A mysterious Maryland animal dubbed the "hyote" was found to be a mangy fox.
In 2004, a mysterious animal was captured on video in Maryland, making national news when experts were unable to determine what the creature was. In fact, the state of Maryland has been the site of several other strange creatures that have never been identified and have become mythologized over the years.
The Hyote
In 2004, Baltimore County resident Jay Wroe began seeing strange creatures in his backyard, and he eventually managed to videotape one of them. Experts who examined the video were unable to identify the animal, which Wroe nicknamed the "Hyote" because he felt it looked like a cross between a hyena and a coyote. Wroe later caught one of the animals in a humane trap. A local veterinarian examined the mystery animal and identified it as a red fox suffering from sarcoptic mange that caused it to lose 70 percent of its fur.
The Snallygaster
As early as in the 1730s, residents of Maryland's Blue Ridge Mountains have reported seeing a one-eyed flying beast with reptilian features, a bird-like beak and tentacles like an octopus. Sightings of this bizarre creature, dubbed the "Snallygaster," continued over the ensuing years. Farmers would sometimes attribute attacks on chickens and livestock to the snallygaster. The snallygaster has never been captured or caught on film, although the description of a flying reptile that attacks livestock bears marked similarities to South America's legendary chupacabra.
Goatman
For decades, eyewitnesses have reported seeing a satyr-like creature described as being half-man, half-goat near Bowie, Maryland. The "Washington Post" ran an article on the "Maryland Goatman" in 1971, describing how a local dog was mutilated and apparently eaten, with only the head remaining. The story also relayed an eyewitness account that described the creature as being six feet tall, covered in hair and walking upright on two legs. The goatman has never been captured, although some people believe the creature could be a local variation of bigfoot, or sasquatch.
Chessie
Much like reports of the creature called Nessie in Scotland's Loch Ness, Maryland's Chesapeake Bay has its own sea monster, nicknamed "Chessie." One of the earliest reports came in 1936, when the crew of a military helicopter reported seeing a large, unidentified reptilian creature in the bay. In 1980, a local woman reported seeing a strange animal in the bay, which resulted in a flood of alleged sightings. The creature was actually captured on video in 1982. Researchers at the Smithsonian Institute studied the tape, and although they were not able to identify the creature, they concluded it was definitely alive. A Maryland journalist, Bill Burton, has archived more than 70 sightings of Chessie, the last one occurring in 1995.
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