Buzz
Cryptids are mysterious creatures that haven’t been scientifically proven to exist but are believed by many to roam our world. While the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot are widely recognized, there’s a whole other world of lesser-known cryptids. Reports of strange beings can be found across the globe. Here are ten cryptids you may have only heard of if you're into the paranormal—or if you happen to live in one of the areas they’re rumored to haunt.
10. The Beast of Bray Road
The Beast of Bray Road, sometimes called the Wisconsin Werewolf, is a towering, wolf-like figure that haunts a stretch of Bray Road in rural Elkhorn, Wisconsin. First spotted in 1936 by Mark Shackleton, a night watchman at St. Coletta School, this cryptid has been a local mystery ever since.
Shackleton described seeing the creature twice on consecutive nights while it was digging near the school grounds. When he confronted it, the beast allegedly stood upright on two legs, growled at him, and then fled. Over the years, numerous locals have claimed sightings, with one woman even saying the creature chased her car at 55 mph (88.5 km/h).
The local newspaper, the Walworth County Week, assigned a reporter named Linda Godfrey to investigate the werewolf sightings along Bray Road after residents contacted animal control. She uncovered enough trustworthy reports to write a book on the subject. Today, Elkhorn hosts a paranormal conference dedicated to the Beast of Bray Road.
9. The Honey Island Swamp Monster
Standing over 7 feet tall (2.13 meters), covered in matted fur, with webbed toes and an unbearable stench, the Honey Island Swamp Monster roams Louisiana’s St. Tammany Parish. Hunters have been reporting encounters with the creature since 1963, and nearly all of these stories follow a familiar pattern. While out hunting or exploring new hunting grounds, the hunters hear heavy movements behind them. They take cover, and soon after, they see and smell the creature pass by.
The Honey Island region has long been the source of similar tales passed down by Native Americans, long before the swamp monster was officially named (and featured on an episode of In Search of… in the 1970s). The swamp also housed at least one moonshine operation and witnessed several murders in the early 1900s. With the Honey Island Swamp Monster’s eerie presence and the area's grim history, it might be best to choose another swamp to visit if you're nearby.
8. Kelly-Hopkinsville Goblins
The Kelly-Hopkinsville Encounter has become so legendary among paranormal and UFO enthusiasts that the word 'Encounter' is always capitalized when referring to it. On one fateful night in 1955, Billy Ray Taylor, visiting the Sutton family in the unincorporated town of Kelly near Hopkinsville, Kentucky, went outside to fetch water from the well. As he approached the well, a rainbow-colored light shot across the sky and appeared to land in a field behind the Sutton home.
Billy Ray rushed back inside to tell everyone what he had witnessed. They laughed it off at first, but not for long. Hearing the dog barking, Billy Ray and Lucky Sutton went to the back porch, where they first encountered what would later be called the Kelly-Hopkinsville goblins. Under an eerie glow, they saw a three-foot-tall creature with a large head and long, clawed arms. As they watched, the creature raised its arms and started moving toward the house. In a panic, Billy Ray and Lucky opened fire.
What followed was a terrifying two-hour gunfight between the Sutton family—eight adults and three children—and what seemed to be an army of goblins that were completely immune to bullets. The creatures showed a bizarre curiosity, constantly trying to make contact with the humans. The goblins peeked through windows, climbed onto the roof, and approached the door while the Suttons and Billy Ray tried to fend them off with gunfire.
Eventually, the Suttons fled to their cars and drove straight to the police station to report the strange encounter. Investigations by local and military police found shell casings but no sign of any little green men.
7. The Michigan Dogman
Every decade, a monstrous creature appears in Michigan. Standing at a towering seven feet (2.13 meters), with cold, blue eyes and thick, ropy saliva dripping from its jaws, the Michigan Dogman crosses paths with those who are alone in the woods during any year ending with a seven.
The Dogman is notorious for leaping out in front of vehicles traveling through the woods. One particular incident involved a Michigan resident who called OnStar after the Dogman ran in front of his car, causing it to flip over. In another encounter from the 1930s, a man was attacked by five wild dogs while alone in the forest. He fired his gun into the air, causing four of them to flee, but the fifth stood up on its hind legs and stared at him menacingly.
In 1987, a disc jockey from Traverse City, Michigan, recorded a song about the Dogman as an April Fool’s prank. However, his station was soon inundated with calls from people claiming to have had encounters with the infamous creature.
6. The Nain Rouge
The tale of the red dwarf, or Nain Rouge, from Detroit dates back to the city’s founding in 1701. Legend has it that Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, the founder of the city, attacked the Nain Rouge, which cursed both him and his creation. The Nain Rouge has since been regarded as an omen of misfortune, often seen before every major disaster that strikes the city.
Today, Detroit hosts the annual Marche du Nain Rouge, a parade where residents, donning costumes to avoid being recognized by the dwarf, take part in a ritual to drive the Nain Rouge away and burn him in effigy. Each year, however, protestors appear with signs that read “Be Nice to Nain.”
The first prophecy of the Nain Rouge warned Cadillac to appease the dwarf or face a curse upon himself and the city. Unfortunately, driven by his temper, Cadillac struck the Nain Rouge with his cane, unleashing the wrath of the small demon. The protestors of today try to convince paradegoers to act similarly, though the group performing the ritualistic burning of the Nain Rouge is always far larger.
5. Mokele-mbembe
What kinds of creatures lurk so deep in the Congo that they remain undiscovered by humans to this day? If you believe the stories, the mokele-mbembe may be Africa’s version of the Loch Ness monster: a living, breathing dinosaur, with a long neck and tail, that hides in the swamps and lakes of the region.
The sauropod was first mentioned in animal dealer Carl Hagenbeck’s 1909 book Beasts and Men, where he recounts how two men described the creature to him as being 'half elephant, half dragon.' Over the last century, there have been several attempts to find and identify the mokele-mbembe, but all have failed.
4. Rougarou
The rougarou, or loup-garou, is a terrifying creature of folklore. With the body of a man and the head of a wolf, it prowls the swamps of Louisiana, hunting down naughty children to drag them off in its jaws. Essentially, it's a Cajun werewolf—a human cursed with a dreadful affliction.
Those afflicted by the curse are said to transform for 101 days. On the final day, the first person the rougarou attacks and draws blood from becomes the next victim, carrying the curse. Alternatively, one might become cursed after crossing a particularly vengeful witch.
The rougarou remains a somber belief among Cajun elders to this day. They use stories of the creature to warn their children and grandchildren against misbehavior, and accusations of being a rougarou have historically sparked violent confrontations within the community.
3. The Mongolian Death Worm
In 1926, American paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews published a book titled On the Trail of Ancient Man, where he recounted tales shared by Mongolian officials. Among these stories was the legend of a 3-foot-long (0.9-meter) worm, red and plump, that dwelled in the Gobi Desert's sands. This creature was said to be so poisonous that a mere touch would guarantee death.
The Mongolian Death Worm has captivated imaginations and stirred fear for over a century. To the locals who believe in its existence, it remains a creature to be feared, revered, and avoided at all costs. For the curious or those drawn to the strange and eerie, the Death Worm embodies danger, mystery, and the thrill of the unknown. Despite multiple expeditions aimed at proving its existence, none have been successful to date.
2. Yowie
While North America has Bigfoot, Australia boasts its own legend of the Yowie. Its origins trace back to the Aboriginal peoples of the continent, with the Kuku Yalanji tribe claiming long-standing coexistence with the creature.
There are two distinct types of Yowie: one that reaches 4-5 feet (up to 1.6 meters) in height, and another that grows as tall as 10 feet (3 meters). Descriptions depict it as apelike, with orange fur that grows 2-4 inches (5-10 centimeters) long. Aboriginal cave art also features images of creatures matching this description quite closely.
There have been countless reports of sightings, and even organized expeditions aimed at finding and documenting the creature. These efforts have produced some convincing evidence, including a thermal image showing a humanoid figure towering over four grown men as they search for the Yowie deep in the woods.
1. The Brosno Dragon
Deep within Lake Brosno, located in western Russia, lies a creature measuring 16.5 feet (5 meters) long. With a dragon-like head and a long, slender tail, the Brosno Dragon, known as Brosnya to locals, is said to have haunted the lake for centuries. According to legends, it has emerged to drive away those who dared camp on its territory and has even been known to flip boats and devour fishermen.
In the summer of 2002, a team of Russian cryptozoologists and researchers from Kosmopoisk (the All-Russian Research Public Organization) set out on an expedition to the lake. Using echo sounding, they detected something of the size of a railway car. However, when they attempted to confront the creature, it vanished. Lake Brosno, with depths reaching up to 140 feet (42.7 meters), offers plenty of space for Brosnya to remain hidden.
