Category Archives: cryptids

An Underrated Cryptid: The Chupacabra

Posted on May 20, 2024 | 5 comments

The Chupacabra is a cryptid from Puerto Rico, Mexico and the southwestern United States. The Chupacabra (goat sucker in Spanish) was first reported in Puerto Rico in the early 1970’s. It was named Goat Sucker because it was believed to be responsible for the deaths of many livestock in Puerto Rico that were the result of the animals being seemingly drained of their blood. It is believed that the Chupacabra is some type of vampire.

Pic from Quora

I remember first hearing about the Chupacabra in the 1990’s. As soon as the word of the Puerto Rican farm animals broke, farmers in other countries began complaining of their own attacks. Animals in Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and the United States were all dying similarly gruesome deaths, seemingly with no explanation.

The mysterious creature allegedly glimpsed by eyewitnesses, who describe with horror what they saw. It was a five-foot-tall creature with glowing eyes and bat-like wings, standing on its hind legs. It had spikes on its back. It smelled of sulphur.

Much like Bigfoot, there have been alleged sightings, but no one has ever found a dead Chupacabra. It has sometimes been described as having an alien appearance while others have said that it’s just a coyote with mange. That would be a disappointment, wouldn’t it?

For me, the fact that the creature has only been spotted in Spanish speaking areas makes me think that it maybe be more myth than mystery.

Have you ever heard of the Chupacabra? From what you’ve heard or read from other sources, what are your thoughts on the Chupacabra?

Happy Monday! ~Phil

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The Mothman Mythology

Posted on May 6, 2024 | 3 comments

Check out those abs! That guy is ripped!

I feature a lot of paranormal content to celebrate Paranormal Month, which I invented (copyright!). When you think about the paranormal you usually think of ghosts, demons, UFO’s and cryptids like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster.

But have you heard about the Mothman? I had heard of Mothman occasionally when consuming paranormal content, but it wasn’t a big topic. The Mothman never gets paranormal headliner status, except in Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia. That’s sort of his home region. Despite stories of a winged entity in the Point Pleasant area since the 1920’s, Mothman is still like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster’s little brother, forever in their shadow.

Mothman is an interesting character though because, unlike cryptids, which are usually considered animals that are unusual and difficult to verify, the Mothman (or Mothwomen) are considered to be sentient beings. (Yes, I said Mothmen/women plural. There have been a lot more sightings than people realize.)

The Mothman is often described as being a tall, hairy, winged humanoid being with glowing eyes. Some people have theorized that the Mothman is an alien.

2016 picture of a Mothman flying over Point Pleasant

The Mothman sightings that really captivated the country began in Point Pleasant, West Virginia from Nov. 15 to Dec. 15, 1966. Author John Keel popularized local folklore about the creature with his 1975 book “The Mothman Prophecies.”

Interestingly is that shortly after the Mothman started appearing, so did reports of UFO’s and “Men in Black” (not Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones). In the documentary The Mothman of Point Pleasant there are several eyewitness accounts of unwanted harassment by the Men In Black.

Some believe The Mothman is a bad omen , only appearing when catastrophe is about to strike. There have been many claims that the winged, red-eyed creature was seen right before the Point Pleasant Silver Bridge collapsed early in 1967. That event took the lives of 46 people.

A great book by author JW Ocker with a chapter on the impact the Mothman has had on Point Pleasant, West Virginia

Over the last 50 years there have been reports of Mothmen or Mothwomen being spotted in Vietnam during the war, in Chernobyl, Russia before the nuclear plant melted down, and even a mothman near the Twin Towers before they were hit. Another was reported in August 2007 when the the bridge collapsed in Minnesota.

More recently, starting in the summer of 2011, reports of Mothman-like flying humanoids have been popping up in the Chicago area. The picture below is a map of where those sightings have occurred around Chicago. That’s a lot of sightings, so it’s definitely is not one or two crackpots reporting their hallucinations.

I find the century long story of the Mothman fascinating. If you look back at history, in every country humans have always reported seeing flying beings. Some were thought to be angels, some aliens, some predators. It’s another of those murky paranormal stories that seems to have enough widespread validation that something different is going on but we just haven’t pinned it down.

If you’re more of a watcher than a reader, there is a documentary titled The Mothman of Point Pleasant on Amazon for free. It’s interesting with some very detailed eyewitness accounts. Also on Amazon is a fictional movie based on what happened in Point Pleasant titled The Mothman Prophecies.  It stars Debra Messing and Richard Gere, who in the 6 degrees of separation game is only one person away from me. I wonder if The Mothman predicted that?

As they say, keep your eyes on the skies! You never know what you might see. What do you think? Are cryptids like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness monster real? Is the Mothman a member of an alien species that visits Earth to warn us of danger? Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts!

Have a great Monday! ~Phil

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My Interview with Bigfoot Expert Rick Reles!

Posted on May 4, 2024 | 7 comments

That picture above is the Bigfoot that we all grew up with. That bigfoot sighting was alleged to be a hoax, but has not been proven so. That’s fine. Whether it’s Bigfoot, aliens or ghosts, there’s always going to be some hoaxes. Despite that one Bigfoot sighting getting uncovered as a possible hoax, how do you explain that there are literally thousands of sightings of Bigfoot/Sasquatch/Yeti from people all over the world? My opinion is that obviously there is some race of large, hairy, reclusive creatures living in the undeveloped, remote parts of most countries.

I’m not an expert on cryptids, so I interviewed one of the most well known experts on Bigfoot/Sasquatch in the United States, Rick Reles. Rick is one of the founding members of the BFRO (Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization)

Pic from BoldLife.com

Founded in 1995, the BFRO is now the oldest and largest organization of its kind. It’s a virtual community of scientists, journalists, and specialists from diverse backgrounds. The researchers who compose the BFRO are engaged in projects, including field and laboratory investigations, designed to address various aspects of the bigfoot phenomenon.

TPF: Hi Rick, and welcome to The Phil Factor. Over the past year we’ve been digging into the paranormal, including cryptids, but I hadn’t yet had the opportunity to discuss the OG of cryptids, Bigfoot.  When people think of Bigfoot sightings, most people default to the Pacific Northwest, but there are a lot of places around the United States where Bigfoot type creatures have been spotted. What are some of the other hotspots?

Rick: Kentucky, The Appalachian Mountains, Upper Midwest ( Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois), Georgia mountains and Tennessee. Upstate New York, Western Pa.. Basically, where there are vast forests and plentiful water, there are populations of Sasquatch. BFRO.net lists vetted out witness reports by county, by state across the nation, so you can see where activity has been.

Pic from Britannica.com

TPF: Rick, I love that list of hotspots and especially your mention of upstate New York, which is where I live. How many personal sightings of a Bigfoot/Sasquatch/Yeti have you had?

Rick: I have 3 Class “A” sightings, meaning I knew it was not a human, or  animal (bear), I was seeing.

TPF: Have you ever felt that you were in physical danger when you spotted a Bigfoot?

Rick: Yes, I am in the woods all the time, as an active researcher. I lead expeditions, scout areas of reported activity, and investigate witness reports. Sometimes when in the presence of Bigfoots, meaning we hear them, can see their shadow movement, feel their presence, it can get scary. That is them projecting what we believe is “infrasound”, which drives a  “fight or flight” response, in humans. They want you to leave the area  then.

TPF: If you could give one piece of advice to amateurs who want to experience a Sasquatch sighting, what would it be?

Rick:  When in the woods, keep your eyes and ears open. Rely on your senses. Get your nose out of your phone. Listen… Pay attention to odd noises, movements in the forest, whistles, whoops, knocks, howls, stick breaks, etc… We often have blinders on, and these noises do not register. Conversely,  EVERY odd noise in the woods is not a Squatch! Keep your antenna up!

Pic from Jack Osbournes Night of Terror

TPF: You’re also the author of Field Guide to Bigfoot Stick Structures. Could you tell us a little about that and where we could order a copy? —

Rick: The field guide reviews stick structures that Bigfoots assemble in the forest. It speaks to 7 categories,  types that could be built by Bigfoots, and asks questions like: Why these are built? What are the meanings? Are they built for us? For them? And so on.. Photo evidence/examples are given. The Field guide is small, and can be carried easily in a back pack for hiking. It is available on ETSY, at IKNOWSQUATCH. We are also on IG and FB as IKNOWSQUATCH.

TPF: Thank you for your time and expertise. For me, it’s good to know that Bigfoot/Sasquatch/Yeti’s are still alive and well.  For readers interested in finding out if a Bigfoot has been spotted in your area, there is a list of sightings on the BFRO.net website and there are several online maps of sighting locations. I was surprised to find one sighting had been within a mile from my house. Take a look, you might be surprised. If you’re interested in Bigfoot/Sasquatch merch, check out Rick’s ETSY site. They have tons of great stuff! You can even get a bigfoot sticker specific to your state. I ordered that for my laptop and an awesome coffee mug.

Thanks for reading and GO BILLS!  ~Phil

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