Jackasslope - Cryptids & Co

Rods

A much overlooked cryptid, rods are believed to be extradimensional creatures. Some believe these undulating, serpent-like creatures move at a rate that is faster than the “framerate” of the human eye, but are sometimes captured on film. Rods have been known to measure from just a few centimetres, to over a mile in length. The largest of rods are believed to be connected to UFOs and alien life. 

Rods are widely discredited as being regular flying insects that appear strange on-camera due to motionblur. However, some sightings are not so easily explained. 

The door of the Holy Trinity Church in Blythburgh, England, boasts the proposed claw marks of Black Shuck. On August 4th, 1577, the Hellhound burst through the door of the church during a thunderstorm, interrupting the congregation in their meeting. Records state that two people, a man and a boy, were killed by the beast and the steeple of the church collapsed.  The marks were made when Black Shuck left the church after the attack. 

The Headline That Started It All

It all started in September of 1958 in a remote logging camp nestled near Bluff Creek, California where loggers were being terrorized by what they called “Bigfoot.” Each morning their camp would be covered in 16 inch tracks, and fruit was stolen from their worksites. The workers felt as if they were being watched at all times from within the forests. The strange occurrences even caused some of the workers to quit their jobs. The logging business in Bluff Creek started to slow due to a lack of workers.

Although the local police department ensured the workers and the townsfolk that it was all just an elaborate prank, the workers insisted that this was all too real. In fact some of the logging veterans had even said they’ve experienced strange activity in the forests for years. The activity in the area slowly escalated until Rey Kerr and Leslie Breazeale saw the creature responsible. In the early morning on their way to work the two loggers spotted a bipedal ape run out in front of their vehicle. They described it as an 8 foot tall creature with long arms, broad shoulders and covered in dark fur. After the creature disappeared into the forest they got out only to see the same sized footprints that had been seen all over the logging site.

On October 15, 1958 the Eureka Humbolt Standard released an article titled “Eyewitnesses See Bigfoot.” The article got a lot of attention and the creature known as Bigfoot gained a lot of popularity. The creature would claim worldwide fame 9 years later when Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin would capture the legendary Bigfoot on film for the first time in the same area.

Thylacine art by my friend and fellow thylacine enthusiast Sam Tung.

84 years ago today the last known thylacine died. It died of exposure after being locked outside in its bare concrete pen overnight. 

(The body was reportedly thrown out in the garbage shortly after)

Cryptid Fact Number 2: WSDOT East Tweeted out a Bigfoot sighting in Washington State today. The sighting was reported at Route 20 on Sherman Pass. The photograph shows what appears to be a Bigfoot running by some trees. This sighting made the national news.

The Last Thylacine: September 7, 1936

Hey everyone! This may be a little late depending on your time zone (as I’m in Los Angeles / PST, I’m behind practically everyone). Sorry about that!

Today, September 7th, 2019, marks the 83rd Anniversary of the death of the last known thylacine in the Hobart Zoo. This animal is pictured above.

There are a lot of myths and misconceptions surrounding the thylacine - and this individual in particular - so I thought I’d make a post to correct a few of these. Keep in mind that new facts and evidence do occasionally come to light, so this is of course subject to change!

MYTH #1: The last thylacine was named Benjamin.

FACT: The name “Benjamin” was allegedly given to the animal by a keeper named Frank Darby. Darby later claimed to have worked with this animal in an interview that took place in 1968. However, no record exists of Darby ever working at the Hobart Zoo, and the zoo curator’s daughter Alison Reid denied that Darby ever worked there.** [Source]

** Note: Although the nickname “Benjamin” was likely made up by Darby after the fact, it has stuck, so many thylacine enthusiasts (including me) still use it to refer to the last individual.

MYTH #2: The last thylacine was actually female.

FACT: Zoologist David Fleay, who took much of the film footage of this individual, stated in a newspaper article and diary entry that the animal was male, referring to it as a “fine male marsupial wolf.” Furthermore, in 2011, careful video analysis by Dr. Stephen Sleightholme (director of the ITSD) confirmed the presence of a scrotal sac, indicating that the last thylacine was indeed a male. [Source, Source]

MYTH #3: “Benjamin” was part of the Mullins family group.

FACT: The Mullins female was snared while her young were still in the pouch. This assertion would assume that “Benjamin” was one of the pups, grew up in captivity, and was the last surviving member of the family. However, in photos (including the one on this post), the snare mark is clearly visible on the animal’s hind leg, indicating that it was wild caught. It is more likely that “Benjamin” was snared by a man named Elias Churchill, though this is also debated. [Source]

MYTH #4: The carcass of “Benjamin” was immediately discarded after death because it was in poor condition.

FACT: The carcass was in fact sent to the Tasmanian Museum. What happened to it after that is unknown. [Source]

Black Dogs -

An English ghost, a black dog can be seen as an omen of death and bad luck. They are often described as monstrously large with eyes of flaming red or green, appearing to those who are doomed to die. It is possible for them to have other demeanours though, some black dogs are benevolent and choose to watch over humans, even going as far as to walk women home at night and watch over children while they play. In some stories they are not so friendly, attacking and killing humans where they find them.

A notorious black dog from Suffolk was Black Shuck. This dog burst into a church during a service and killed a man and a boy who were attending church. The claw marks from the dog’s attack can be still seen in the church to this day.

Dartmoor is said to be home to many ghostly black dogs. They inspired the novel The Hound of the Baskervilles after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle spend some time there. The story of the hounds of Dartmoor tells of a huntsman who sold his soul to the devil. When he died he became a ghost that rides through the moors with a pack of black dogs running alongside him. 

some more images of the thylacine you have probably never seen before

The English band Faustus created this beautiful song based around the legend of the Gurt Dog of Somerset. It was featured on their October 2016 album Death and Other Animals. The song highlights the protective nature of the Gurt Dog and tells a tale of a child that wandered at night only to be ushered home by a large, gentle canine friend. 

Soundly dream, Sweetly dream, Close your ears and pray. Gurt Dog howls, On the prowl, For children who’ve run away. 

A muzzle pushed into my palm, Velvet it was and warm. The hills were kind, the moor was small, I’d soon be safely home. 

He galloped me up to my door, I stretched to kiss his nose. Then climbed back into my fleece-lined bed, Dry down to my clothes.