In the summer of 1979, there were reports of an ape-like creature stripping bark from trees in and around Bath, Somerset, UK. To this day, there are continued reports of primates in the area.
I recently came across these accounts:
In mid-July1979, the Harpers, a couple living in Bath, Somerset, UK, discovered that something powerful and unknown had torn the bark off their old oak tree. As well, they had noticed that the local animals, including squirrels and birds, seemed to have vanished. Sightings began to surface of something prowling the area day and night. Their pet goat was badly frightened by something on several occasions.
Squirrels usually strip the top of branches, but the damage here looked as if it had been done by an animal hanging underneath. The bark had been stripped off all the branches from around 20 feet up. There were tooth marks left, which 10 - 20 times the size of a squirrel's. All the birds seemed to have gone and the wood was silent. By August 1st, 50+ trees had been stripped.
A man driving through Monkton Combe at night also encountered an animal he described as being 3 to 4 feet tall with bright white rings around its eyes, like a spectacled bear. The beast was never identified.
The creature was described by witnesses as looking like a large chimpanzee, a gibbon, a baboon, and even a bear. 81-year-old Brassknocker Hill (Bath) resident Frank G. took up a shotgun vigil at night and said: "I am very fond of some animals, but I reckon this creature could be dangerous and I am taking no chances."
By the following summer, the mystery seemed to have been solved. A policeman caught sight of what was said to be a "large chimpanzee" in the woods. "We were sure this mystery creature would turn out to be a monkey of some sort," said Inspector Mike Price. "After all, men from Mars aren't hairy, are they?"
But rumors of strange activities at Brassknocker Hill persisted, and many strange ape-like creatures have been reported in the area.
In September 1979, the West Holland newspaper “Het Binnenhof” published a story about the bizarre beast with the headline: “Beest van Bath lelaagt Briuts Bos,”which translates as “Beast of Bath destroys British Wood.” The story reported that a creature was allegedly at large in Brassknocker Hill, terrorizing the local populace and devouring the trees in the forests with its Dracula-like teeth.
During the next year additional eyewitnesses came forward and described the still unclassified animal as everything from a gibbon to a lemur to a baboon.
The following summer a police officer, Inspector Michael Price, claimed to have caught a glimpse of an animal, which he identified as a chimpanzee. Sadly, he was unable to capture the beast.
Although Price was unable to explain how the descriptions of this unusual creature, including the strange ocular markings, lumbering, bear-like body and unusually large, predatory teeth were anything like what he saw.
The dig about this entity and its supposed otherworldly origins notwithstanding, the beast in question has yet to be identified.
Then, one morning in the summer of 1984, reports started coming in to the news desk of the Bath Chronicle newspaper of a strange-looking creature holding up traffic on Brassknocker Hill.
“I grabbed my notebook,” said reporter Roger Green, who later became the editor of the Littlehampton Gazette. “Colin [Shepherd] the photographer grabbed his camera, and we rushed out to the hill. The reports were pretty credible, so we were convinced that there was something there,” Green recalled. “It was with slight trepidation that we entered the woods. After several minutes of stalking, we came across the “beast,” by then calmly grazing in a field. It was an Alpaca, a type of llama, and had escaped from a paddock. It was later reunited with its owner by the police.”
Various sources
NOTE: I was recently told that unknown primates are still occasionally observed in and around the north Somerset area. Lon
Have you had a sighting of a winged humanoid or huge bat-like creature in the Chicago, Illinois metro area / Lake Michigan region? The entity has also been referred to as the 'Chicago Mothman', 'Chicago Owlman' & 'O'Hare Mothman.' - Chicago / Lake Michigan Winged Humanoid Regional Interactive Map - Please feel free to contact me at lonstrickler@phantomsandmonsters.com - your anonymity is guaranteed. Our investigative group is conducting a serious examination of his phenomenon. We are merely seeking the truth and wish to determine what eyewitnesses have been encountering. Your cooperation is truly appreciated.
You can call me directly at
410-241-5974
Thanks. Lon Strickler
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