Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Phantoms and Monsters

Phantoms and Monsters

Link to Phantoms and Monsters

Inexplicata: Strange Creature / Entity Spotted In Entre Ríos Province, Argentina

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 01:03 PM PST


Scott Corrales of Inexplicata-The Journal of Hispanic Ufology has posted the following intriguing account:

Source: Diario Victoria (Argentina)
Date: 12.12.10

Argentina: UFO Sightings Ongoing; Odd Creature Reported

During the course of this week, numerous persons claimed having seen lights in the night skies and unidentified flying objects overhead in broad daylight. The most intriguing fact, however, is the story told by an inspector for the municipal natural resources office, who encountered a strange creature on the premises of the municipal parking lot.

In recent weeks, the department of Victoria has become an unprecedented area for sightings. On a daily basis, residents from various points of the communal lands and the rural areas have described how and why they saw an intense light in the sky, or objects that suddenly vanish as though by magic.

In many of these sightings, people have managed to use their cellphones to take photos. But on Wednesday, the repercussions of these unidentified flying object sightings were minimized by public opinion when an employee of the office of municipal natural resources claimed having seen a strange creature behind the campgrounds as he conducted a routine drive-around.

Faced with this, UFO researcher Silvia Pérez Simondini, startled by the news, stated: "If something was missing in Victoria, it was something that all researchers dream about, and it has just occurred. One always thinks that these things happen to others, in other countries, and that we will never have the possibility of encountering something like what just happened. Now our work is redoubled - we not only have to chase after the lights, appear in this locality year after year. Now we're faced with another type of research."

"On 10 December 2010, while listening to the Caminando program (102.1 FM) I heard my name being mentioned, and they were calling me about something very strange that was taking place. I went to the station immediately, in the understanding that it was just that important. Upon arriving at the station, they told me the story quickly, adding that the percipient was not only credible - he was frightened and wanted to tell me what occurred on the evening of Wednesday, December 8."

"They showed me a drawing made by the father (an excellent illustrator) and I was astoudned, since it is the same figure that is currently been seen in many countries. They gave me his phone number to arrange an interview. I visited at 16:30 hrs. and he told me his experience. He only asked me not to show his face, since he is a natural resources inspector. Could I photograph him from the back, he asked, and he would tell me everything. And so we did. And you can hear his story. There is a small mistake - I say its the sixteenth, and it was in fact the tenth of December. I am clarifying this to avoid confusion."

Link to video - in Spanish

Monday, December 13, 2010

Transcript: Interview with Creature Witness

[Video interview conducted by Silvia Perez Simondini with creature eyewitness "Mario" in Entre Rios, Argentina, on 12.10.10 - transcription by Scott Corrales]

We are at the home of a person who has witnessed something very strange. The fact is that this is very convenient, as creatures of this sort are being reported elsewhere in the world. He is showing us his back and he is nearly in shadow, given that the job he performs keeps him from identifying himself. We are not going to reveal his name, we shall simply call him Mario. Good afternoon, Mario.

Good afternoon, Silvia.

I would like you to tell us about your experience and how it occurred.

Well, this event occurred this week on Wednesday night, 21:30 hours at night, it was something that startled me as I did not expect it. I was not alone: one of my co-workers was with me on duty, due to his own schedule. It happened behind the municipal campground.

And what's your job, Mario?

I'm a natural resources inspector.

Perfect. And what were you doing that night?

Well, we were just about to make our daily nocturnal survey of the area, a function of my job, we usually cover the camping and also the old port. That evening, we were getting ready to go out, carrying our work tools, we started up the vehicle, and, well, we headed out to the area behind the campgrounds. We know that the area behind the campground is one where many people go fishing, so a function of our job is to go and insure that there aren't any irregularities involving wildlife. So when we went in, following the street that leads to the back of the campground, where the municipal stables are located, my colleague was casting light with his flashlight along the right side of the road, and we both looked to see if anything was visible. When I returned my attention to the road again, I noticed -- and it was very noticeable -- a pair of feet that were...were...very long...

Long like what?

Um...long like, um...not as thin, but as long as those of a cow, but with strange fur.

Were they upright legs?

No, they were shaped like an inverted "Z"

Like a "Z"?

Yes, the foot, from what little I could see, had a raised heel, as though it supported itself on its toes. That's what I could see. Not only that - this paranormal thing I'm looking at, because I don't know of anything in the world that is similar, or has those characteristics, had grayish brown fur and I could see a shape, a black shape like a person. Well, when I shouted to my companion: "Did you see that?!" The strange thing began to sort of disappear, to lose itself, running through the vegetation...

Did it run normally like a person?

No, not...not normally, it was as if...it had a very strange way of walking or running, it was very strange, as if lifting its legs

As if it were jumping?

Jumping, that's right. Well..I was startled, I took the flashlight from my companion, I could hear the creature making noise in the vegetation, I pointed the beam at it, theoretically at the place where I thought it was, and well, I pointed the beam, tossed stones, didn't hear anything. It was as if it had vanished. Well, then...we kept going, wondering what it could have been, because as we know, the municipal stables are there, and there are other animals, but it wasn't a horse or a cow. It was something strange. But anyway, the adventure wasn't over yet. We finished the tour of the campground, where there were people, many people, which startled us too. We stopped, and then returned to where we'd seen the creature. We decided to stop and comb the area a little more, to see if we could find at least something similar to what we'd seen, or possibly see it again. But no, no. We didn't find anything. It was a very dark night, so....I know that what I saw...was nothing that exists...

Nothing known?

Nothing known at all.

Mario, thank you very much.

NOTE: Well documented event...I hope other evidence is forthcoming. Thanks again Scott!...Lon

California Man Witnesses Possible Dimensional Portal

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 11:21 AM PST

The following was posted on the MUFON CMS today. I heard a similar anecdote a few years ago from a man in Pennsylvania. Could this driveway be a alternative universe / dimensional overlap or portal?

MUFON CMS - California: I have know idea who I should tell this story to so I hope you might be interested. I have been interested in U.F.O. stories for years but I must honestly say that I've never seen one. My story may somehow be connected though.

In the fall of 1988 my wife and I purchased our 1st (and only) house in Fresno Ca. Money was tight so we couldn't afford a lot of upgrades for a new house (like a garage door opener). I drove an older 1978 F-250 pickup to work and my wife drove the new 1988 Mustang GT that we bought just before we got the house. Every day when I came home from work I would approach our house from the south (heading north). The house is the last house on the right side corner. My wife's Mustang was always sitting in the driveway when I got home. This irritated me a bit because I wanted our new car to be in the garage. The task of getting out of the car and manually opening the garage door was more than my wife wanted to do, (don't worry we're still happily married). A little over a year later, I was comming home from work and the first thing I noticed was the Mustang was not parked in the driveway, I didn't see it anywhere. I first thought that my wife was somewhere else but when I got my key out to unlock our front door, she greeted me. I immediately thought that she actually put the car in the garage so I walked in the front door, made a hard right and opened the inside garage door to the house to confirm this. The garage was empty! I was shocked and thought the car was stolen so I turned to my wife and asked "Where is the car!" She told me it was in the driveway. I ran back out the front door and the car was in the driveway just like she said. I know this sounds like I was tired and day dreaming but the fact that the car was missing (and I had to walk up the driveway to get to the house) is what caught my attention. Little did I know more events were to come.

A few months later almost the exact same event occurred. I was coming home from work and the Mustang was not in the driveway (by the way I always parked my truck on the street in front of the house). I entered the house a little different this time. I heard my daughter in her room to the left so I went in to say hi. I asked her if her mother had put the car in the garage. She said she didn't think so. I responded by saying "Well it's not in the driveway", We both looked out her front bedroom window towards the driveway (which was clearly visible), And she responded "oh yeah, I don't see it". I walked towards the kitchen and greeted my wife, checked the inside garage door again and asked my wife where the car was. She said it was in the driveway. I walked out the front door and lo and behold, the car was in the driveway, (but this time I had a witness).

These two events are the only events I personally experienced but two more events took place with a friend from work and my wife and daughter.

I sold my 1978 truck and bought a 1991 F-150 truck. This truck was the vanishing vehicle in the next two episodes.

About 4 or 5 years later we finally had a garage door opener. No more problem parking the Mustang in the garage but my new truck was a super cab model and was too big to fit in the garage. This truck was always parked in the driveway. I car pooled with a friend from work so he met me at my house every morning. One morning he didn't show up so I went on to work (driving my truck that was parked in the driveway). I met my friend at work and he asked me where I was that morning. I told him I was there waiting and left at the usual time. He then told me he drove past our house in one direction and didn't see my truck so he circled back, looked again and my truck was gone. (my friend was very prompt and always 10-15 min. early). I told him the unbelievable stories about the Mustang disappearances and he was convinced that something strange was going on.

The last story happened when I was home, my truck in the driveway, and I was sitting in the front room watching tv. My wife and daughter were out in the Mustang. When they came home, it was dark outside but they both could see me as they approched the house, through the front window watching tv. My wife asked me later on (maybe an hour after they got home), how I got home? I said I drove my truck, why? She said they didn't see it in the driveway and since they could both see me watching tv through the front window of the house, they wondered how I got there. Naturally I ran out to check the truck and you guessed it, it was parked in the driveway where I left it. I also checked the garage and the Mustang was parked there also. My wife had to drive by the truck in the driveway to get the car in the garage (we're talking 18-24 inches).

I asked my daughter if she saw my truck when they came home and she confirmed that it wasn't there.

I still own both the 1988 Mustang and the 1991 F-150 truck. They have never disappeared since. I know this is a crazy story but the only common factor is the location where everything took place (the driveway). I'm just glad it didn't swallow me up. If anyone has any ideas I'd love to hear them.

Fortean / Oddball News: Nessie Footage Authentic, Real-Life DaVinci Code and Killer Icicles

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 10:54 AM PST

Retired Detective Insists 50 Year Old Loch Ness Monster Footage Authentic

telegraph - Simon Dinsdale, a retired police detective from Essex, insists that the two minute film recorded 50 years ago by his father, a famous Nessie-hunter, is genuine.

The footage, shot by Tim Dinsdale in 1960, is one of the best-known images put forward as evidence by those who insist on the existence of the mysterious creature.

Now the insistence of those who believe in Nessie that the film is genuine has been lent new weight after Mr Dinsdale claimed he had seen the monster with his own eyes on two occasions.

Mr Dinsdale Sr, an aeronautical engineer in the RAF who died in 1987, was one of the world's leading Nessie-hunters, making 56 expeditions to Loch Ness and writing a number of books on the subject.

When his footage was sent to the RAF for analysis, experts determined that the mysterious shape seen moving around in the water was neither a boat nor a submarine, but an "unknown inanimate object".

Simon, his son, is determined to convince the public the video is authentic and discussed his belief in the mysterious monster in an interview with the BBC, to be broadcast on Monday.

He said: "I saw this immense, extraordinary object, it looked like the back of a huge animal.

"It stood two or three feet (0.6m to 0.9m) out of the water, four or five feet (1.2m to 1.5m) across, reddish brown and had a blotch on the left flank which I could see very clearly.

"And then it started to move – a most electrifying moment."

Mr Dinsdale Jr, who spent his career examining evidence and was involved in tracking down serial killer Steve Wright in Ipswich, is adamant the film can not be a hoax.

He said: "I'm experienced at looking at evidence and I can tell you that on the balance of probabilities there is something large and unknown living in this loch."

Speculation over the possible existence of an enormous monster living underwater in the Loch began in 1933 when George Spicer reported the first modern sighting of the beast.

Mr Spicer claimed he and his wife saw "a most extraordinary form of animal" some 4ft (1m) high and 25ft (8m) long crossing the road 20 years from the loch.

Many people over the years have claimed to have conclusive evidence that the monster exists, only to find their arguments rejected by the public at large.

The most famous was a photograph published in 1934, supposedly taken by Dr Robert Kenneth Wilson, showed a head and long neck apparently belonging to a large animal in the middle of the lake.

It was the subject of feverish debate for 60 years before finally being exposed as a hoax in 1994, when Christian Spurling confessed to having fitted a toy submarine with a false head before photographing it and passing the picture to Dr Wilson.

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Mystery: Body Fell From Plane

NYTimes - A North Carolina teenager whose body was found in a Boston suburb last month had most likely stowed away inside a plane's wheel well and fallen as it lowered its landing gear, the authorities said Friday.

The remains of the youth, Delvonte Tisdale, 16, were found in a quiet neighborhood in Milton, Mass., on Nov. 15, below a flight path to Logan Airport.

"It appears more likely than not that Mr. Tisdale was able to breach airport security and hide in the wheel well of a commercial jet airliner without being detected by airport security," William R. Keating, Norfolk County district attorney, said at a news conference on Friday afternoon.

Mr. Keating said he had alerted federal authorities and the airport in Charlotte, N.C., where the teenager is believed to have gotten on the flight, about the events. While the case is a sad one, Mr. Keating said, it also underscores fears that someone with malicious intent could do the same thing.

"It's a terrible tragedy what happened to this young man, but if that was someone with a different motive," he said, "if that was a terrorist that could have been a bomb that was planted, undetected. This is very serious."

Mr. Keating said the authorities had searched two airplanes that left Charlotte for Boston on Nov. 15, and found handprints in the left wheel well of a Boeing 737 that was scheduled to leave Charlotte Douglas International Airport at 7 p.m. that day.

"As they looked at the grease, they saw what I describe as lateral impressions that showed there was someone in there. There was a handprint in an area where it ordinarily wouldn't be," Mr. Keating said.

"I don't pretend to tell you how he did it," Mr. Keating said, noting that Delvonte was an Air Force R.O.T.C. student.

Clothing that matched a description that Delvonte's family had given the authorities was found in Milton along the flight path, Mr. Keating said, and a plastic card — the type one uses to get into a hotel room — was found shattered.

"The altitudes were very high, and it gets very cold," Mr. Keating said. "That card was shattered into such tiny pieces that it was consistent with something that had been frozen and shattered."

The authorities initially believed that Delvonte had been murdered, and impounded two cars they thought to be suspicious. But in recent weeks, officials began investigating the possibility that the teenager had stowed away on an airplane.

"This was something that sounded quite remote, that someone could breach security aboard a commercial jet," Mr. Keating said. "Again we look at every possibility."

The authorities were at first flummoxed as to how the teenager had made it from North Carolina to Massachusetts so quickly. Delvonte was last seen around 1 a.m. Nov. 15 in Charlotte, and his body was found less than 24 hours later in Milton. A neighbor in the Milton neighborhood reported hearing a loud thump outside around 9 p.m.; the authorities said the plane landed minutes later.

Federal and state authorities continue to investigate the case, Mr. Keating said.

"I suspect," he said, "that there will be a lot of scrutiny into this."

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Declassified Papers Show U.S. Recruited Ex-Nazis

After World War II, American counterintelligence recruited former Gestapo officers, SS veterans and Nazi collaborators to an even greater extent than had been previously disclosed and helped many of them avoid prosecution or looked the other way when they escaped, according to thousands of newly declassified documents.

The Nazi officer Klaus Barbie escaped to Bolivia; he and others got American help.

With the Soviet Union muscling in on Eastern Europe, "settling scores with Germans or German collaborators seemed less pressing; in some cases, it even appeared counterproductive," said a government report published Friday by the National Archives. Continue reading at Declassified Papers Show U.S. Recruited Ex-Nazis

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Falling icicles kill record numbers in St. Petersburg

telegraph - Apartment block roofs have caved in under the weight of snow with water seeping into people's homes and damaging books in the Russian National Library.

But it is the unusually large number of people who have been struck by icicles that has caused the most concern.

In recent days, a six-month old baby received serious injuries after a chunk of ice dropped on her pram, an eight-year old boy suffered serious spinal damage after an icicle struck his back, and at least two people hit by falling ice are now in hospital fighting for their lives.

Valentina Matviyenko, the city's governor, has fired eleven officials accused of doing too little to keep the city's streets and rooftops free of snow and ice.

"Icicles should be removed with lasers or steam," she said. "If St. Petersburg experts throw up their hands and say that icicles should be removed using crowbars, then we will use crowbars."

Russians risk their lives each year as winter becomes spring causing melting icicles and blocks of ice to fall from roofs, often from a great height, onto defenceless pedestrians below.

Regional figures show icicles kill dozens of Russians each year. Local authorities responsible for regularly clearing roofs of snow and ice are usually blamed.

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Mona Lisa Mystery: Experts Say Painting Contains Tiny Numbers, Letters

670kboi - Lovers of the famous Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece Mona Lisa have been wondering about the secret behind those sly eyes for hundreds of years, but few, if any, ever thought they could contain an actual code. But that's the latest theory put forth by experts who claimed they have uncovered tiny letters and numbers hidden in the nameless model's pupils.

"To the naked eye, the symbols are not visible but with a magnifying glass, they can clearly be seen," Silvano Vinceti of Italy's National Committee for Cultural Heritage, told Britain's Guardian newspaper.

In the left eye is a tiny L and V which Vinceti said could simply be a secret initial signature by Leonardo da Vinci. It's the right eye, however, that leave experts and conspiracy theorists scratching their heads.

"It is very difficult to make them out clearly, but they appear to be the letters CE, or it could be the letter B," Vinceti said. Vinceti also said the number 72, or possibly and L and the number 2, are also visible in arch of the bridge that is seen in the background of the painting.

Among the theories as to what the message could be in the symbols, Vinceti said it's possible they could reveal the painting's model, one of the art world's greatest mysteries.

Vinceti is among a team of historians determined to discover the truth about the Mona Lisa, even if it means exhuming da Vinci's body. One popular theory holds that the model for the painting is actually da Vinci himself. Skull measurements could help experts determine exactly how similar the model and da Vinci may have looked.

Marfa Lights / Pterosaur Connection Theory

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 10:36 AM PST


On December 6th, Jonathan David Whitcomb issued the following press release:

For generations, the mystery lights of Marfa, Texas, have entertained residents with their strange dancing. On some warmer nights, a ball of light seems to split into two, which will separate and fly away from each other before turning around and flying back together. They have recently been linked to flying lights in the southwest Pacific, lights that natives of Papua New Guinea testify are from large flying creatures.

In southwest Texas, local residents have speculated about dancing devils or ghosts. Scientists have preferred something along the lines of ball lightning or earthlights, but all their scientific explanations have tripped over the resemblances to line dancing. If atmospheric energies or tectonic stresses cause the displays, why do two lights horizontally separate for a long distance before coming back together?

Now a cryptozoologist from California has explained the dancing lights of Marfa. Tales of spooks may hold a spark of truth, for recent research implies intelligence directs the lights: Bioluminescent flying predators may be hunting at night and catching a few unlucky Big Brown Bats: Eptesicus fuscus.

According to Jonathan Whitcomb, a cryptozoology author in Long Beach, California, when one of the bioluminescent predators has been glowing for awhile, not far above the ground, it will be joined by another of its kind, which will then turn on its own glow. After insects have been attracted to that area, the two creatures will separate, which appears to distant human observers to be one light splitting into two. The predators will fly away from each other for some distance, then turn back and fly together. During the separation, bats may begin feeding on the concentration of insects before being caught from two sides by the larger predators.

Whitcomb was a forensic videographer, in 2004, when he traveled to Papua New Guinea, hoping to videotape the glowing nocturnal "ropen," said to be a large flying predator and scavenger. Although he did not see the creature, he interviewed many natives, who impressed him with their credibility and amazed him with what they had seen. Whitcomb became convinced that the ropen is a pterosaur, commonly called by Americans "pterodactyl" or "flying dinosaur."

After returning to the United States, he wrote many web pages about the concept of modern living pterosaurs in the southwest Pacific. He was surprised at the response: emails and phone calls from eyewitnesses of apparent pterosaurs in the United States.

He analyzed the eyewitness accounts of those flying creatures and wrote a nonfiction book: "Live Pterosaurs in America." The second edition of that cryptozoology book has just been published (ISBN-13: 9781456341350).

Although Whitcomb admits that Marfa Lights may come from an unknown bioluminescent bird or bat, he says, "It is more likely than not from a creature similar to the ropen of Papua New Guinea, and my associates and I are sure about the ropen: It is a pterosaur." - Jonathan David Whitcomb

NOTE: I have been reporting on Whitcomb's research and expeditions since I started 'Phantoms and Monsters'...in fact, he has forwarded several reports directly. This theory involving the Marfa Lights is interesting since much of the phenomena associated with the ropen of New Guinea is similar...Lon

A quick history of the Marfa Lights: The Marfa Lights in Western Texas, nine miles east of Marfa, are arguably the most well-known spooklights in the US. Within driving distance of the McDonald Observatory, the Marfa lights have been viewed for over a century. According to a State of Texas brochure, the first recorded sighting was made by a rancher named Robert Ellison in 1883. Apache Indians thought them to be stars that had dropped down to earth. Today they can been seen at night by passersby who park in a pullover spot on Hwy. 90. They are described as changing in color and intensity, and usually move about. Most skeptics believe the Marfa Lights are nothing more than distant auto headlights on another highway, but that doesn't explain the pre-automobile sightings. The town of Marfa even hosts an annual Marfa Lights Festival every September. To read more, go to - Marfa's Legendary Lights


Click for video - The Marfa Lights

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From March 2010

The Papua New Guinea Pterosaur


NOTE: I received an email from Jonathan Whitcomb at Live Pterosaur: "Last month I interviewed an eyewitness who lives in the Manus Island area of Papua New Guinea. More interesting than his short sighting one night is the account from an older man: The "kor" (a new name to me, probably the same species as the ropen of Umboi Island, or at least similar) creatures attacked some Japanese, during World War II, with a devastating response from those Japanese. I believe this story, for my contact seems to be credible."

The following is posted at his blog:

Japanese World War II Ship Shelled Pterosaur Caves

February 18th, 2010 at 5:29

Three days ago, I received an email from R.K. (anonymous), of the Manus Island area of Papua New Guinea. (We starting communicating earlier this month.) The nocturnal flying creatures that he described to me–I believe they are ropens–were common and were dangerous to local fishermen previous to the early 1940's, when their numbers declined. In these northern islands, the creature is called "kor."

Here is part of R.K.'s account of the Japanese retaliation against the creatures that had attacked them:

"...it was the japs [Japanese miliary] on the island who were attacked by the kor. They [Japanese soldiers] apparently shot several wounding them then followed them to cves [caves] and blew [blew up] the entrances. They called ships fire on the hills and pounded them for several hours."

R.K. asks an interesting question: "I wonder if there is a record of that somewhere?" Perhaps there is an old Japanese veteran who knows about this or has written about the battle with those creatures. If so, perhaps the word used for those creatures would be "dragons."
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The Kor of Northern Papua New Guinea


R.K., of Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, reports that the glowing nocturnal flying creature of those northern islands is called "kor." Descriptions strongly suggest that they are at least similar to the ropen of Umboi Island, perhaps the same species: glowing with various colors, a long tail, "skin all over it," and a few creatures growing to a large size. A few American investigators (some of them exploring in some areas of Papua New Guinea) are convinced that these are living pterosaurs.

According to what R.K. has learned from some older villagers, the kor catch fish "by skimming slowly around on the ocean surface, then as the light under their wings and belly glowed bright and attracted fish, the korr would swoop in . . . " and "they eat in flight."

But these are not just old reports. R.K. has reported his own encounter [early 2010 report]: "Two years ago we took a boat out to investigate and could see the lights soaring over us and heard flapping of wings."

Older web page reports of smaller "ropens" around Manus Island (as if these were a different species because of size) are questionable. One kor was large enough to kill an islander in the 1960's (according to R.K., this was the last human death from an attack). Perhaps the reports of smaller creatures come from the larger number of younger ones. Larger ones are reported to eat turtles and even young crocodiles. Some animals continue to grow throughout their lives; perhaps the kor, on occasion, also grows to a large size.


Click for video - Three men describe the pterodactyl-like creature of Umboi Island, Papua New Guinea. They saw the giant "ropen" (about 1994) flying over Lake Pung.
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World War II Veteran Saw Giant Living "Pterodactyl"


Duane Hodgkinson, now a flight instructor in Livingston, Montana, in 1944 was stationed near Finschhafen, in what was then called New Guinea. After he and his buddy walked into a clearing, they were amazed as a large creature flew up into the air. The men soon realized that it was no bird that started to circle the clearing. It had a tail "at least ten to fifteen feet long," (book Searching for Ropens, 2007) and a long appendage at the back of its head: apparently, a live pterosaur.

Jonathan Whitcomb, a forensic videographer, interviewed Hodgkinson, in 2004, and found his testimony credible. In 2005, Garth Guessman, another experienced ropen investigator, video-taped his own interview with Hodgkinson and the session was analyzed by Whitcomb, who became even more convinced the World War II veteran was telling the truth: The man had seen a ropen.
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INVESTIGATIONS

In late 2006, Paul Nation, of Texas, explored a remote mountainous area on the mainland of Papua New Guinea. He videotaped two lights that the local natives called "indava." Nation believed the lights were from the bioluminescence of creatures similar to the ropen of Umboi Island. The video was analyzed by a missile defense physicist who reported that the two lights on the video were not from any fires, meteors, airplanes or camera artifacts. He also reported that the image of the two lights was authentic and was not manipulated or hoaxed.

In 2007, cryptid investigator Joshua Gates went to Papua New Guinea in search of the Ropen for his TV show Destination Truth. He and his team also witnessed strange lights at night and could not confirm what they were.

In 2009, the television show Monster Quest conducted an expedition in search of the "demon flyer" but found no evidence of the creature. Later, they had a forensic video analyst examine the Paul Nation video. The analyst could not definitely conclude what was causing the lights, but ruled out vehicles and campfires believing the footage was of a pair of bioluminescent creatures perched in a tree that later take flight.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ropen


Click to video 1


Click for video 2


Click for video 3

As well, here is the YouTube page with the MonsterQuest clips - Flying Monsters

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helium - Papua New Guinea, Southwest Pacific Ocean—The Ropen ('demon flyer') is a monstrous creature that's terrified the natives of Papua New Guinea for thousands of years. Another smaller creature, the Duah-possibly related to the Ropen-haunts some of the far flung outlying islands.

Now sensational eyewitness reports—collected by determined exploration teams seeking strong evidence of the creatures—have led serious researchers to the conclusion that two distinct animals exist.

The descriptions of both monsters match that of fabled pterosaurs—ferocious flying dinosaurs thought to be extinct for 65 million years.

Jim Blume and David Woetzel are two daring researchers that have explored the dangerous regions—including the treacherous outlying islands—where the prehistoric monsters are known to hunt their prey.

Not only have these two compiled eyewitness accounts of the creatures from frightened natives, and physical evidence of gigantic nesting sites in some of the mountainous cliff areas, both men have personally witnessed the soaring creatures—and Woetzel even shot some video footage of one.

First brought to the attention of Western missionaries following WWII, the often nocturnal flying creatures are described as having large bat-like wings, an elongated beak filled with razor teeth, sharp, tearing claws and a very long whip-like tail with a split or flange on the end.

Reports from natives and investigators indicate that the creatures glow in the dark and are clearly visible in the night sky. This phenomenon—called the 'Ropen light'—was observed at length and videotaped by researcher David Woetzel.

It's hypothesized the bio-luminescent glow assists the creatures' efforts to hunt and catch fish—their primary diet—in the deep darkness of the tropical night.

The evidence for two types of living pterosaurs

Although the Ropen and Duah have strikingly similar physical characteristics, the giant Ropen inhabits Papua New Guinea while the smaller Duah stays relatively close to the outlying islands.

Other than actual modern-day sightings of the two, a surviving 16th Century maritime chart lends credence to the hypothesis of two distinctly different creatures.

The 1595 chart cautions sailors about 'sea monsters' and depicts various coastal regions of Earth where monsters might be found. In the area of Papua New Guinea, two 'sea monsters' are illustrated: one is much larger than the other, yet both have almost identical physical traits. Each have long necks, prominent head crests, tails ending with a flipper like appendage and ridges along their backs. They are shown flying above an island.

Despite the general consensus amongst orthodox zoologists that the creatures don't exist, those that have actually traveled deep into Papua New Guinea's primitive rain forests and tiny offshore islands are convinced the creatures are living there now—especially since they have seen them firsthand.

Furthermore, strong evidence exists that one type is very big with impressive 20-foot plus wingspans, while the smaller, island dwellers have 4 to 4 1/2-foot wingspans.

Blume and Woetzel are convinced that two different types of pterosaurs exist and the indigenous natives concur. The locals insist the Duahs are not Ropens.

Mounting evidence supports the contention that the large Ropen are living Dimorphodon pterosaurs, with dermal bumps and a head crest; while the numerous sightings of the smaller creatures that inhabit the caves of the islands dotting the Bismarck Archipelago are that of the supposedly extinct Rhamphorhynchus-a pterosaur with a wingspan of about 3 to 4 feet.

Blume's investigations indicate that wingspans of some of the pterosaurs may reach 10 to15 feet, though several other investigators point out that natives have encountered Ropens with much larger wingspans.

Most intriguing of all, the living pterosaurs may not be exclusive to Papua New Guinea. Similar creatures have been sighted and reported on and off for centuries throughout Central Africa.

The natives in the Congo, Zambia, Angola, Kenya and Zaire call the creatures 'Kongomato.' They assert the reddish African version has large, leathery wings, sharp claws, a split tail, and prominent teeth.

While humans smugly believe they are the masters of this planet, the original rulers may still command some of the darker corners of this shrinking world.


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