Maine Mystery Beast Killed

image Quite a few people have emailed me this story. Seems that some kind of ugly beast looking like a "hybrid mutant of something" has been found dead outside of Turner, Maine, apparently hit by a car while chasing a cat. People are speculating that the creature is "Maine's own Chupacabra." Others suggest it might have been either a wolf-dog hybrid or a deformed coyote. Here's a description of it:
What was found dead in Turner over the weekend was described as charcoal gray and weighing between 40 and 50 pounds. It had a bushy tail, an extremely short snout and short ears. There were also curled fangs hanging over the lips.
Unfortunately we'll never know for sure what it was since no DNA tests were done on it. Local animal control officers didn't think it was worth driving all the way out to Turner to inspect it. My guess: It was a Hodag.

Animals Cryptozoology

Posted on Wed Aug 16, 2006


Comments

Fark would have you believe it was a chupacabra. Did you know I found a reference to a chupacabra in Rabelais (16th century French) the other day? I did.
Posted by Straight Outta Lynwood  on  Thu Aug 17, 2006  at  12:09 AM
It does look rather doggish, with the shape of its legs and the fluffy tail and everything. Too bad they didn't take any pictures of it after the vultures were done; seeing its skeletal structure and skull would be helpful in identifying it. The picture of its face half-obscured by grass isn't terribly helpful.
Posted by Accipiter  on  Thu Aug 17, 2006  at  01:11 AM
It's just irritating that local experts didn't think it was all that important. If it was big foot they would have been all over it!
Posted by Tru  on  Thu Aug 17, 2006  at  08:00 AM
It's just a regular mutt dog gone stray or feral. Maybe a bit of Rottweiler or Mastiff in there giving the short muzzle. And something else giving a plumy tail. Mutt dogs have a mix of features from all their different ancestors, nothing mutant or deformed about it. People just like seeing exotic beasts where none exist. Same as mangy bald wolves get identified as hyaenas.

Anyway, why are folks calling it a "hybrid mutant"? Which is it supposed to be? A hybrid or a mutant?
Posted by Lou  on  Thu Aug 17, 2006  at  08:48 AM
*Gasp* Could it be? No! Not a YOUNG BLACK BEAR!?
Posted by Meerkat  on  Thu Aug 17, 2006  at  09:52 AM
Or deformed bear.
Posted by Meerkat  on  Thu Aug 17, 2006  at  10:01 AM
It looks a whole lot like a dog to me.
Posted by Big Gary  on  Thu Aug 17, 2006  at  11:59 AM
Ears are wrong for a bear. But there is a Japanese breed called a bear-dog.
Posted by Sarah  on  Thu Aug 17, 2006  at  01:45 PM
I am searching for this thing online because I JUST SAW IT on some too-early Saturday morning kids' "educational" animal show. It's a real animal, and I only saw it for a few seconds on TV, but this was it. They were talking about wild animals that people abandon after they realize that, oh crap, it's a wild animal.
Posted by Olivia  on  Sat Aug 19, 2006  at  02:54 PM
i think this thing looks cat like yet awfully weird but i cant quite see much dog in it perhaps a wild one or an odd cross of 2 different spieces
Posted by ellcee  on  Sat Aug 19, 2006  at  02:57 PM
I'll have you know a national authority on Bigfoot looked into this case. Even he thought it was a dog.
Posted by Hawkeye Pierce  on  Sat Aug 19, 2006  at  06:02 PM
I saw this in the paper this morning (Bangor Daily News). Apparently, they decided they're going to keep on investigating it, so hopefully they'll have an answer soon. Mostly, they're caught up because they found an unidentified animal skeleton that is apparently way more interesting than this thing.
Posted by A Guy Named Goo  on  Mon Aug 21, 2006  at  01:49 PM
The University Of Maine obtained one of its paws, and shipped the paw to Toronto for DNA testing. It was concluded that the thing is a dog of some sorts. It's dog DNA. One of the genetisists speculated that it is a new breed from Germany, a "Eurasieur" I believe it's called. Too bad. I was having fun believing that it was a "Scrunt" from the movie "Lady in the water."
Posted by Marianne  on  Fri Sep 01, 2006  at  06:21 PM
I think this article needs amending, as the person above says, there *was* DNA taken *and* tested, and the results say "dog": http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/articles/2006/09/02/beast_just_a_dog_dna_test_shows/
Posted by Jonathan Ferguson  on  Tue Sep 05, 2006  at  05:17 AM
well that says it all. Its one of those things where they find something that people think is weird and they go Its the beast!Its just a dog
Posted by J  on  Sun Oct 01, 2006  at  01:59 PM
looks like a dog
Posted by sfgsgdfg  on  Sat Jan 20, 2007  at  03:28 PM
Have you never heard of a wolverine?
Posted by Ragnar  on  Wed Jul 11, 2007  at  07:26 PM
I think that the animal was really cool but weird. I think that they should have a little more info on the animal so that we can no what to really think of the mystery beast because so far all we know is that the dog has a deformed foot, sometimes animals or even people are born with a deformation I don't think that you should look to much into it.
Posted by victoria Dore  on  Wed Nov 28, 2007  at  06:12 AM
Hello everyone I just want to say that the dog looks wicked cool and i just want to say HI!!!!
Posted by Chaddy Cathy  on  Wed Nov 28, 2007  at  06:16 AM
Since when did Maine have Vultures? LOl
Posted by Bill MacIntyre  on  Tue Feb 10, 2009  at  01:45 PM
Since when does Maine NOT have vultures?
Posted by Jim  on  Mon Aug 03, 2009  at  11:25 AM
Looks caninish. It does look evil. To me it looks like part canine part ugly thing. It can't be any kind of dog or coyote if it smells horrible.
Posted by me  on  Sat Dec 04, 2010  at  05:53 PM
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