Residents are wondering if an animal found dead over the weekend may be the mysterious creature that has mauled dogs, frightened residents and been the subject of local legend for half a generation.That's a real shame. It's really too bad that the cryptozoo folks like Loren Coleman don't have the resources to have DNA tests done on odd finds like this.
The animal was found near power lines along Route 4 on Saturday, apparently struck by a car while chasing a cat. The carcass was photographed and inspected by several people who live in the area, but nobody is sure exactly what it is.
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Wildlife officials and animal control officers declined to go to Turner to examine the remains. By Tuesday, the carcass had been picked clean by vultures and there was not much left of the dead animal.
Is the tail actually "bushy" or does it just have a dog's normal tail that somehow has longer hair than the rest of its body? Was it diseased, or maybe had a genetic deformity? I'd guess it's deformed. Disease could cause a bad smell. The glowing eyes, well, all animals' eyes appear to glow in the dark if a light is shining from the right angle.
I guess the world will never know, but that sure is one weird-looking critter.
UPDATE: More here.
By the time Coleman arrived on Wednesday there wasn't much left. The internal organs and skull were gone. All that was left were some bones and skin.With all due respect to Mr. Coleman for the work he has done in the field of cryptozoology, the reporter has once again bungled things. Coleman is an investigator of alleged species as well as recently discovered species of animals: cryptozoology. He is about as expert at identifying an animal from its skeletal remains as I am.
Nonetheless, he came away with a paw and other body parts to be examined later. Another paw was taken by the Sun Journal, which was exploring the possibility of conducting DNA tests.
However, I agree with his guess. This is a canine, either produced from the crossing of two breeds (or species) that we aren't accustomed to seeing crossed, or it's a dog that has some kind of genetic abnormality.
It still looks weird.
UPDATE 2: Link here.
The Sun Journal newspaper obtained samples of the creature and shipped them to a University of Maine professor and to HealthGen in Toronto for genetic tests to determine the type of animal, said Judith Meyer, managing editor.
