More images and rumors of an unidentified, bloated and heavily decayed animal have infiltrated the Internet community with the return of the infamous Montauk Monster. Is this a new monster, or the same one?
What Happened to the First Montauk Monster of 2008?
Last summer, 2008, the world gawked at pictures of a “monster” with mostly hairless skin, a bony structure on its snout like a beak, and spindly “flipper-like” feet. It was called a griffin by some, an alien by others, and a raccoon or dog by experts. Still others tried to identify it as a hog or boar, or even just a bull terrier that was an unfortunate victim of animal experimentation.
All speculation has been done exclusively on the images of the 2008 “monster” because, unfortunately, that body disappeared before tissue samples could be taken for DNA analysis. Thus, as 2008 ended, it seemed the world would go without an indisputable answer on the identity of the “monster.”
The Monster in Long Island
Fortunately another carcass has appeared, also in New York. The images of this “monster” are more difficult to come by and show a creature in even poorer condition than the original Montauk beast. Is this the same “monster,” and was it even a monster to begin with?
It’s interesting to consider the source of this new “monster.” Internet rumor insists that this is the same monster, but the quality of this specimen is very poor. The man who reported it already had an ongoing blog about last summer’s “monster.” The carcass has been taken by locals who found it for “safekeeping.” The goal is to preserve it on ice until an independent laboratory steps forward to do the proper analysis to identify the animal, but of course the motives are questionable. It seems the latest way to earn a few bucks is to photograph and publicize a decaying corpse and then sell it to a laboratory.
What Is the Long Island Monster?
The Long Island “monster” is a mammal of some kind. There is a tail present, four limbs, and what appear to be teeth in the decayed upper jaw. The lower jaw seems to be missing. A scene in the video of the animal’s feet might possibly show paw pads, such as those of a dog or cat – or yes, a raccoon.
The Long Island monster, as seen in the few photos available online and in a video, does bear a strong resemblance to the carcass from Montauk. There is visible fur, a bony structure is at the front of the body that some would claim is a beak, others would identify only as the skull. There is also a similarity in their locations, both being found on sandy beaches in New York, as well as the bloated, mostly hairless, purple-gray shade of both creatures’ flesh.
In the end the Long Island “monster” is in such a state of decay that any conclusion may be drawn from the few images available. The uneducated can claim it is a griffin or a turtle without a shell, the suspicious can denounce it as a scam or a science experiment left out to rot. The sympathetic can see a homeless pet and the imaginative can see aliens or sea monsters while the realists see only raccoons.
Perhaps DNA tests will be done, perhaps not. With this monster the viewer gets to decide.
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