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Residents are wondering if an animal found dead may be the mysterious creature that has mauled dogs, frightened residents and been the subject of local legend for half a generation.
The second picture shows it to be rather less outlandish than the description makes it sound, I think. Just a wolf-dog mutt.
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posted
Also kind of disappointing: FOX has this story classified as "Science -> Natural Science", but the story has strong mythical overtones that aren't exactly scientific. It's not a mutt, it's "a mysterious animal with chilling monstrous cries and eyes that glow in the night." People haven't gossipped about it, they have "come forward to speak of it." By the firelight, one presumes.
We should ask the village elder what he knows of this beast. Or we might seek Aragorn, for he knows well these woods. Or we might mention Loren Coleman, a Portland author and cryptozoologist, with a straight face. "Cryptozoologist" has "-ologist" at the end, so that means she's a scientist.
-------------------- "For the U.S. to get involved militarily in determining the outcome of the struggle over who's going to govern Iraq strikes me as a classic definition of a quagmire." ~Dick Cheney. Posts: 747 | From: Kansas | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
Here's the most detailed article so far, from the Bangor News this morning: Expert: Animal could be feral chow. (not a-chow, just chow)
Yes, the expert is the "leading cryptozoologist" quoted elsewhere.
The "extra claws" being like "devil's horns" is a little much, though. And why print that someone guessed it might be a lamb-sheep hybrid? Hello, lambs are young sheep. And neither has the appearance and habits of a predator.
They seem ready to keep spinning the mystery animal stories:
"[T]his interesting body probably has nothing to do with the local killings, and it is highly doubtful the real 'mystery beast.'"
"[P]erhaps the animal that was killed in Turner over the weekend died as a result of a run-in with the real mystery creature, which still remains a phantom."
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posted
Eyes that "glow" in the night aren't mythical. IIRC, most canine (and feline) creatures have a membrane in the eye (can't remember where) that reflects light, thus enabling it to see better in the dark. When a strong source of light shines in such a creature's eyes in dark conditions, this makes their eyes seem to glow.
Therefore, I'd have to say that this is probably some wolf-dog hybrid. Whether it's a runaway/abandoned pet or the product of a feral dog mating with a local wolf is anybody's guess.
- Pseudo "hungry like the wolf" Croat
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God wants spiritual fruits, not religious nuts. Posts: 4578 | From: Sunrise, FL | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
One look at the pictures and I could tell it was a chow mix. If their DNA sample showed a wolf-dog hybrid, then it's a wolf-chow mix.
But please don't ever make me click on the FOX News website again.
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quote:Across the region Wednesday, people argued about just what was found in the woods off Route 4. A common household dog, said many of them. A lamb-sheep hybrid, said others.
That is most definitely a lamb-sheep hybrid.
To prevent further damage done by these vicious beasts, steps must be taken to ensure that all lambs and sheep are kept far apart, so they can't hybridize. Electrified fencing is the best choice. Anyone failing at this risks the death and/or mutilation of all living beings within a three mile radius.
-------------------- you can't fight biology... Posts: 301 | From: New York | Registered: Sep 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Cervus nippon: One look at the pictures and I could tell it was a chow mix. If their DNA sample showed a wolf-dog hybrid, then it's a wolf-chow mix.
I believe it was a different mystery animal that turned out to be a wolf-dog hybrid.
Seaboe
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posted
You know, as far as the whole "evil-looking" curving hooked teeth go, maybe it's just that the lips had begun to decompose, which just revealed normal dog teeth.
It looks like the head is a bit short, although from the pics, it's hard to tell. If the jaw is undershot at all, that can make normal teeth look like "evil" teeth. I'm always a little shocked at just how brutal my boxer's teeth look when I pull her lips up to clean them. The lower canines sticking out from under the big uppers the way they do is really ferocious looking. Much more so than normal (non-undershot) dog jaws. When her lips are down, you'd never know she's got those daggers under there.
-------------------- "How do you make chocolate? You take dark chocolate, you mix it with white milk, and it becomes a delicious drink. That is the chocolate I am talking about." --Ray Nagin Posts: 1325 | From: Missouri | Registered: Sep 2005
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I lived close to that area for four years, and never heard any stories about any mystery creature. I'm wondering if the creature of lore is really a lynx. They're rare, but their existence in the area is known to wildlife biologists. I spotted one myself near my home up there.
My best guess on the animal in the photos is that it is any one of the conjectures along the lines of feral dog or wolf-dog hybrid is correct. It looks like injuries from being struck by the car, as well as the onset of decomposition added to it's grotesque and odd appearance.
Posts: 48 | From: near Portland, Maine | Registered: Jul 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Cervus nippon: One look at the pictures and I could tell it was a chow mix. If their DNA sample showed a wolf-dog hybrid, then it's a wolf-chow mix.
But please don't ever make me click on the FOX News website again.
Heh, sorry. I too had second thoughts about linking to them, but went ahead anyway. It was just the first link I found with pictures.
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quote:Across the region Wednesday, people argued about just what was found in the woods off Route 4. A common household dog, said many of them. A lamb-sheep hybrid, said others.
That is most definitely a lamb-sheep hybrid.
I suspect that the actual words were LAB-SHEEP (dog) hybrid and someone stupidly mistyped it.
But, it was most definately nothing more than a mixed breed dog that may or may not have had wolf in it. The people saying it looks creepy or evil are just weird. You'd think they'd never seen a dog before.
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DemonWolf
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posted
Some of my coworkers wonder if it had coyote. The general consensus here seems to be that it is a chow that may or may not have wolf or coyote in it.
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quote:Originally posted by Syllavus: I think it's Man-Bear-Pig.
Syl "I'm totally serial." lavus
ROFLMAO!
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quote:Originally posted by Pseudo_Croat: IIRC, most canine (and feline) creatures have a membrane in the eye (can't remember where) that reflects light, thus enabling it to see better in the dark. When a strong source of light shines in such a creature's eyes in dark conditions, this makes their eyes seem to glow.
Not just canines and felines have eyes that seem to glow; deer and other animals do, too (either that or there are a whole lot o' very tall dogs & cats in our woods... Or really big spiders.
And that "mutant" sure looked like a dog to me. What's in the water up there?
babyshoes
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quote:Originally posted by babyshoes: And that "mutant" sure looked like a dog to me. What's in the water up there? [/QB]
I think they took the hype of the "mystery animal" and transferred it to the "mystery dead animal." Their brains are on mystery, is all. And people like to have a weird story to tell.
No one has mentioned (in the media) anything in particular that made the dead dog look like something other than a dog. In the photos it does seem very evenly black. I suspect that consistent pigmentation is more often associated with specific pure (and recognizable) breeds. Maybe this dead mutt looked odd to people because it was so perfectly black, but didn't closely resemble any familiar black breeds.
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quote:Originally posted by Mr. Billion: We should ask the village elder what he knows of this beast. Or we might seek Aragorn, for he knows well these woods. Or we might mention Loren Coleman, a Portland author and cryptozoologist, with a straight face. "Cryptozoologist" has "-ologist" at the end, so that means she's a scientist.
I syuspect Mr. Coleman would be shocked to find he'd become female...
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quote:"And it had a horrible stench I will never forget. . ."
And we all know dogs never smell bad.
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Whether or not tests prove that a "mystery beast" is a dog or something else, the story that has captured headlines from coast to coast won't go away any time soon, according to an expert in human behavior.
quote:Mange is an irritation of the skin, primarily resulting in hair loss and sometimes including itching and inflammation, all of which are caused by microscopic mites. Mange is most commonly found in dogs and other canines, but it can occur in other domestic and wild animals, and occasionally in humans.
And no, I don't believe it's fatal. But plenty of things can kill a homeless dog.
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The mites themselves aren't lethal, but the effects of mange can kill. The irritation is so great that the dog/fox/etc gets exhausted due to the constant irritation and scratching and ends up not eating. Wildlife rescues see lots of hairless foxes that have collapsed and pretty much given up on life due to mange. Animal rescues see stray dogs in the same state. Also the scratching can open wounds which can get infected.
I think the news station said a similar visually unidentifiable animal killed a while back turned out to be part wolf through DNA testing (at least the reports I read online said that) but that statement related to a different animal, not to the recently killed one.
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I want to believe in lamb-sheep hybrids!
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Or really big spiders.
