Last week I had a brush with cryptozoology. I saw what was, albeit briefly, an unidentified animal.
It happened about 5pm. I was walking past the living room window and noticed… something strange walking along the very edge of our backyard. It crept weirdly, and had certain unusual characteristics. It was fascinating and apalling, since it was not only an animal I had never seen before, it was one I could not immediately identify.
This photo shows the path it took as it strode – slowly – along the snow:
The thing was about the size of a medium cat, walked hunched over with it’s head down (like a rat), seemed to have something ‘wrong’ with it’s head (at first I thought it had a baby in it’s mouth) and had a… distinctive tail. As I said it was in no hurry, and followed the above trail until it reached the canoe, at which point it went underneath and was out of sight.
I went and grabbed my camera and dashed outside. I very much needed a closer look, since this thing was seriously alarming in a weird way.
Now I am a man of logic and a man of science. Therefore it is with no embarrassment that I say that I approached the back of our yard with more than a little trepidation. For I could not unequivocally rule out the possibility this thing was (for instance), a Hound Of Tindalos. After all, this was an undiscovered animal… wasn’t it?
I videoed most of my investigation, National Geographic style. Perhaps I will upload them one day.
The short version: I never found it. I kicked the canoe a couple of times to usher the thing out (to no avail). I even crouched and peeped (hesitantly, for fear of having my face ripped off) but the darkness was inviolable and the thing – were it still there – soundless.
It did leave ample evidence of it’s passage though, in the form of footprints. Here is a shot:
And though I was in the end unsuccessful in seeing it up close (or even capturing it as evidence of the existence of new mammalian life), I was able to collect enough evidence to have a reasonable guess as to just what this creature may have been.
Rather than just give my conclusion, I leave it to you, dear readers, to guess for yourself based on the available evidence:
– It had a body about 30-40cm in length
– It had a tail about half the length of it’s body
– The tail was naked, like a rat
– It walked on short limbs with it’s head held down, like a rat
– It’s head – from a distance – appeared bald, or at the very least a lighter colour than the body
– It travelled single file, to hide it’s numbers
Click here to see what I believe this animal was.
And if I am correct, it’s the first time in my life I have ever seen one in the wild 🙂
