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Post by JoannaL on Oct 9, 2019 15:51:02 GMT -5
Red-Eyed Mothman-Type Creature Seen Near O'Hare AirportMUFON (the Mutual UFO Network) received a report early Monday, October 7, from a witness who said he was sitting in his car outside Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport Saturday, October 5, around 9:45 p.m. when he spotted a tall, red-eyed creature with large wing. Here’s the report According to Case No. 103855:I was sitting in my car awaiting my next Uber/Lyft call. I was parked on the side of the road near Toll Booth Plaza 31; it is a spot many [drive-share] drivers like to park to be close to the O’Hare terminals, which allows us to pick up rides from the airport. As I was sitting there, fiddling around my car, I saw something walk out of the trees. It was a tall creature about six to seven feet tall and kind of hunched over. It walked with a sort of gait like almost a waddle. It was completely black; when it swivelled its head, I saw two bright red eyes glowing. This thing opened a pair of large wings, as wide as it was tall, and began to flap them. It took off and headed to the south toward that large indoor driving range and the baseball park. It was gone in a few seconds.This report was picked up by the website UFO Stalker and then covered by UFO Clearinghouse and Phantoms & Monsters.
It appears the case has been removed from the MUFON Case Management System (CMS) database, but the Singular Fortean Society was able to confirm with Sam Maranto, MUFON’s Illinois State Director, that the case existed and was being pursued. According to Maranto, a MUFON investigator had “exchanged a number of emails” with the witness, but the witness “is refusing to talk on the phone or meet them.” The investigator following up the case “knows the location very well and will be interviewing folks around the site,” he added.
The demeanor of the witness seemed odd, Murano said, because “most folks are anxious to talk, give more information, or help in any way.” He compared this latest report to what he deemed “many of the more questionable reports we received in 2017.”
Investigator Lon Strickler of Phantoms & Monsters told the Singular Fortean Society the witness had contacted him by email after deciding not to speak directly with MUFON. According to Strickler, the witness said he was contacted by a MUFON representative who “told him that he [wouldn’t] believe him unless he came forward … with his name and a photo of himself.” Strickler is hopeful the witness will agree to speak with him by phone if he promises anonymity. “He’s just a guy trying to make some extra money as an Uber driver,” Strickler explained. “He seems not to want other drivers to know. He’s afraid they’ll ridicule him.”
The Singular Fortean Society will publish any new developments as they are received from any of the parties.
This is the latest report in a string of “Mothman” sightings around Lake Michigan, which includes the states of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. The latest spate of sightings started in the spring of 2017, but earlier encounters are being reported as more people become aware of the phenomenon.
Sightings of weird winged beings around Lake Michigan have occurred at all hours and often happen in or near a park and around water. Witnesses consistently describe a large, grey or black bat- or bird-like creature – although in a small number of cases the creature was described as insect-like – sometimes with glowing or reflective red, yellow or orange eyes, and often have humanoid features such as arms and legs. In many cases, the sightings are brief and the witness simply identifies a “flying creature,” which could be nothing more than a large bird. Sightings of avian anomalies, including thunderbirds and pterosaurs, have been reported in or near the same locations as those where witnesses report winged humanoids. (Map of Lake Michigan Mothman sightings.)
To report a sighting, contact Singular Fortean Society through its contact page.Source: Tobias Wayland, Singular Fortean, October 9, 2019.
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Post by Sam on Oct 10, 2019 0:58:58 GMT -5
That map is interesting. I didn't know there had been so many sightings.
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Post by JoannaL on Oct 10, 2019 17:33:07 GMT -5
O'Hare Witness Provides Additional Information
Although the initial report, “Red-Eyed Mothman-Type Creature Seen Near O’Hare Airport” (see above), was submitted to MUFON, the witness chose not to continue his communications with the field investigator assigned to his case because he felt the investigator displayed a “pushy and aggressive posture.” The witness found Ron Strickler through an internet search and following his initial email, the two began exchanging emails and the witness provided the following information:
I am not some nutter or some kook who is seeing things, and I have many, many more things to do than prank websites with made up stories. I saw what I saw, and remember it as clear as [if] it had happened five minutes ago. Honestly, how could you ever forget something like that? ...
The encounter was so brief, but I also got a pretty good look at the creature. I was parked by the light pole. It allows me to park a little more off the road. I was fumbling around with some charging cables that lead to the backseat of the car, for my passengers to use while in the car. I had my passenger side windows down to give my A/C a break. ...
It stood there for a few seconds looking around, I know I’m not the only one who saw it because there must have been three or four other drivers there waiting for the next call. It unfurled its wings and after a few seconds, it began to flap them, slow at first, then faster and faster as it leaped into the air. It flew like a large bird would. It used its wings to gain altitude, slowly adjusting itself into a more normal stance. The sounds of the wings were kind of muffled but could still be heard for a few seconds. I will tell you something that I didn’t tell the other investigator, in the moment it emerged from the trees, there was a strong smell of ammonia. It smelled like the old ammonia products that they used to use to clean the bathroom. It was very pungent but not overwhelming. When it took off the smell was gone within a minute [or] two. It took off in a south direction, headed toward the giant inflatable building that houses the indoor golf range.
Source: Tobias Wayland, Singular Fortean, October 10, 2019.
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Post by JoannaL on Oct 29, 2019 12:15:21 GMT -5
Second Mothman-Type Sighting Near O'Hare AirportLast week, Manuel Navarette of UFO Clearinghouse received a report from a witness claiming to have seen a “giant-sized bat” fly overhead while he was outside smoking during a wedding reception at the Edward Hotel in Rosemont, Illinois. The sighting occurred at approximately 10 p.m. on Saturday, October 19:We were staying at the Edward Hotel in Rosemont, Illinois for a wedding we were attending that was being held at the hotel. During the reception and dance, I stepped outside to smoke a cigarette and get away from all the noise for a few minutes. I took a walk toward the parking lot smoking and checking my phone when I heard a loud scream. It sounded like a woman screaming so I looked up in the direction of where the scream was coming from hoping it wasn’t really a woman in danger. Next to the parking lot is a large field with some trees but mostly a large, vacant lot. I used my cell phone’s flashlight to light the way and saw nothing except darkness. I walked over to the gravel path between the parking lot and the field, toward where my car was parked. That is when I heard something like wings flapping and something flew right over the top of me, about maybe seven to ten feet above me. I could have easily thrown a rock and hit it as it flew over me and away. This thing was at least six feet tall and was solid black with large wings, it looked like a giant-sized bat flew over the top of me. It was all black and kind of stuck out against the lights of the parking lot and the lights from around the area including the gas station across the street. Three other people saw it as well, including a couple who were walking across the parking lot as I heard them exclaiming about it. It flew toward the expressway and the BP gas station, this whole time it was screeching loud and flapping its wings hard like it was trying to gain height. When I lost sight of it, it was about the height of the billboard across the street still shrieking away.
Now I know I had been drinking during the wedding and was a little buzzed when I walked outside, but I was as sober as a judge after seeing this thing. It was unnatural and was pretty much the scariest thing I ever did see, but I know for a fact that I saw it and those other people saw it.According to Navarette, who interviewed the witness by telephone: “The witness stated that he and his girlfriend were attending a mutual friend’s wedding reception when he decided to step outside and smoke a cigarette. When he first heard the screaming, it sounded almost like a woman in distress which made him look around to see if anyone needed help. He walked along the gravel path, smoking and looking around and that is where he heard the sound of flapping. The witness said it sounded like when geese flap their wings only louder and deeper. It was then that he saw the entity fly over at a height of about seven feet above his head. He said the creature was solid black, but still reflected light from the street lamps in the parking lot and the surrounding area. He stated that it looked like a giant bat, stating that there was no other way to describe what it looked like. When asked if he saw any red eyes or other distinguishing features, the witness stated that he did not.
“The witness stated that it was moving too fast for him to pick out any features other than the general description he gave,” he continued. “He did [say] that there are at least three other witnesses who saw the entity when it overflew the parking lot but he did not talk to them. The witness did state that he had been drinking alcohol during the reception, but that he was not impaired in any way, and that he could not have misidentified anything else that might have been in the area. The witness stated that he has heard geese and the sound the entity was making was completely different than the honking made by geese. I asked him to please describe the sound and he said it was a cross between a woman screaming and an animal growling. When asked what kind of animal, he stated it sounded like a mountain lion.
“The witness [also said] that the creature [gained] altitude very quickly, and when it faded out of sight, it was over the nearby expressway and about the height of the billboard it had passed. The entity was still making the screeching noise and could still be heard as it went out of sight. When asked about flight characteristics, the witness [added] that the creature had two short legs that it kept straight behind him as he was in flight, therefore making it look like a bat. When asked what he did after the sighting, he said he went back inside and told his girlfriend who dismissed it as him seeing a crane or other large bird. They rejoined the reception and the rest of the night was uneventful. When asked if he had tried to take video or a picture, the witness said that he was in shock and that he did not reach for his phone.”
This is the second sighting this month of a bat-like, mothman-type creature with red eyes near O’Hare Airport. The Edward Hotel is approximately three miles north of O’Hare.
You may report a sighting to the Singular Fortean Society here. Source: Tobias Wayland, Singular Fortean, October 28, 2019.
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Post by Sam on Oct 29, 2019 21:13:18 GMT -5
I know sightings of things like cryptids are "catching," for lack of a better word, but I can't believe everybody is making up stories about seeing a bat-like creature.
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Post by JoannaL on Dec 6, 2019 16:18:00 GMT -5
Another 'Mothman' Sighting at O'Hare AirportManuel Navarette of the UFO Clearinghouse recently received a report from a man who said he was standing outside a cargo dock at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport when he spotted a seven-foot-tall “person with wings” just outside a fence by the parking lot. The sighting reportedly took place Tuesday, November 26, at approximately 6:30 p.m.I was at the airport picking up a load at Nippon [Cargo Airlines], I was already backed into a dock and was standing away from the truck smoking a cigarette while they loaded my truck. I was looking toward the runways, in the direction of the tunnel and that is when I noticed something that looked like a large bird standing just outside of the fence by the parking lot. It was not hard to miss because two street lamps were nearby. It looked like a person with wings that were stretched out and flapping. It was walking away from the fence toward the open field and then began to flap its wings and disappeared.Navarette spoke by phone with the witness, whose native language is Spanish, but with the help of his daughter and her boyfriend, said he was standing near his truck smoking a cigarette when he detected movement in the corner of his eye and saw the creature, which was illuminated by two street lamps. He estimated the height of the fence at approximately 8-feet and using it has a point of reference, surmised the thing he saw was at least 7-foot and its wings were at least 6-feet across and black. He didn’t see the creature’s eyes and assumed this was because its back was turned toward him. It walked in a bird-like manner and flapped its wings as it made its way toward the large field by the runways and disappeared from sight. The witness immediately made the sign of the cross and asked the Blessed Virgin for protection because he sensed “evil” and was convinced he had seen a demon. He refused to discuss the matter further for fear it might return. Another witness also reported experiencing a sense of evil when he saw the Mothman-type creature.
The witness also claimed he had a similar encounter when he was growing up in Mexico. He and three friends were playing soccer when they saw a black-winged creature circling an open field. The creature, he said, made a loud screeching noise as it flew away into the forest. He did not recall the precise date of the sighting, but recalled that about a week later, on September 19, 1985, there was a magnitude 8.0 earthquake in Mexico City.
If you have a sighting to report, contact Singular Fortean. Source: Tobias Wayland, Singular Fortean, December 6, 2019.
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Post by JoannaL on Mar 3, 2020 0:19:45 GMT -5
Chicago 'Mothman' Leaves FootprintsAccording to Tobias Wayland, in late February, Lon Strickler of Phantoms & Monsters spoke with a man whose mother saw a “big, black birdman” a few days before. And not only did she see the phenomenon, the creature left footprints in the snow. Strickler reported as follows:
“On Friday, February 28th, 2020, I received a telephone call from [the son of a witness] who lives in the area of West 62nd Street & South Paulina Street in Chicago’s West Englewood neighborhood. [He] stated that on Wednesday, February 26th, 2020, at early dawn (estimated to be between 5:30 am and 6 am local time) his mother was awoken by ‘footsteps’ on the roof of their second-floor apartment. She looked out the window into the backyard and observed a ‘big, black birdman’ landing in the backyard along the six-foot fence. It was hopping and walking about as if it was chasing something. It then spread its wings and bound over the fence into the adjacent lot.
“The [creature’s] height was about six feet compared to the fence and the wings were [12 or more feet] in width, judging by the width of the double gate (each gate is five feet, ten inches wide) it was standing near. The wing shape was undetermined though it seemed to be broad and gargoyle-like. There were no distinguishable features on the body other than it was standing on double-toed clawed feet with a small appendage extending from the back of the foot (possible spur).
“... [the son] was able to obtain photos of the tracks in the snow near the fence and in the backyard, as well as a line of tracks in the adjacent lot. He estimated that the length of the tracks are comparable to the length of a size 11 men’s shoe and that the distance/stride of the tracks is three to four feet at the longest.”
Wayland contends this is the second recorded case of one or more footprints at a sighting location during the Lake Michigan Mothman investigation. The previous footprints were from an investigation by Tobias and Emily Wayland in Woodstock (a city of around 25,000 approximately 60 miles northwest of Chicago), however, it was determined the tracks more closely resembled those of a large, bare humanoid footprint.
The recent footprints were reported at a location approximately six miles west of Lake Michigan and within several miles of other Mothman sightings.
The most recent spate of sightings began in the spring of 2017 and have been reported at all hours of the day and night. Witnesses are consistent in their descriptions of a huge grey or black bat- or bird-like creature with glowing or reflective red, yellow or orange eyes. Most of the sightings are brief – lasting no more than a few seconds – but sometimes a witness claims he/she saw the creature for a sufficient length of time to discern arms or legs.
To report a sighting, contact the Singular Fortean Society through its contact page.
To report a sighting to Phantoms & Monsters, contact Lon Strickler at lonstrickler@phantomsandmonsters.com or call him directly at (410) 241-5974. Source: Tobias Wayland, Singular Fortean, March 2, 2020.
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Post by jason on Mar 3, 2020 17:11:49 GMT -5
Those tracks remind me of those made by what Officer George Crabtree was positive were Martians on the Murdock Mysteries episode "The Annoying Red Planet."
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Post by Sam on Mar 3, 2020 19:42:25 GMT -5
Those tracks remind me of those made by what Officer George Crabtree was positive were Martians on the Murdock Mysteries episode "The Annoying Red Planet." That's my favorite episode. The older shows are a lot better than the new ones.
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Post by JoannaL on Mar 19, 2020 15:27:43 GMT -5
Fourth Mothman Sighting at O'Hare AirportTobias Wayland of Singular Fortean has reported yet another of a Mothman-type encounter near O’Hare International Airport. The witness, an airport security guard, contacted Manuel Navarette of the UFO Clearinghouse and reported seeing what he described as a “very tall human” that “was solid black with glowing red eyes” last month. Following is the man’s statement:I wanted to tell you about something I saw on February 21st at O’Hare International Airport. I work as a security guard and I was on duty at O’Hare International Airport, and was assigned to do routine escorts for trucks that were coming in and out of the airport. Many of these trucks are there to deliver cargo going outbound on planes, and are required to have an escort to and from their drop offs. I was doing one such escort on that night at about [10 pm]. I had escorted the truck to the unloading facility at the post office and I was waiting [for] the truck to be unloaded. I stepped out of my vehicle to have a cigarette, and I saw something move out of the corner of my eye near the fence and I decided to go see if it was someone trying to climb the fence. We had a few incidents in the last few weeks of people coming onto airport grounds either to sit and watch the airplanes come and go, but we have also had a few incidents of investigators coming onto airport grounds in response to the multiple reports of the Mothman.
We had been told to report these individuals and escort them off the grounds if we ever run into them during our shifts. I assumed it was going to be the same thing as before, we roll up to them and tell them that they were trespassing and then escort them off the property. We have all had our share of these sorts of calls and knew to be firm but professional with them.
I rolled up to the fence and what I saw wasn’t human; it looked like a very tall human, but it was solid black with glowing red eyes and it had a pair of wings that were outstretched that must have measured at least ten feet from tip to tip. I got out of my car and shined my flashlight at it, this thing screeched out loud, it almost sounded like the brakes on a train, loud and very high pitched. It then turned its back to me and flew straight up into the sky and took off like a bullet. I could see it as it took off, its wings flapping until it faded into the night. I heard it screech again and before I knew it, it was gone and I could not see it anymore. I drove back to where the truck was and I told the people there at the dock, and they said that people had seen it at least a few times. I waited till the truck was ready, escorted it back, and reported [my sighting] to my supervisor, who told me that it was probably a very large owl. He did tell me to be careful in the future when I am out at night, which I thought was odd.
I know what I saw was not an owl, and what ever it was, it scared the living piss out of me. I am asking that you please do not mention my employment, I need to keep my job in order to take care of my family and I do not want people saying anything to me about this sighting. I need to make my money and I also do not want to be made fun of by people here at work.The man was reluctant to speak, but Navarette finally got a statement from him. “The witness was very hesitant to talk to [me] until I assured him that his identity would be protected and his employer would be redacted from the final report,” the investigator explained. “The witness said that he saw something, and when he came up to the fence line, he exited his car and used his flashlight to shine a beam of light at the entity. When asked what he saw, he said that the skin of the creature looked like that of a giant bat and was solid black, and that the wings were at least 10 feet in width. He said that the creature turned its back on him, shot up into the air, and was gone within a few seconds. When asked if he got a look at the face of the creature, the witness said that he did not, that the initial encounter did not last more than a few seconds, and that he was frozen in fear at the sight of the creature. When asked to please explain what he saw in more detail, the witness said he could not give any more of a description aside from what he initially gave. When asked about his interaction with the people at the dock, he said that he never went any further than what he initially talked to them about, and that they said that the creature had been seen before by various people. He said that he went back to his car and waited inside with the doors locked until the truck was ready to be escorted back to the gates.”
According to Navarette, the security guard seemed agitated during their conversation, which is something common among those who have seen the Lake Michigan Mothman. “The witness refused to talk about his conversation with his supervisor and then proceeded to cut the interview short. No other information was obtained by the witness,” Navarette continued. “It is [my] opinion that this sighting did profoundly affect the witness to the point that he refused to talk to [me] any further.”
Of interest, the security guard indicated there have been “a few incidents of investigators coming onto airport grounds in response to the multiple reports of the Mothman.” As a consequence, Tobias Wayland urges amateur investigators not violate the law while investigating or seeking information about the various sightings.
Other incidents in the area include a strange flying creature with “membranous wings” on March 3rd; an “egg-shaped” object shining a “brilliant blue light” on December 6th; and a “red-eyed, winged humanoid” on the 3rd of December.
On November 26, a witness saw a 7-foot-tall “person with wings” near O’Hare. On October 30, there were reports of a big, winged humanoid in Park Ridge, and the previous day, a witness saw a winged humanoid accompanied by several other “beings” that disappeared in a flash of blue light. Also in late October, an “unknown flying human owl” was reported in Hoffman Estates. On October 19, someone reported seeing a “giant-sized bat” outside the Edward Hotel in Rosemont and on October 5, a “tall creature” with “bright red eyes” and “large wings” was seen near O’Hare.
A witness reported seeing a toddler-sized “bat creature ... running like a gorilla” near Barrington on September 29, and there was a July report of a 6-foot-tall creature flying over the Des Plaines River near Rosemont.
In addition to the recent sightings, a man has come forward claiming to have seen a “large, dark being” with “cape-like wings” in 2006.
Singular Fortean offers a timeline of the Lake Michigan Mothman sightings as well as an interactive map.
To report an encounter, contact the Singular Fortean Society.
Sources: Tobias Wayland, Singular Fortean, March 18, 2020; Robbie Telfer, WBEZ, October 26, 2019; and Aimee Levitt, ChicagoReader, August 9, 2017.
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Post by Sam on Mar 19, 2020 21:50:58 GMT -5
People must be seeing something for there to be so many reports. I know that you can misidentify things, but what natural creature looks like a gigantic winged humanoid?
On the timeline that's linked, the person who reported the creature with "membraneous wings" on March 3rd is Manuel Navarette, the investigator, and it's really unusual for someone who investigates things like cryptids to actually see one themselves.
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Post by steve on Apr 17, 2020 21:04:54 GMT -5
I've quit posting on reddit, but I still read it sometimes and I have a question that I've seen asked in the cryptozoology sub. Is Mothman a cryptid? I know that things like skinwalkers and the Wendigo are supernatural, so they aren't cryptids, but isn't the Mothman somewhat supernatural, too?
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Post by catherine on Apr 18, 2020 7:34:19 GMT -5
I've quit posting on reddit, but I still read it sometimes and I have a question that I've seen asked in the cryptozoology sub. Is Mothman a cryptid? I know that things like skinwalkers and the Wendigo are supernatural, so they aren't cryptids, but isn't the Mothman somewhat supernatural, too? Cryptids are flesh and blood. As for the Mothman, I don't think anyone has ever figured out if it was a flesh and blood animal or some kind of supernatural manifestation.
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Post by steve on Apr 18, 2020 15:22:51 GMT -5
Cryptids are flesh and blood. As for the Mothman, I don't think anyone has ever figured out if it was a flesh and blood animal or some kind of supernatural manifestation. Some think that it was some kind of inter-dimensional being, but that seems a little far out.
The sub r/HighStrangeness is being taken over by some real kooks who think there's a connection between UFOs, Bigfoot and ghosts and other crazy things. Now it turns out that one of the mods, u/irrelevantappelation, was using a sockpuppet account, u/smilingfaceofdeath, to post garbage and then stepping in and reprimanding and banning people as a mod. Things like that are the reason I don't post on reddit anymore.
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Post by madeline on Apr 19, 2020 14:27:38 GMT -5
Some think that it was some kind of inter-dimensional being, but that seems a little far out. The sub r/HighStrangeness is being taken over by some real kooks who think there's a connection between UFOs, Bigfoot and ghosts and other crazy things. Now it turns out that one of the mods, u/irrelevantappelation, was using a sockpuppet account, u/smilingfaceofdeath, to post garbage and then stepping in and reprimanding and banning people as a mod. Things like that are the reason I don't post on reddit anymore. Nothing surprises me about Reddit. The people are oversensitive because most of them are stoned on pot or taking powerful psychiatric drugs for serious mental disorders.
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