Encounter Atlas
In July 2008, four friends found a strange, bloated carcass on Ditch Plains beach in Montauk, New York. It was hairless, with a beak-like face, sharp teeth and long-fingered paws. A local paper ran the photo as 'The Hound of Bonacville', blogs picked it up, and within days it was a worldwide story.
Rumours linked it to the Plum Island Animal Disease Center just offshore. The carcass vanished before scientists could examine it, but experts who studied the photos concluded it was most likely a raccoon that had been in the water for a while, with its upper jaw bones exposed. Similar 'monsters' have washed up on Long Island and elsewhere since.
What witnesses report
- A hairless, bloated body
- A beak-like face with teeth
- Long, finger-like toes
Famous cases
- 2008Carcass found at Ditch Plains
Montauk, New York
Seen the Montauk Monster?
Tell us what happened. Every report is read by a person before it goes on the map, and you can stay anonymous.
