's lab.
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It's a hodgepodge
of animal parts.
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00:03:04,750 --> 00:03:09,792
It has a horse's head
with horns growing out of it,
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a long dragon or kangaroo body,
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ending in thin, long
bird legs and hooves,
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a forked tail on its back.
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It has giant leather
bat-like wings on its back.
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If you were to describe
something out of a nightmare,
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the Jersey Devil would
be that description.
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Could a winged abomination
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really lurk somewhere
in the Pine Barrens?
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Perhaps clues can be found
by examining the origin story
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of this fearsome monster
that has been spoken of
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in local lore for
more than 250 years.
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As the story goes, in 1735,
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00:03:56,667 --> 00:04:00,250
inside a small house in
Leeds Point, New Jersey,
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a woman gave birth to
her unlucky 13th child.
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And when it was born,
it became a monster.
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According to tradition,
the Jersey Devil
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is actually the 13th child
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of a woman known
as Mother Leeds.
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00:04:21,417 --> 00:04:25,667
And she is on record
as having 12 children.
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So, the story that we get
is that, when Mother Leeds
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was giving birth to this
purported 13th child,
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she apparently, legend says,
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cried out, "The devil
can take this one."
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00:04:42,417 --> 00:04:44,958
And she initially gave birth
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to a healthy, happy baby boy,
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who almost
immediately transformed
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into this demon-like creature.
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Some stories say that
Mother Leeds was killed
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after the baby was
born, by the baby.
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Other stories just say
he flew up the chimney
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00:05:02,208 --> 00:05:03,917
and into the Pine Barrens.
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00:05:05,083 --> 00:05:07,458
Skeptics are quick
to dismiss the story of a devil
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born of human flesh, but
after this alleged event,
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00:05:12,208 --> 00:05:14,708
entirely new tales
of the monster
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00:05:14,875 --> 00:05:17,625
started to surface
in South Jersey.
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00:05:21,167 --> 00:05:22,542
In the early 1800s,
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00:05:22,667 --> 00:05:24,750
a military officer
of great distinction
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was said to have had
a firsthand encounter
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00:05:27,542 --> 00:05:30,208
with the Jersey Devil.
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00:05:30,375 --> 00:05:32,958
The Jersey Devil has
had run-ins with many
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00:05:33,125 --> 00:05:34,375
famous people over the years,
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00:05:34,542 --> 00:05:38,000
such as Commodore
Stephen Decatur.
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He was a famous naval war hero,
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00:05:41,375 --> 00:05:43,833
and he came across
the Jersey Devil
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00:05:44,042 --> 00:05:45,417
flying overhead.
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00:05:45,542 --> 00:05:48,833
He fired a cannon
at the Jersey Devil.
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00:05:50,750 --> 00:05:52,583
And, according to
some eyewitnesses,
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00:05:52,750 --> 00:05:54,875
he shot a hole through
one of its wings,
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00:05:55,042 --> 00:05:57,458
but it just flew away like
nothing had happened.
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Naval Commodore
Stephen Decatur spoke openly about this.
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00:06:03,583 --> 00:06:06,833
So, when a prominent
person comes forward to say,
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00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:10,083
"No, absolutely, I saw this,
you know, strange horse-faced,
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00:06:10,250 --> 00:06:13,958
winged, dragon-like creature,
and I shot a cannonball at it,"
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00:06:14,125 --> 00:06:17,500
that impresses itself upon
us in a way that kind of says,
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00:06:17,667 --> 00:06:19,000
"Wait a minute, okay."
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00:06:20,042 --> 00:06:24,458
The pattern of belief
here is so consistent.
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00:06:26,042 --> 00:06:29,083
By the turn of the
20th century, belief in the existence
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00:06:29,250 --> 00:06:33,750
of the Jersey Devil had
long been part of local culture.
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00:06:33,917 --> 00:06:37,542
But then, during the
week of January 16, 1909,
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an unprecedented avalanche
of Jersey Devil sightings
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00:06:41,833 --> 00:06:43,625
surfaced in the
numerous communities
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bordering the Pine Barrens.
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00:06:46,208 --> 00:06:51,125
And for the first time, this
demonic creature terrified
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00:06:51,292 --> 00:06:53,667
not just the residents
of New Jersey
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00:06:53,875 --> 00:06:57,500
but also newspaper readers
across the United States.
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00:06:59,542 --> 00:07:02,875
1909 is really a key year
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00:07:03,042 --> 00:07:04,583
for the Jersey Devil story
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00:07:04,792 --> 00:07:06,417
because what we see happen
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00:07:06,542 --> 00:07:08,500
is really what amounts to
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00:07:08,708 --> 00:07:10,542
just an absolute panic.
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00:07:10,708 --> 00:07:13,500
There starts to be report
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00:07:13,708 --> 00:07:16,333
after report after report
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00:07:16,542 --> 00:07:19,125
of people encountering
the Jersey Devil,
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00:07:19,292 --> 00:07:20,917
shooting at it...
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00:07:23,208 --> 00:07:27,583
seeing its hoofprints on
top of their chicken coops
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00:07:27,708 --> 00:07:30,167
and their farm buildings.
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00:07:30,375 --> 00:07:33,292
People are sheltering in place
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00:07:33,458 --> 00:07:36,042
because of the Jersey Devil.
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00:07:37,542 --> 00:07:39,500
One of the more
dramatic sightings involved
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00:07:39,667 --> 00:07:42,333
a trolley car in Haddon
Heights, New Jersey
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00:07:42,542 --> 00:07:44,875
that was allegedly
dive-bombed by the creature.
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00:07:45,042 --> 00:07:47,833
When accounts of these
Jersey Devil sightings
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00:07:48,042 --> 00:07:50,042
and attacks surfaced
in local newspapers,
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00:07:50,208 --> 00:07:52,458
it actually caused
mass hysteria.
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00:07:52,667 --> 00:07:55,667
Local businesses and
schools were shut down.
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00:07:55,833 --> 00:07:59,167
The Philadelphia Zoo
offered a reward of $10,000
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00:07:59,333 --> 00:08:01,375
for the creature's capture,
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00:08:01,583 --> 00:08:04,000
and vigilance committees
and posses were formed
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00:08:04,208 --> 00:08:05,458
to hunt the creature.
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00:08:07,125 --> 00:08:10,167
I do think because
of the sheer amounts of accounts
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00:08:10,375 --> 00:08:12,167
that happened in 1909,
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00:08:12,333 --> 00:08:14,750
of course some of them are
not gonna be true. Absolutely.
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00:08:14,917 --> 00:08:17,167
But the fact that so
many of them happened,
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I really believe that
there were some
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actual Jersey Devil
encounters during this time.
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00:08:21,750 --> 00:08:24,250
The panic of 1909
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00:08:24,417 --> 00:08:26,500
immortalized the Jersey Devil
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00:08:26,708 --> 00:08:29,125
in both national
and local history.
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But curiously, Native
American lore suggests
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00:08:33,042 --> 00:08:36,458
that the origins of this
Pine Barrens monster
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00:08:36,667 --> 00:08:40,750
may actually go back much
further into the distant past.
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In this part of the world,
before the arrival of colonists,
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the tribes that lived
here were the Lenape,
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and they referred to this part
of the world... the Pine Barrens
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of what is now New Jersey...
As "the place of the dragon."
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So, the presence of a creature
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00:09:01,167 --> 00:09:03,208
in this place of the dragon
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00:09:03,375 --> 00:09:06,292
has been recorded
long into the past.
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00:09:07,417 --> 00:09:11,000
We really do see two
different cultural understandings
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of this place coming together
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in the idea that
there's a creature here
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that maybe looks a
little bit like a dragon.
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Whether or not you believe
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00:09:21,917 --> 00:09:24,708
the Jersey Devil
theories or legends,
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00:09:24,875 --> 00:09:27,042
he existed well before
any of that stuff existed,
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00:09:27,208 --> 00:09:30,667
and it's a big part
of the state's identity.
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00:09:30,750 --> 00:09:33,500
The Pine Barrens is
such a huge, vast place
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that, absolutely, a
creature can live there
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and not ever be seen by anyone
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00:09:38,583 --> 00:09:40,458
for the rest of
their entire lives,
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which kind of leads
credence to the theory that
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this creature does exist.
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733.
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00:09:57,875 --> 00:10:00,917
This small town near the
eastern border of Texas
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appears similar to
hundreds of other
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rural communities in the region.
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A single highway
cuts through town,
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which is surrounded
by vast woods,
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00:10:11,875 --> 00:10:14,542
creeks,
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00:10:14,708 --> 00:10:18,417
and acres of
mosquito-ridden swampland.
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00:10:18,542 --> 00:10:21,583
Fouke, Arkansas is
thousands of acres
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of very swampy area.
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00:10:23,500 --> 00:10:25,500
And within that,
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there is plenty of
places that creatures
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could find seclusion
and could easily survive.
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The woods and the swampy bottoms
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are just so thick that
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they could travel
through these woods
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and not be seen,
very much, if at all.
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00:10:44,250 --> 00:10:47,708
This rugged
landscape is teeming with wildlife,
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00:10:47,875 --> 00:10:49,875
but according to locals,
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00:10:50,042 --> 00:10:52,542
there is a massive,
monstrous creature
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that stands out from all others,
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because it bears an
uncanny resemblance
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to a human.
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They call it the Fouke Monster.
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00:11:02,792 --> 00:11:04,625
By physical description,
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00:11:04,792 --> 00:11:06,500
the Fouke Monster...
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00:11:06,625 --> 00:11:09,667
It's very large...
Seven to ten feet tall,
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00:11:09,875 --> 00:11:15,000
very thick, long,
matted-down hair,
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00:11:15,167 --> 00:11:19,667
usually dark brown
or a reddish tint.
202
00:11:19,875 --> 00:11:24,792
It's a biped walking and
running upright on its hind legs.
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00:11:24,958 --> 00:11:27,333
The creature is often known
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00:11:27,500 --> 00:11:29,083
to elicit a frightening howl.
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00:11:30,583 --> 00:11:31,958
It's often said
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00:11:32,125 --> 00:11:34,667
to have a very
terrible, rank odor.
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00:11:34,833 --> 00:11:37,625
It's said to be
similar to a Bigfoot,
208
00:11:37,708 --> 00:11:40,125
yet more scraggly,
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00:11:40,333 --> 00:11:44,417
more rugged looking,
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00:11:44,583 --> 00:11:46,792
and witnesses often have a very
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00:11:46,958 --> 00:11:51,167
emotional reaction because
of the fear of this creature.
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00:11:51,333 --> 00:11:53,625
It's estimated
that there have been hundreds
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00:11:53,750 --> 00:11:56,250
of sightings of the
Fouke Monster,
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00:11:56,417 --> 00:11:58,708
dating back to the 1800s.
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00:11:58,875 --> 00:12:01,083
And locals are convinced
216
00:12:01,250 --> 00:12:04,583
that tangible evidence
of the beast exists.
217
00:12:04,750 --> 00:12:07,792
Over the years, people have
made numerous plaster casts
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00:12:07,917 --> 00:12:10,792
of unusually large footprints
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00:12:10,958 --> 00:12:14,333
said to have been left
by the massive creature.
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00:12:15,542 --> 00:12:17,583
Today, many of
them are preserved
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00:12:17,750 --> 00:12:21,917
in a town museum known
as the Monster Mart.
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00:12:53,917 --> 00:12:56,167
Are these
strange footprints proof
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00:12:56,375 --> 00:12:59,333
that a giant, hairy beast
roams the swamplands
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00:12:59,500 --> 00:13:01,708
of Southwest Arkansas?
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00:13:01,875 --> 00:13:03,833
Perhaps. But, of course,
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00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:05,667
many residents
don't need convincing,
227
00:13:05,792 --> 00:13:07,167
because they claim
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00:13:07,375 --> 00:13:09,833
to have actually seen
the Fouke Monster
229
00:13:10,042 --> 00:13:12,542
with their own eyes.
230
00:13:12,708 --> 00:13:14,458
Back in the early '70s,
231
00:13:14,625 --> 00:13:16,000
my friend Karen
and I were riding
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00:13:16,125 --> 00:13:17,625
in the back of a pickup truck.
233
00:13:17,833 --> 00:13:20,000
And all of a sudden,
234
00:13:20,167 --> 00:13:23,250
we saw this thing step
out from behind a big tree.
235
00:13:24,375 --> 00:13:25,962
It was probably about
three and a half feet
236
00:13:26,042 --> 00:13:27,833
across the shoulders.
237
00:13:28,042 --> 00:13:29,958
And it turned and
took another step
238
00:13:30,125 --> 00:13:32,708
and was gone into
the plum thicket.
239
00:13:32,875 --> 00:13:35,003
That's why we never went in
the woods anymore after that,
240
00:13:35,083 --> 00:13:37,042
'cause we... we
knew how big it was,
241
00:13:37,250 --> 00:13:39,667
and that thing could
snap you like a twig.
242
00:13:40,708 --> 00:13:44,708
About
2004, I'm in a little canoe,
243
00:13:44,875 --> 00:13:47,833
and I hear splashes.
244
00:13:48,042 --> 00:13:50,583
I could see the image,
245
00:13:50,708 --> 00:13:54,208
the silhouette of
something with two legs
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00:13:54,375 --> 00:13:56,167
standing up.
247
00:13:56,333 --> 00:14:00,125
This thing was hairy.
It's big legs, big trunk.
248
00:14:00,250 --> 00:14:01,958
It was very impressive-looking.
249
00:14:02,125 --> 00:14:04,083
After a while, he
just turned around
250
00:14:04,250 --> 00:14:06,083
and just walked
off in the marsh,
251
00:14:06,250 --> 00:14:08,750
and I didn't see him again.
252
00:14:08,917 --> 00:14:12,042
Now, I, at that point, never
believed in the monster,
253
00:14:12,208 --> 00:14:13,958
or that there was
something else out there.
254
00:14:14,125 --> 00:14:15,875
But my mind started getting open
255
00:14:16,042 --> 00:14:18,000
to the possibility
at that point.
256
00:14:18,208 --> 00:14:20,833
For the
residents of Fouke, Arkansas,
257
00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:23,833
the possibility that an
unidentified creature
258
00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:26,292
could dwell in their midst
is simply part of living
259
00:14:26,458 --> 00:14:28,542
in this rural community.
260
00:14:28,708 --> 00:14:30,708
And many believe
that the monster is
261
00:14:30,875 --> 00:14:34,458
not only real, but
also quite dangerous.
262
00:14:34,583 --> 00:14:36,500
The most infamous incident
263
00:14:36,667 --> 00:14:38,708
that cemented the
Fouke Monster's
264
00:14:38,875 --> 00:14:44,167
menacing reputation
occurred on May 2, 1971,
265
00:14:44,292 --> 00:14:49,958
when it reportedly attacked a
local man named Bobby Ford.
266
00:14:50,042 --> 00:14:52,042
One of the most sensational
267
00:14:52,167 --> 00:14:56,125
and well-known encounters
with the Fouke Monster
268
00:14:56,250 --> 00:14:58,792
originates at what's
known as the Ford house.
269
00:14:58,958 --> 00:15:02,292
On a Saturday night,
the Ford family started
270
00:15:02,458 --> 00:15:05,250
to hear something creeping
around on the porch.
271
00:15:07,375 --> 00:15:09,208
And all of a sudden,
272
00:15:09,375 --> 00:15:13,083
this big, hairy hand came
in through the window.
273
00:15:16,167 --> 00:15:19,375
Bobby Ford went
outside and shot at it.
274
00:15:21,125 --> 00:15:23,042
All of a sudden,
something ran out
275
00:15:23,208 --> 00:15:26,000
from beside the house
and attacked him.
276
00:15:26,167 --> 00:15:28,042
He barely managed to escape,
277
00:15:28,208 --> 00:15:32,208
and whatever had happened
shook him up so bad
278
00:15:32,375 --> 00:15:34,875
that they ended up
having to transport him
279
00:15:35,042 --> 00:15:37,083
to the Texarkana Hospital,
280
00:15:37,250 --> 00:15:40,667
where he was treated
for shock and injuries
281
00:15:40,833 --> 00:15:43,333
as a result of this attack.
282
00:15:43,458 --> 00:15:46,792
The Fords found
a strange footprint
283
00:15:46,958 --> 00:15:50,417
which looked large and
somewhat human-like,
284
00:15:50,583 --> 00:15:52,417
yet had three toes.
285
00:15:52,583 --> 00:15:55,250
And so, something very scary
286
00:15:55,417 --> 00:15:58,833
and something very
unexplainable happened.
287
00:15:59,042 --> 00:16:00,920
The attack on
Bobby Ford made headlines
288
00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:02,458
around the country,
289
00:16:02,583 --> 00:16:05,333
due to the sensational
nature of the story,
290
00:16:05,542 --> 00:16:08,750
and because shortly
after it took place,
291
00:16:08,917 --> 00:16:10,625
physical evidence was recovered
292
00:16:10,750 --> 00:16:14,833
which seemed to corroborate
the Ford family's claims.
293
00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:18,042
Following the publicity
around the Ford incident,
294
00:16:18,208 --> 00:16:22,667
a farmer found a
track line of footprints
295
00:16:22,875 --> 00:16:24,833
that went across
a soybean field,
296
00:16:24,917 --> 00:16:28,958
and these tracks were
roughly human-shaped,
297
00:16:29,167 --> 00:16:31,542
yet had three toes.
298
00:16:31,708 --> 00:16:33,375
And this was investigated
299
00:16:33,542 --> 00:16:35,417
by the Miller County
Sheriff's Office,
300
00:16:35,542 --> 00:16:37,333
the game warden,
wildlife officials,
301
00:16:37,458 --> 00:16:39,875
and none of them
could really explain
302
00:16:40,083 --> 00:16:42,292
what the heck
these footprints were.
303
00:16:42,417 --> 00:16:47,083
So, that built credibility to
what the Fords were saying.
304
00:16:48,125 --> 00:16:49,587
Perhaps
what's even more remarkable
305
00:16:49,667 --> 00:16:53,167
than the fact that inexplicable,
three-toed tracks were found
306
00:16:53,375 --> 00:16:57,083
shortly after the Ford
incident is that a plaster cast
307
00:16:57,208 --> 00:17:00,792
of those footprints
can still be seen today
308
00:17:00,917 --> 00:17:03,125
in the Monster Mart.
309
00:17:21,792 --> 00:17:25,083
While the
outside world may be skeptical,
310
00:17:25,250 --> 00:17:29,333
many people in Fouke,
Arkansas remain utterly convinced
311
00:17:29,542 --> 00:17:31,458
that their town is
home to a monster
312
00:17:31,625 --> 00:17:35,250
that is not the stuff
of myth and legend,
313
00:17:35,417 --> 00:17:40,167
but rather flesh and blood.
314
00:17:40,292 --> 00:17:43,667
But there's another
legendary monster
315
00:17:43,833 --> 00:17:45,792
that inspires
nothing but terror,
316
00:17:45,917 --> 00:17:48,083
because it's said to be so evil
317
00:17:48,208 --> 00:17:50,292
that it can drive
ordinary people
318
00:17:50,417 --> 00:17:55,125
to commit... unspeakable acts.
319
00:18:01,417 --> 00:18:03,167
- A
- group of psychiatrists
320
00:18:03,333 --> 00:18:06,000
from the University of Miami
School of Medicine publish
321
00:18:06,167 --> 00:18:10,000
an intriguing and
unsettling study.
322
00:18:10,167 --> 00:18:14,250
Their report documents
a rare mental illness
323
00:18:14,417 --> 00:18:18,500
that is known as
Windigo Psychosis.
324
00:18:18,708 --> 00:18:22,125
Windigo psychosis
is a kind of controversial condition
325
00:18:22,292 --> 00:18:27,167
in which a person
is believed to have
326
00:18:27,333 --> 00:18:29,833
intense cravings
for human flesh.
327
00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:34,333
This could result
from isolation,
328
00:18:34,500 --> 00:18:38,000
lack of food, in which
a person ends up
329
00:18:38,167 --> 00:18:39,833
getting a condition
of high anxiety
330
00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:41,500
that just sort of comes out
331
00:18:41,667 --> 00:18:44,583
in this bizarre
cannibalistic craving.
332
00:18:45,625 --> 00:18:47,917
While Windigo
Psychosis continues to be studied
333
00:18:48,125 --> 00:18:50,083
by medical professionals...
334
00:18:51,500 --> 00:18:54,000
the name of this
disturbing condition
335
00:18:54,167 --> 00:18:59,292
actually has its origins
in Native American lore.
336
00:19:00,292 --> 00:19:01,833
For centuries, when
native people heard
337
00:19:02,042 --> 00:19:04,250
the word "windigo,"
they understood it to be
338
00:19:04,417 --> 00:19:06,292
not a form of mental illness
339
00:19:06,458 --> 00:19:10,750
but rather a terrifying monster.
340
00:19:10,875 --> 00:19:13,000
The windigo is a creature
341
00:19:13,208 --> 00:19:15,542
that comes to us from
Algonquin tradition.
342
00:19:15,708 --> 00:19:17,333
So the Ojibwe People,
343
00:19:17,500 --> 00:19:20,083
the Cree People right
around the Great Lakes area,
344
00:19:20,292 --> 00:19:22,250
in both the U.S. and in Canada.
345
00:19:23,792 --> 00:19:25,292
This is an area of the world...
346
00:19:25,458 --> 00:19:28,292
The Great Lakes region...
Where winters are harsh.
347
00:19:28,417 --> 00:19:31,792
And starvation... that
was a common thing.
348
00:19:31,958 --> 00:19:35,000
The key theme to
the windigo story is
349
00:19:35,125 --> 00:19:38,667
that this is a creature
that eats human beings.
350
00:19:38,875 --> 00:19:43,167
"Windigo" is a word from
the Algonquin language,
351
00:19:43,375 --> 00:19:48,417
which translates into "evil
spirit that devours mankind."
352
00:19:49,458 --> 00:19:52,167
Descriptions of the creature
vary from tribe to tribe,
353
00:19:52,292 --> 00:19:56,667
but in general, the
windigo is a very tall giant
354
00:19:56,833 --> 00:19:58,667
with glowing red eyes,
355
00:19:58,833 --> 00:20:03,375
rows of sharp teeth, and
an extremely long tongue.
356
00:20:03,542 --> 00:20:05,917
Many cultures believe
that the windigo is
357
00:20:06,083 --> 00:20:08,458
the most fearsome
and deadly creature
358
00:20:08,625 --> 00:20:10,625
ever to set foot
in North America.
359
00:20:10,792 --> 00:20:14,250
It has an insatiable
hunger for human flesh.
360
00:20:14,375 --> 00:20:17,500
The more it eats,
the bigger it becomes.
361
00:20:18,542 --> 00:20:20,878
A skeletal monster
that becomes bigger and stronger
362
00:20:20,958 --> 00:20:22,333
with each human it devours?
363
00:20:22,542 --> 00:20:25,625
It's undoubtedly
terrifying, to say the least.
364
00:20:25,750 --> 00:20:30,333
But could the legend of
the windigo actually be true?
365
00:20:30,542 --> 00:20:34,333
Well, according to
Native American tradition,
366
00:20:34,542 --> 00:20:35,583
it is.
367
00:20:35,708 --> 00:20:37,583
And perhaps the
most haunting part
368
00:20:37,750 --> 00:20:42,125
of the legend is that these
hideous creatures were once
369
00:20:42,333 --> 00:20:44,333
human beings.
370
00:20:44,500 --> 00:20:48,167
According to
the Native American stories,
371
00:20:48,375 --> 00:20:52,083
the process for somebody
becoming a windigo is either
372
00:20:52,250 --> 00:20:55,167
an evil spirit
possesses the person
373
00:20:55,333 --> 00:20:57,708
and then becomes the windigo
374
00:20:57,875 --> 00:21:00,333
or the person simply
375
00:21:00,500 --> 00:21:03,000
transforms into the monster.
376
00:21:03,167 --> 00:21:05,833
If you dreamed of the windigo,
377
00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:10,042
that would welcome the
windigo to come and attack you.
378
00:21:10,208 --> 00:21:11,833
So, there were multiple ways
379
00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:14,500
that you could be
possessed by the windigo.
380
00:21:14,667 --> 00:21:16,542
While Native American legends
381
00:21:16,708 --> 00:21:19,542
of windigo transformations
might be easily dismissed
382
00:21:19,708 --> 00:21:22,792
as parables rather
than real events,
383
00:21:22,875 --> 00:21:25,667
that may not be the case.
384
00:21:25,833 --> 00:21:28,167
Perhaps the most
compelling argument
385
00:21:28,375 --> 00:21:31,375
that windigo possession
is in fact real can be found
386
00:21:31,542 --> 00:21:34,333
by examining the horrific story
387
00:21:34,500 --> 00:21:39,292
of a 19th century Cree
trapper named Swift Runner.
388
00:21:39,417 --> 00:21:42,292
The story of Swift Runner
is one of the most gruesome
389
00:21:42,375 --> 00:21:46,167
and heartbreaking tales of a
person becoming a windigo.
390
00:21:46,292 --> 00:21:51,000
During the winter
of 1878 and '79,
391
00:21:51,167 --> 00:21:53,000
Swift Runner took
off with his family
392
00:21:53,167 --> 00:21:55,833
to their winter hunting grounds.
393
00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:58,167
But then the game disappeared.
394
00:21:58,375 --> 00:22:01,125
Times were tough
and food was scarce.
395
00:22:01,250 --> 00:22:03,792
During this particularly
brutal winter,
396
00:22:03,958 --> 00:22:08,125
he actually killed and ate
his wife and his children.
397
00:22:08,333 --> 00:22:09,875
And according to the story,
398
00:22:10,042 --> 00:22:13,958
Swift Runner been possessed
by the spirit of the windigo.
399
00:22:14,167 --> 00:22:15,500
Swift Runner said
400
00:22:15,667 --> 00:22:17,708
an evil presence overcame him.
401
00:22:17,917 --> 00:22:21,833
When authorities took
him back to the grounds,
402
00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:24,333
they discovered something
out of a horror movie.
403
00:22:24,542 --> 00:22:29,333
Bones thrown all
about, skulls everywhere.
404
00:22:29,542 --> 00:22:34,292
He was eventually arrested
and sent to Edmonton,
405
00:22:34,417 --> 00:22:37,833
and was hanged
for being a windigo.
406
00:22:38,875 --> 00:22:41,000
Did Swift Runner
commit shocking crimes
407
00:22:41,208 --> 00:22:43,333
because he was
possessed by the windigo,
408
00:22:43,542 --> 00:22:46,542
as some people
believed at the time?
409
00:22:46,708 --> 00:22:50,333
Or was he simply afflicted with
an extreme form of psychosis,
410
00:22:50,542 --> 00:22:53,542
as the modern medical
community now claims?
411
00:22:53,667 --> 00:22:58,167
Just like many tales regarding
monsters of myth and legend,
412
00:22:58,375 --> 00:23:01,333
the truth remains elusive.
413
00:23:02,250 --> 00:23:06,000
The key defining
feature of the windigo
414
00:23:06,208 --> 00:23:08,333
is about cannibalism.
415
00:23:09,375 --> 00:23:11,583
We can see that as a
supernatural creature
416
00:23:11,750 --> 00:23:14,708
or we can see it as
a medical condition.
417
00:23:14,875 --> 00:23:19,250
But as far as anyone can
tell, the windigo psychosis
418
00:23:19,417 --> 00:23:22,542
is pretty specific
to that cultural area.
419
00:23:22,708 --> 00:23:26,083
And there are things known
as culture-bound conditions
420
00:23:26,292 --> 00:23:29,625
that only happen to people
from a given cultural background.
421
00:23:31,375 --> 00:23:33,875
The fact that we have science
422
00:23:34,042 --> 00:23:35,750
referring to the windigo...
423
00:23:35,917 --> 00:23:38,292
It doesn't prove that
the windigo exists,
424
00:23:38,458 --> 00:23:42,208
but it just underscores
the fact that the windigo
425
00:23:42,375 --> 00:23:46,250
has transformed from
Native American tales
426
00:23:46,375 --> 00:23:49,625
to something we're talking
about in modern times.
427
00:23:50,625 --> 00:23:54,167
Is the windigo a real creature
made of flesh and blood
428
00:23:54,375 --> 00:23:57,499
or a menace that dwells
within the human mind?
429
00:23:57,500 --> 00:23:57,833
Or a menace that dwells
within the human mind?
430
00:23:58,542 --> 00:24:02,292
In either case, it
embodies pure terror.
431
00:24:02,500 --> 00:24:05,750
Not unlike a
massive, winged beast
432
00:24:05,875 --> 00:24:10,750
that, in 1909, incited
such widespread panic
433
00:24:10,917 --> 00:24:13,500
that a $100,000
reward was offered
434
00:24:13,667 --> 00:24:16,500
to anyone who could slay it.
435
00:24:16,708 --> 00:24:19,917
The hideous monster
was known as...
436
00:24:20,125 --> 00:24:21,958
the snallygaster.
437
00:24:30,792 --> 00:24:32,875
The residents of this quaint
438
00:24:33,042 --> 00:24:36,250
rural community are shocked
to read an unsettling report
439
00:24:36,417 --> 00:24:40,125
in a local newspaper named
the Middletown Valley Register.
440
00:24:40,292 --> 00:24:42,042
An eyewitness claims
441
00:24:42,208 --> 00:24:47,458
to have seen a gigantic flying
monster soaring in the sky.
442
00:24:47,625 --> 00:24:50,000
The creature appeared
to have bronze wings,
443
00:24:50,167 --> 00:24:54,833
an enormous horned
head and a 20-foot-long tail.
444
00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:59,583
This hideous beast was
referred to as the "snallygaster."
445
00:25:01,375 --> 00:25:03,375
The first documented reports
446
00:25:03,542 --> 00:25:06,292
of the snallygaster
started in 1909.
447
00:25:06,458 --> 00:25:10,333
And then it just kept
getting printed again,
448
00:25:10,542 --> 00:25:12,333
different sightings
throughout the area,
449
00:25:12,458 --> 00:25:14,417
mischief that it was causing.
450
00:25:14,583 --> 00:25:17,500
It was described as
this dragon-like creature
451
00:25:17,708 --> 00:25:20,667
with a beak and tentacles
and razor-sharp claws
452
00:25:20,833 --> 00:25:23,417
and all kinds of
terrifying things.
453
00:25:23,625 --> 00:25:25,875
And then it escalated from,
454
00:25:26,042 --> 00:25:29,375
"I saw it flying over
the mountain" to
455
00:25:29,583 --> 00:25:32,875
"It killed my chickens and
destroyed part of my barn."
456
00:25:34,875 --> 00:25:37,042
So it definitely escalated
into a frenzy where people
457
00:25:37,208 --> 00:25:38,625
were truly afraid.
458
00:25:40,125 --> 00:25:43,500
In 1909, people
of Frederick County
459
00:25:43,708 --> 00:25:46,167
were seeing the
snallygaster everywhere.
460
00:25:46,333 --> 00:25:49,500
It was out in farm fields,
it was crossing roads,
461
00:25:49,708 --> 00:25:51,500
people were taking shots at it.
462
00:25:54,167 --> 00:25:56,167
They would say that their
bullets would bounce off
463
00:25:56,333 --> 00:26:00,000
of its skin as though it
had a scale-like armor.
464
00:26:01,042 --> 00:26:03,458
Newspaper
coverage about the snallygaster
465
00:26:03,667 --> 00:26:06,042
terrorized people
throughout Frederick County.
466
00:26:06,208 --> 00:26:08,000
But the panic escalated
467
00:26:08,167 --> 00:26:11,083
when a report surfaced
that the winged freak
468
00:26:11,250 --> 00:26:13,042
had actually killed
469
00:26:13,208 --> 00:26:15,667
a human being.
470
00:26:15,792 --> 00:26:18,625
There is one death
blamed on the snallygaster.
471
00:26:18,750 --> 00:26:22,583
It was a Middletown
man named Bill Gifferson.
472
00:26:22,708 --> 00:26:24,667
People found the body,
473
00:26:24,792 --> 00:26:26,875
had no idea how this happened,
474
00:26:27,042 --> 00:26:29,125
and eyewitnesses
said that it was
475
00:26:29,292 --> 00:26:31,667
a snallygaster that got
hold of him in the night.
476
00:26:32,708 --> 00:26:35,500
Allegedly, the
gentleman was scooped up,
477
00:26:35,708 --> 00:26:38,167
his jugular vein
bitten by the creature,
478
00:26:38,292 --> 00:26:39,625
drained of his blood,
479
00:26:39,833 --> 00:26:41,458
and his body was
discarded on a hillside.
480
00:26:41,583 --> 00:26:44,333
Bill Gifferson's
death actually led
481
00:26:44,542 --> 00:26:48,000
to more horrifying
kind of media coverage,
482
00:26:48,125 --> 00:26:51,667
telling people to stay
inside and to be afraid
483
00:26:51,833 --> 00:26:53,708
and watch out for it.
484
00:26:53,875 --> 00:26:55,708
And especially once it got dark.
485
00:26:56,833 --> 00:26:59,833
As reports of
the snallygaster circulated,
486
00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:02,250
the monster famously
drew the attention
487
00:27:02,417 --> 00:27:06,333
of a very powerful person
who loved to hunt big game.
488
00:27:06,542 --> 00:27:10,667
The 26th president
of the United States:
489
00:27:10,875 --> 00:27:13,125
Theodore Roosevelt.
490
00:27:13,292 --> 00:27:15,000
Teddy Roosevelt
491
00:27:15,167 --> 00:27:18,292
was ready to pick up his
gun and go down and shoot it.
492
00:27:18,417 --> 00:27:22,333
He was ready to cancel
trips he already had planned
493
00:27:22,542 --> 00:27:25,458
to take on this creature.
494
00:27:25,667 --> 00:27:28,375
Now, in the end,
Teddy Roosevelt said,
495
00:27:28,542 --> 00:27:31,292
"I don't need to
march to Maryland
496
00:27:31,458 --> 00:27:33,375
and kill this thing
myself anymore."
497
00:27:33,583 --> 00:27:37,167
But it was a big deal
when it happened.
498
00:27:38,417 --> 00:27:39,792
It's easy to assume
499
00:27:39,958 --> 00:27:42,000
that the frenzy
surrounding the snallygaster
500
00:27:42,208 --> 00:27:46,042
in 1909 was simply the
result of mass hysteria.
501
00:27:46,208 --> 00:27:48,667
But the history of this
part of Maryland suggests
502
00:27:48,875 --> 00:27:52,333
that the truth may
be far more intriguing.
503
00:27:52,542 --> 00:27:55,583
Because, during the 1700s,
504
00:27:55,750 --> 00:27:58,458
German colonists
living in this area
505
00:27:58,583 --> 00:28:02,292
also reported a
fearsome winged creature.
506
00:28:02,458 --> 00:28:04,000
Although, back then,
507
00:28:04,167 --> 00:28:07,875
the snallygaster had a
slightly different name.
508
00:28:09,292 --> 00:28:11,833
The idea of the
snallygaster originated
509
00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:14,833
with the German immigrants
who made their way
510
00:28:14,958 --> 00:28:18,833
to the Maryland
area in the 1700s.
511
00:28:18,917 --> 00:28:21,542
They had called this
thing the Schneller Geist,
512
00:28:21,708 --> 00:28:25,542
a fast spirit or quick
ghost, as they called it.
513
00:28:25,708 --> 00:28:28,125
Eventually, that
became corrupted
514
00:28:28,333 --> 00:28:30,417
into the "snallygaster."
515
00:28:30,583 --> 00:28:33,667
It was thought to
be a deadly monster.
516
00:28:33,833 --> 00:28:37,000
And people feared it for a
hundred and some years
517
00:28:37,208 --> 00:28:42,000
before it was ever mentioned
in any known written account.
518
00:28:43,042 --> 00:28:45,542
It's fascinating
to trace the history
519
00:28:45,750 --> 00:28:48,667
of the Schneller
Geist in colonial times
520
00:28:48,833 --> 00:28:51,875
to the snallygaster in 1909.
521
00:28:52,042 --> 00:28:56,000
However, you might think that
as the 20th century progressed,
522
00:28:56,167 --> 00:28:57,875
modern people
would stop panicking
523
00:28:58,042 --> 00:29:00,708
over this alleged monster.
524
00:29:00,875 --> 00:29:04,042
But, in fact, it was
just the opposite,
525
00:29:04,250 --> 00:29:06,167
because in 1932,
526
00:29:06,375 --> 00:29:10,333
it appears that the
snallygaster returned
527
00:29:10,500 --> 00:29:12,167
to terrorize this community.
528
00:29:13,125 --> 00:29:15,625
In 1932, the
sightings began again.
529
00:29:15,792 --> 00:29:19,208
We had a lot more people
going out and hunting
530
00:29:19,375 --> 00:29:21,583
for the snallygaster.
531
00:29:21,750 --> 00:29:24,000
News coverage made
its way even further,
532
00:29:24,167 --> 00:29:26,958
even down to Washington, D.C.
533
00:29:27,917 --> 00:29:31,875
This was not a
small, localized story.
534
00:29:32,042 --> 00:29:34,417
This was a story that went big.
535
00:29:34,625 --> 00:29:39,167
The Smithsonian offered $100,000
536
00:29:39,375 --> 00:29:41,833
for proof of this
creature's existence.
537
00:29:42,042 --> 00:29:44,667
The Smithsonian Institute,
538
00:29:44,833 --> 00:29:47,125
who, if they don't
grant gravitas to a story,
539
00:29:47,333 --> 00:29:48,833
I don't know who does.
540
00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:52,250
What are we to
make of the numerous occasions
541
00:29:52,417 --> 00:29:56,667
in which the snallygaster
has incited widespread panic?
542
00:29:56,792 --> 00:29:58,592
Ultimately, it's hard to
say whether sightings
543
00:29:58,708 --> 00:30:01,500
of the monster were
genuine encounters
544
00:30:01,708 --> 00:30:04,333
or simply the product
of mass hysteria.
545
00:30:04,542 --> 00:30:06,167
But one thing is certain:
546
00:30:06,292 --> 00:30:09,375
the snallygaster
continues to loom large
547
00:30:09,542 --> 00:30:12,750
in the history of Frederick
County, Maryland.
548
00:30:12,917 --> 00:30:14,333
When I moved to Maryland,
549
00:30:14,542 --> 00:30:16,208
I started researching
local folk legends,
550
00:30:16,417 --> 00:30:18,792
and the snallygaster
really caught my eye
551
00:30:18,958 --> 00:30:21,250
because it was such
a big part of history.
552
00:30:21,458 --> 00:30:26,250
So I go to local businesses
and paranormal conventions
553
00:30:26,417 --> 00:30:28,000
and things like
that, to just speak
554
00:30:28,208 --> 00:30:30,833
about the folk
history of Maryland
555
00:30:31,042 --> 00:30:33,667
and how it ties into
the snallygaster.
556
00:30:33,875 --> 00:30:36,583
And even in modern times,
557
00:30:36,708 --> 00:30:38,087
there are people
that live out there
558
00:30:38,167 --> 00:30:40,667
that hear and see strange things
559
00:30:40,833 --> 00:30:44,000
that could be considered
the snallygaster.
560
00:30:44,167 --> 00:30:48,500
So, the fact that this legend
has persisted throughout time
561
00:30:48,708 --> 00:30:52,417
definitely means that it could
still be around to this day.
562
00:30:52,625 --> 00:30:55,708
Whether or not
the snallygaster actually exists,
563
00:30:55,875 --> 00:30:59,375
it remains fascinating from
an historical perspective.
564
00:30:59,542 --> 00:31:03,833
But halfway around the
world, off the coast of Australia,
565
00:31:03,917 --> 00:31:07,000
some believe that a
giant sea monster lurks
566
00:31:07,167 --> 00:31:09,417
in the depths of the ocean.
567
00:31:09,583 --> 00:31:13,583
And remarkably, there
may be scientific proof
568
00:31:13,708 --> 00:31:16,958
of this formidable predator.
569
00:31:24,375 --> 00:31:26,295
The deep waters
of the Pacific Ocean just
570
00:31:26,375 --> 00:31:28,167
off the eastern coast
of the land down under
571
00:31:28,375 --> 00:31:32,000
are world famous
for deep sea fishing.
572
00:31:32,167 --> 00:31:35,458
Here, fisherman regularly
catch a variety of marine life,
573
00:31:35,625 --> 00:31:39,250
including marlin, swordfish,
574
00:31:39,417 --> 00:31:41,000
and even sharks.
575
00:31:42,667 --> 00:31:46,833
But in March of 2019, an
unusual incident took place
576
00:31:46,958 --> 00:31:48,792
when a local fisherman hooked
577
00:31:48,917 --> 00:31:52,208
a 550-pound Mako
shark on his line.
578
00:31:52,375 --> 00:31:55,833
As he hauled it into his
boat, the only thing left...
579
00:31:55,958 --> 00:31:57,625
was a severed head.
580
00:31:59,750 --> 00:32:01,417
The rest of the
massive shark's body
581
00:32:01,542 --> 00:32:05,000
had apparently been
devoured by an even larger...
582
00:32:05,125 --> 00:32:08,542
And unidentified...
Ocean predator.
583
00:32:09,750 --> 00:32:14,000
Pictures went viral
of this mako shark
584
00:32:14,208 --> 00:32:18,083
just absolutely decimated
from the head down.
585
00:32:19,083 --> 00:32:21,000
There was so much
mystery surrounding this
586
00:32:21,208 --> 00:32:23,958
because looking at
this picture of this mako...
587
00:32:24,083 --> 00:32:27,167
This thing looks humongous.
588
00:32:28,167 --> 00:32:30,625
It seriously did cause
some speculation
589
00:32:30,708 --> 00:32:33,708
as to what kind of mega
predator could have caused
590
00:32:33,875 --> 00:32:35,583
a bite this big
591
00:32:35,708 --> 00:32:38,250
on such a huge shark.
592
00:32:39,375 --> 00:32:42,333
What animal could
be so large and so ferocious
593
00:32:42,500 --> 00:32:46,708
that it literally ripped
a shark to shreds?
594
00:32:46,875 --> 00:32:48,708
As news outlets around
the world reported
595
00:32:48,875 --> 00:32:52,250
on the story, an
extraordinary theory emerged.
596
00:32:52,417 --> 00:32:57,208
Is it possible that
this violent encounter
597
00:32:57,375 --> 00:33:00,417
was the work of a
real-life sea monster?
598
00:33:02,167 --> 00:33:03,958
It may sound like
an outlandish notion
599
00:33:04,083 --> 00:33:05,500
but the surprising truth is
600
00:33:05,667 --> 00:33:07,917
that this is not the
first inexplicable attack
601
00:33:08,042 --> 00:33:10,375
that has been recorded
off the coast of Australia.
602
00:33:10,542 --> 00:33:14,125
In fact, scientists have
been actively searching
603
00:33:14,333 --> 00:33:17,667
for an elusive and
monstrous predator
604
00:33:17,750 --> 00:33:21,958
in these waters since 2003.
605
00:33:23,042 --> 00:33:25,833
In 2003, I was
involved with Australia's
606
00:33:26,042 --> 00:33:29,250
premier scientific
organization, the CSIRO.
607
00:33:30,375 --> 00:33:33,042
They had started a satellite
tagging program to better
608
00:33:33,208 --> 00:33:36,250
understand the movement
patterns of great white sharks.
609
00:33:38,375 --> 00:33:41,667
We tagged four or
five great white sharks,
610
00:33:41,833 --> 00:33:43,542
and one of them in particular,
611
00:33:43,708 --> 00:33:47,125
Shark Alpha, was around
nine, ten feet in length.
612
00:33:47,250 --> 00:33:50,375
No small animal by any
stretch of the imagination.
613
00:33:51,542 --> 00:33:54,167
About two months
later, the tag showed
614
00:33:54,375 --> 00:33:56,667
this shark had been chased down
615
00:33:56,792 --> 00:33:58,500
the continental shelf edge,
616
00:33:58,625 --> 00:34:02,000
down to a depth of
around 2,000 feet,
617
00:34:02,208 --> 00:34:05,458
where it appeared to have
been devoured by something.
618
00:34:05,625 --> 00:34:07,750
And that something had
an internal temperature of
619
00:34:07,917 --> 00:34:09,625
around 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
620
00:34:09,750 --> 00:34:13,042
And that temperature, regardless
of where the tag went then,
621
00:34:13,208 --> 00:34:16,375
the depth, that temperature
stayed relatively constant.
622
00:34:16,542 --> 00:34:19,000
It was a bubble of
temperature showing
623
00:34:19,167 --> 00:34:20,687
it was inside the
stomach of something.
624
00:34:21,583 --> 00:34:24,125
What that could
be, we don't know.
625
00:34:24,250 --> 00:34:27,958
But the proportions
it would have to have
626
00:34:28,083 --> 00:34:30,833
to eat a great
white is colossal.
627
00:34:30,958 --> 00:34:33,708
It would have to be massive.
628
00:34:33,875 --> 00:34:35,417
You're really starting to stray
629
00:34:35,583 --> 00:34:36,943
into the realm of
the unbelievable.
630
00:34:37,042 --> 00:34:39,958
So that leaves the kind of
631
00:34:40,083 --> 00:34:44,583
uncomfortable
notion of: what is it?
632
00:34:44,750 --> 00:34:47,708
It's alarming to
think that there could be a giant
633
00:34:47,875 --> 00:34:49,500
sea monster lurking in the deep
634
00:34:49,708 --> 00:34:54,583
that can swallow a
great white shark whole.
635
00:34:54,708 --> 00:34:57,500
Nevertheless, some
scientists claim that
636
00:34:57,667 --> 00:35:00,500
even more evidence of
a fearsome sea creature
637
00:35:00,708 --> 00:35:04,042
lies in the strange
behavior of marine life
638
00:35:04,208 --> 00:35:06,917
off the coast of Australia.
639
00:35:07,083 --> 00:35:11,000
In 2023, a
number of pilot whales
640
00:35:11,208 --> 00:35:14,208
beached themselves on the
shores of Western Australia.
641
00:35:14,417 --> 00:35:19,167
These whales were
huddled in an unusual way.
642
00:35:19,375 --> 00:35:22,542
People got some of these
whales back out to the water,
643
00:35:22,708 --> 00:35:26,750
but they came right back in
and beached themselves again.
644
00:35:27,958 --> 00:35:31,417
What the reason was
remains a mystery.
645
00:35:31,583 --> 00:35:35,458
One of the theories is
that this pod of whales
646
00:35:35,625 --> 00:35:38,500
was escaping something, was
running away from something.
647
00:35:39,750 --> 00:35:43,083
Now, if it was a great white
coming towards a pod of whales,
648
00:35:43,208 --> 00:35:44,500
there's power in numbers.
649
00:35:44,708 --> 00:35:47,500
They wouldn't beach
themselves over that.
650
00:35:47,708 --> 00:35:50,625
So it couldn't have been just
a regular great white shark.
651
00:35:50,750 --> 00:35:51,792
There's no way.
652
00:35:53,000 --> 00:35:54,833
But if it was something
653
00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:59,292
about 65 feet long... maybe.
654
00:36:00,542 --> 00:36:03,542
Is there something
else that's in the food chain
655
00:36:03,667 --> 00:36:06,875
that is literally
frightening them to shore?
656
00:36:07,042 --> 00:36:08,503
Is it possible that
there is something
657
00:36:08,583 --> 00:36:11,875
out here that we literally
haven't seen before?
658
00:36:12,083 --> 00:36:13,375
That's the question.
659
00:36:14,417 --> 00:36:16,875
With so many
anomalous incidents happening
660
00:36:17,042 --> 00:36:20,208
in the waters off Australia, it
naturally begs the question,
661
00:36:20,333 --> 00:36:22,958
are they all connected?
662
00:36:23,125 --> 00:36:24,765
Is there a giant sea
monster that can bite
663
00:36:24,875 --> 00:36:26,333
a mako shark in half,
664
00:36:26,500 --> 00:36:28,167
swallow a great white whole,
665
00:36:28,375 --> 00:36:31,958
and send a horde of
whales fleeing for their lives?
666
00:36:33,292 --> 00:36:34,962
The truth is that, for
the moment, scientists
667
00:36:35,042 --> 00:36:36,375
are at a loss for answers.
668
00:36:36,583 --> 00:36:40,458
And for many, the
possibility that there are
669
00:36:40,583 --> 00:36:43,708
monstrous, undiscovered
creatures in the unexplored
670
00:36:43,875 --> 00:36:49,083
depths of the ocean
should not be dismissed.
671
00:36:49,292 --> 00:36:53,125
When you take into
consideration that we literally
672
00:36:53,292 --> 00:36:55,208
don't know very
much about the ocean,
673
00:36:55,375 --> 00:36:58,417
we only have mapped
something like 20% of it,
674
00:36:58,583 --> 00:37:02,000
and we've only seen something
like one or two percent of it,
675
00:37:02,208 --> 00:37:04,875
there could be
things hiding out here
676
00:37:05,042 --> 00:37:06,792
that we've never seen before.
677
00:37:07,833 --> 00:37:10,750
If there is a
nightmarish monster that inhabits
678
00:37:10,917 --> 00:37:14,458
the ocean's depths, we can
take comfort that it hasn't yet
679
00:37:14,667 --> 00:37:18,458
claimed any human victims,
at least as far as we know.
680
00:37:18,625 --> 00:37:21,625
But there's another
creature that is said to inhabit
681
00:37:21,708 --> 00:37:23,541
the remote deserts
of California,
682
00:37:23,542 --> 00:37:24,000
the remote deserts
of California,
683
00:37:24,458 --> 00:37:27,083
which is even more frightening
684
00:37:27,208 --> 00:37:29,750
because it has
reportedly attacked
685
00:37:29,917 --> 00:37:33,375
unsuspecting people.
686
00:37:39,500 --> 00:37:43,375
This rustic town,
located in the Mojave Desert,
687
00:37:43,542 --> 00:37:46,750
is adjacent to Joshua
Tree National Park.
688
00:37:46,917 --> 00:37:50,833
Each year, millions of
people visit Joshua Tree
689
00:37:50,958 --> 00:37:53,833
to hike through its twisting
expanse of boulders
690
00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:55,667
and oddly shaped trees.
691
00:37:55,875 --> 00:37:59,750
But unfortunately
many adventure seekers
692
00:37:59,917 --> 00:38:03,458
who trek into this
wilderness never return.
693
00:38:04,625 --> 00:38:07,167
On occasion,
human remains have been found
694
00:38:07,375 --> 00:38:11,167
out in the area of the
Joshua Tree National Park,
695
00:38:11,375 --> 00:38:12,667
and these are presumably hikers
696
00:38:12,833 --> 00:38:14,833
who have gone
missing over the years.
697
00:38:15,958 --> 00:38:19,458
So, while it's a beautiful,
striking-looking place,
698
00:38:19,542 --> 00:38:23,500
it's also very secluded
and very dangerous.
699
00:38:23,625 --> 00:38:26,917
It's easy to see
how tourists hiking in Joshua Tree
700
00:38:27,083 --> 00:38:30,208
could get lost and fall
victim to the scorching
701
00:38:30,375 --> 00:38:32,500
temperatures of this
desert environment.
702
00:38:32,708 --> 00:38:36,208
However, some locals
believe that mysterious
703
00:38:36,375 --> 00:38:38,708
deaths in the park
are the work of
704
00:38:38,875 --> 00:38:42,417
a frightening monster,
who is referred to
705
00:38:42,583 --> 00:38:44,417
as the Yucca Man.
706
00:38:45,542 --> 00:38:49,000
The Yucca Man is seen
in the southern regions
707
00:38:49,125 --> 00:38:50,667
of the California area.
708
00:38:50,750 --> 00:38:55,458
Sightings of the Yucca Man
date back to at least the 1960s.
709
00:38:56,458 --> 00:38:59,167
It's described
as being very tall,
710
00:38:59,375 --> 00:39:01,625
covered in hair
over its entire body.
711
00:39:02,625 --> 00:39:06,500
The Yucca Man is
what you might call a desert-based Bigfoot.
712
00:39:06,708 --> 00:39:08,917
People go missing
in the Yucca Valley
713
00:39:09,083 --> 00:39:10,208
and its various campgrounds.
714
00:39:11,208 --> 00:39:14,583
Part of the evolving lore of
this creature is, perhaps it is
715
00:39:14,792 --> 00:39:17,917
preying on humans when it
finds people who are vulnerable.
716
00:39:18,083 --> 00:39:23,542
The idea that a giant
monster roams this remote area
717
00:39:23,708 --> 00:39:27,792
and preys upon
unsuspecting hikers is chilling.
718
00:39:27,917 --> 00:39:31,208
But according to local lore,
another fearsome encounter
719
00:39:31,375 --> 00:39:32,833
involving the Yucca Man
720
00:39:33,042 --> 00:39:38,500
allegedly took place at a
nearby U.S. Marine Corps Base.
721
00:39:39,542 --> 00:39:42,292
One of the more famous
Yucca Man encounters occurred
722
00:39:42,458 --> 00:39:45,833
in 1971 at the Twentynine
Palms Marine Base.
723
00:39:46,042 --> 00:39:49,625
A marine was on night duty
724
00:39:49,833 --> 00:39:51,958
and encountered
this eight-foot-tall
725
00:39:52,125 --> 00:39:54,792
blond Sasquatch creature.
726
00:39:56,208 --> 00:39:59,792
He then became unconscious,
and when he was found,
727
00:39:59,958 --> 00:40:04,917
his rifle was bent in
half with no explanation.
728
00:40:05,042 --> 00:40:10,042
He was unharmed, but it's pretty
scary to think of a Marine being
729
00:40:10,208 --> 00:40:13,708
knocked unconscious
and a rifle being bent in half.
730
00:40:13,833 --> 00:40:16,750
While it's impossible
to verify the Yucca Man's
731
00:40:16,917 --> 00:40:20,500
alleged run-ins with
military personnel,
732
00:40:20,667 --> 00:40:24,167
many locals are convinced
that this dangerous creature
733
00:40:24,333 --> 00:40:26,375
actually lives in
the Mojave Desert.
734
00:40:26,500 --> 00:40:28,583
And like other
monsters that have been
735
00:40:28,750 --> 00:40:31,417
widely reported by eyewitnesses
736
00:40:31,542 --> 00:40:34,167
but not officially
recognized by science,
737
00:40:34,333 --> 00:40:37,333
the possibility of its existence
738
00:40:37,542 --> 00:40:40,917
both tantalizes and terrifies.
739
00:40:41,042 --> 00:40:43,917
We love believing
in these creatures
740
00:40:44,042 --> 00:40:47,333
and monsters because
we love getting scared.
741
00:40:47,542 --> 00:40:50,833
But we also love the unknown.
742
00:40:51,000 --> 00:40:52,208
Not knowing if we've
743
00:40:52,417 --> 00:40:55,375
discovered every
species on the planet.
744
00:40:55,542 --> 00:40:58,500
The mystery is the
best part of it all.
745
00:40:59,542 --> 00:41:03,042
We are often
inclined to see belief in
746
00:41:03,208 --> 00:41:06,083
fantastical creatures
as somewhat irrational,
747
00:41:06,208 --> 00:41:07,667
maybe fantastical.
748
00:41:07,833 --> 00:41:10,333
Something that isn't scientific.
749
00:41:10,500 --> 00:41:13,708
And yet there's news
reports of people
750
00:41:13,917 --> 00:41:16,333
interacting with creatures
that maybe we can't identify.
751
00:41:17,375 --> 00:41:21,833
That keeps it alive. It is not
fundamentally proven false.
752
00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:25,833
And that kind of monster
is what we are continuing
753
00:41:25,958 --> 00:41:28,667
to be obsessed with.
754
00:41:28,875 --> 00:41:32,792
From frightening encounters
with the Fouke Monster
755
00:41:32,958 --> 00:41:35,625
to supernatural stories
about the Jersey Devil
756
00:41:35,750 --> 00:41:38,958
and panicked reports
of the snallygaster,
757
00:41:39,125 --> 00:41:43,708
it can seem like our world is
literally teeming with monsters.
758
00:41:43,875 --> 00:41:48,542
And while physical proof is hard
to come by, the sheer number of
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eyewitness accounts suggests
that we share our planet with
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dreadful creatures
that remain unidentified
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and... unexplained.
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>>>>oakislandtk<<<<<
www.opensubtitles.org
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