Encounter Atlas

Creature index

118 creatures and phenomena, from Bigfoot to the Navy's Tic Tac. Search by any name: Sasquatch, Nessie, goat-sucker.

Hairy hominids

Upright, ape-like giants of the woods and mountains

Almasaka Almasty, AlbastyA shy, human-sized wild man of the Caucasus and Central Asian steppes.Big Grey Man of Ben Macduiaka Am Fear Liath Mòr, Fear LiathFootsteps in the mist and a towering grey figure on Scotland's second-highest peak.Bigfootaka Sasquatch, SkookumA huge, hair-covered, upright ape said to roam North American forests.Bukit Timah Monkey Manaka BTM, BTMMA grey, upright 'monkey man' said to live in Singapore's last big forest.Fouke Monsteraka Boggy Creek Monster, Southern SasquatchThe hairy creature of Boggy Creek, Arkansas, made famous by a 1972 drive-in hit.Hibagonaka Hinagon, Japanese BigfootJapan's ape-man of Mount Hiba, reported in the early 1970s.Honey Island Swamp Monsteraka Letiche, Tainted KeitreA grey-haired, yellow-eyed swamp giant from the bayous of Louisiana.Minnesota Icemanaka Iceman, Frozen BigfootA hairy 'missing link' frozen in a block of ice, shown at fairs in the 1960s.Mogollon Monsteraka Arizona Bigfoot, Mogollon Rim monsterArizona's red-eyed, foul-smelling wild man of the pine country.Momoaka Missouri MonsterA hairy, pumpkin-headed creature behind the summer scare of 1972 in Missouri.Ohio Grassmanaka Grassman, Ohio BigfootOhio's own Bigfoot, named for the flattened grass nests it is said to build.Old Yellow Topaka Yellow Top, Cobalt sasquatchA Bigfoot with a pale blond mane, reported around Ontario's silver mines.Orang Pendekaka Short man, Uhang pendekA small, upright ape of Sumatra that some researchers think may be a real undiscovered primate.Skunk Apeaka Florida Bigfoot, Swamp cabbage manFlorida's swamp-dwelling Bigfoot, famous for a smell you won't forget.Yerenaka Chinese wildman, Hubei wildmanThe red-haired wild man of China's Shennongjia forests.Yetiaka Abominable Snowman, Meh-tehThe ape-like snow creature of the Himalaya, known to Sherpas long before climbers arrived.Yowieaka Yahoo, DoolagahlAustralia's hairy wild man of the bush, a close cousin of Bigfoot.

Dogmen and beasts

Upright canines, werewolves and livestock killers

Beast of Bladenboroaka Bladenboro Beast, Vampire Beast of BladenboroA dog-killing 'vampire beast' that drew hundreds of armed hunters in 1954.Beast of Bodmin Mooraka Beast of Bodmin, Bodmin beastA black panther-like cat blamed for killing sheep on a Cornish moor.Beast of Bray Roadaka Bray Road Beast, Wisconsin werewolfA wolf-headed creature seen kneeling by a Wisconsin farm road.Beast of Exmooraka Exmoor Beast, Exmoor pantherThe big cat that sent Royal Marines snipers onto the moors in 1983.Beast of Gévaudanaka La Bête du Gévaudan, Beast of GevaudanA man-eating beast that terrorised rural France for three years in the 1760s.Black Shuckaka Old Shuck, Old ShockEast Anglia's huge, fiery-eyed phantom dog.Chupacabraaka Goat-sucker, ChupacabrasThe goat-sucker: a spiny creature blamed for draining livestock of blood.Dogmanaka Michigan Dogman, Upright canineA tall, upright, dog-headed creature with glowing eyes, the Midwest's favourite monster.Mngwaaka Nunda, Mngwa catA grey, donkey-sized cat said to stalk villages on the Tanzanian coast.Nandi bearaka Chemosit, KeritA ferocious, hyena-shaped 'bear' reported in western Kenya, where no bears live.Ozark Howleraka Ozark Black Howler, HowlerA bear-sized, horned black cat with a howl that shakes the hollows.Rougarouaka Loup-garou, Roux-ga-rouxThe Cajun werewolf said to stalk the bayous, especially during Lent.Shunka Warak'inaka Shunka warakin, RingdocusA strange wolf-like animal shot in 1886, whose stuffed body still exists.Thylacine sightingsaka Tasmanian tiger, Tasmanian wolfA striped marsupial 'tiger' declared extinct, but still reported in the Tasmanian bush.

Winged things

Red-eyed fliers and impossible birds

Ahoolaka Athol, Giant bat of JavaA giant bat of Java with a monkey-like face and a 10-foot wingspan.Batsquatchaka Bat Squatch, Winged BigfootA purple-blue, bat-winged ape that landed in front of a stalled truck.Big Bird of the Rio Grande Valleyaka Big Bird, Texas Big BirdA flap of giant bird sightings in South Texas in the winter of 1976.Jersey Devilaka Leeds Devil, 13th child of Mother LeedsA hooved, winged devil said to haunt the New Jersey Pine Barrens since 1735.Kongamatoaka Overwhelmer of boatsA leathery-winged flyer from Zambia's swamps, sometimes called a living pterosaur.La Lechuzaaka Lechuza, Owl witchA witch who turns into a huge owl with a woman's face, from Texas-Mexican folklore.Mothmanaka The Bird, Red-eyed winged manA winged figure with glowing red eyes seen around Point Pleasant in 1966 and 1967.Owlmanaka Owlman of MawnanA feathered, owl-like figure seen over a Cornish churchyard in 1976.Ropenaka Duwas, IndavaA glowing, pterosaur-like flier said to cross the night skies of Papua New Guinea.Snallygasteraka Schneller Geist, SnollygosterMaryland's beaked, tentacled dragon from German settler folklore.Thunderbirdaka Giant bird, Big bird of the PlainsGiant birds with impossible wingspans reported across North America.Van Meter Visitoraka Van Meter Monster, Van Meter creatureA bat-winged creature with a glowing horn that visited an Iowa town for five nights in 1903.

Lake and sea monsters

Long necks, humps and serpents in deep water

Altamaha-haaka Altie, Altamaha River monsterA long, snouted river monster of coastal Georgia's tidal creeks.Bear Lake Monsteraka Bear Lake serpentA serpent of Bear Lake that started with an 1868 newspaper story.Beast of Buscoaka Oscar the turtle, Busco turtleA 500-pound snapping turtle that set off a lake-draining hunt in 1949.Bessieaka South Bay Bessie, Lake Erie MonsterLake Erie's serpent, reported by sailors since the 1790s.Bunyipaka Kianpraty, Water spiritThe fearsome creature of Australia's waterholes.Cadborosaurusaka Caddy, Hiyitl'iikA horse-headed sea serpent reported off the coast of British Columbia.Champaka Champy, Lake Champlain MonsterAmerica's Loch Ness: the long-necked creature of Lake Champlain.Chessieaka Chesapeake Bay monster, Chessie the sea serpentA snake-like sea serpent said to wind through the Chesapeake Bay.Dobhar-chúaka Dobhar chu, DobarcuIreland's giant 'king otter', remembered on an 18th-century gravestone.Emela-ntoukaaka Emela ntouka, Killer of elephantsA one-horned, elephant-sized swamp beast said to gore elephants in the Congo.Flathead Lake Monsteraka FlessieMontana's eel-like lake creature, seen by over 100 people since 1889.Igopogoaka Kempenfelt Kelly, Beaverton BessieA seal-faced lake animal said to live in Ontario's Lake Simcoe.Kappaaka Kawatarō, KawappaA turtle-shelled river imp from Japanese folklore with a water-filled dish on its head.Lagarfljót Wormaka Lagarfljótsormurinn, Lagarfljot WyrmIceland's many-humped lake serpent, filmed in a viral 2012 video.Lake Tianchi Monsteraka Tianchi monster, Heaven Lake monsterSeal-like creatures reported in a volcanic crater lake on the China-North Korea border.Loch Ness Monsteraka Nessie, NiseagScotland's long-necked lake monster, the world's most famous cryptid.Manipogoaka Winnipogo, Lake Manitoba monsterManitoba's humped lake serpent, with its own provincial park and festival.Memphréaka Memphre, Memphremagog monsterThe cross-border lake monster of Quebec and Vermont, honoured on a Canadian coin.Mokele-mbembeaka One who stops the flow of riversA sauropod-like river creature said to live in the Congo Basin.Moragaka Mòrag, Loch Morar monsterNessie's less famous neighbour, in Britain's deepest freshwater loch.Nahuelitoaka Nahuel Huapi monster, Patagonian plesiosaurA plesiosaur-shaped lake monster in the Andes of Patagonia.Ningenaka Hitogata, Antarctic humanoidA ghostly white, whale-sized humanoid said to surface in Antarctic seas.Ogopogoaka N'ha-a-itk, NaitakaCanada's famous lake serpent of Okanagan Lake, BC.Sea serpentaka Sea monster, Gloucester sea serpentLong, humped serpents reported by sailors in every ocean for centuries.Storsjöodjuretaka Storsie, Storsjö monsterSweden's lake monster, with a dog- or cat-like head and a protected status.Tahoe Tessieaka Tessie, Lake Tahoe monsterThe cold, very deep lake on the California-Nevada line has its own Nessie.White River Monsteraka Whitey, Arkansas river monsterA grey, boxcar-sized river monster so beloved Arkansas gave it a legal refuge.

Strange visitors

Small grey beings, frogmen and things from the sky

Black-eyed childrenaka Black-eyed kids, BEKPale children with solid black eyes who knock and insist on being let in.Dover DemonA small, big-headed creature with glowing orange eyes seen over two nights in 1977.Enfield Monsteraka Enfield Horror, Enfield creatureA three-legged, pink-eyed creature that scratched at an Illinois front door in 1973.Flatwoods Monsteraka Braxton County Monster, Phantom of FlatwoodsA towering figure with a spade-shaped hood seen after a fiery object fell from the sky in 1952.Fresno Nightcrawlersaka Nightcrawlers, Fresno nightcrawlerWalking pairs of white legs caught on a Fresno security camera.Goatmanaka Maryland Goatman, Goat ManA half-man, half-goat said to stalk the back roads of suburban Maryland.Grafton Monsteraka Grafton monster, Headless monster of GraftonA tall, pale, headless-looking figure seen by a Grafton newspaperman in 1964.Grey aliensaka Greys, GraysSmall, grey, big-headed beings with huge black eyes, the classic face of alien encounters.Indrid Coldaka Grinning Man, Smiling ManA smiling man in a shiny suit who stepped out of a UFO in West Virginia in 1966.Kelly-Hopkinsville Goblinsaka Little green men, Kelly Little Green MenThe night a Kentucky farmhouse was besieged by small, glowing creatures.Lake Worth Monsteraka Goat-Man of Lake Worth, Lake Worth GoatmanA furry, scaly 'goat-man' that threw a tire at a crowd in 1969.Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swampaka Lizard Man of Lee CountyA green, scaly, 7-ft creature that clawed at a teenager's car in 1988.Loveland Frogmanaka Loveland Frog, Loveland LizardA frog-faced humanoid seen by Loveland police officers in 1972.Melon headsaka Melonheads, Melon-headsSmall, big-headed figures said to live in the woods of Michigan, Ohio and Connecticut.Men in Blackaka MIB, Men in blackPale, oddly behaved men in black suits who warn UFO witnesses to keep quiet.Nain Rougeaka Red Dwarf of Detroit, Demon of the StraitDetroit's red imp, said to appear before every disaster to hit the city.Nordic aliensaka Nordics, PleiadiansTall, fair-haired, human-looking visitors from 1950s contactee stories.Pope Lick Monsteraka Goat Man of Pope Lick, Pope Lick GoatmanA goat-legged figure said to lure people onto a deadly railroad trestle in Louisville.Popobawaaka Popo Bawa, MapopobawaA shape-shifting night spirit whose name means 'bat wing', behind waves of panic in Zanzibar.Pukwudgieaka Puk-Wudjie, PukwudgeeA knee-high forest being from Native American tradition, now part of Bridgewater Triangle lore.Reptiliansaka Reptoids, Reptilian aliensScaly, reptile-like humanoids from some abduction reports, and a notorious conspiracy theory.Shadow peopleaka Shadow person, Shadow figuresDark, human-shaped silhouettes seen at the edge of vision, including the infamous Hat Man.Spring-heeled Jackaka Springheel Jack, Spring Heeled JackA fire-breathing, high-leaping figure who terrorised Victorian England.Thetis Lake Monsteraka Thetis Lake creature, BC Gill-manA silver, scaly gill-man two teenagers said chased them from a BC beach in 1972.Wendigoaka Windigo, WitikoA being of winter and hunger from Algonquian traditions, far removed from its horror-movie image.

Odd creatures

Desert worms, Alpine lizards and other one-offs

Hodagaka Rhinelander Hodag, Hodag of WisconsinWisconsin's grinning, horned, spiny-backed beast of the logging camps.Hoop snakeaka Hoopsnake, Rolling snakeA snake that grabs its tail in its mouth and rolls after you like a wheel.Mapinguariaka Mapinguary, Mapinguari of the AmazonA foul-smelling Amazon giant, sometimes said to have a mouth on its belly.Mongolian Death Wormaka Olgoi-khorkhoi, Intestine wormA bright red worm of the Gobi, said to kill with venom or electricity.Montauk Monsteraka Montauk carcass, Hound of BonacvilleA beaked, hairless carcass on a Long Island beach that broke the internet in 2008.Sheepsquatchaka White Thing, Sheep SquatchA woolly white, horned beast reported in West Virginia hollows in the 1990s.Tatzelwurmaka Stollenwurm, BergstutzenA stubby, cat-faced lizard of Alpine legend.Tsuchinokoaka Bachi hebi, Tsuchinoko snakeA short, fat, jumping snake from Japan with a bounty on its head.Wampus cataka Wampus, Whistling wampusAn Appalachian monster cat with glowing eyes, sometimes said to have six legs.

UFOs and UAP

Saucers, triangles, orbs and what the military tracked

Alien abductionaka Abduction, Close encounter of the fourth kindPeople who say they were taken aboard a craft, often remembering only 'missing time'.Black triangleaka Flying triangle, Triangular UFOHuge, silent, dark triangles with lights at each corner.Boomerang and V-shaped UFOsaka Boomerang UFO, V-shaped UFOHuge V-shaped or chevron formations of lights, gliding silently overhead.Cattle mutilationsaka Cattle mutilation, Animal mutilationCattle found dead with neat cuts and no blood, often blamed on UFOs.Cigar-shaped UFOaka Cigar UFO, Cylinder UFOLong, wingless cylinders, sometimes glowing, sometimes releasing smaller objects.Crop circlesaka Crop circle, Crop formationsPatterns flattened into fields overnight, long linked to UFOs.Flying sauceraka Disc, Flying discThe classic disc-shaped UFO that launched the modern era of sightings.Ghost rocketsaka Spökraketer, Scandinavian ghost rocketsRocket-shaped objects that streaked across Scandinavian skies in 1946.Green fireballsaka Green fireball, Project Twinkle fireballsBright green balls of fire over New Mexico's nuclear labs that the military investigated.Mystery airshipsaka Phantom airship, Mystery airshipLit-up 'airships' reported across America years before anyone could build one.Orbs and lightsaka Balls of light, Foo fightersGlowing balls of light that pace aircraft, dance over deserts or hang in the night sky.Skinwalker Ranchaka Skinwalker, Skin walkerA Utah ranch famous for claims of UFOs, orbs, strange animals and cattle mutilations.Tic Tac UAPaka Nimitz encounter, FLIR1The white, wingless object that US Navy pilots tracked from the USS Nimitz in 2004.UFO crashesaka Crashed saucer, RoswellStories of objects falling from the sky and being quietly taken away.