Mothman... you're kidding right?

Ah, no.

Mothman Statue, West Virginia

The mythological or cryptid monster known as the "Mothman" is a relatively modern phenomenon - first sighted on the 12th of November 1966, near the town of Clendenin in West Virginia. It is alleged that five men were digging a grave in the local cemetery saw a strange creature take to the air from some nearby trees.

A few days later, a couple were driving a long a road and saw what appeared to be a humanoid figure, about six foot tall with large wings folded against his back.
Many months later the same couple saw the creature again, this time on a hillside, where it spread its wings and rose into the air and followed them in the car. The creature kept pace with the car for several miles.

Yet another alleged sighting took place in Salem. The man was watching television when he heared a an odd whining sound, swiftly followed by the alarmed howl of a dog. He went outside to investigate and allegedly saw two glowing red eyes that looked similar to bicycle reflectors. He rushed inside to get his gun, but when he returned the creature was gone and so was his dog...

It is unsurprising that The Mothman became quite a cult figure, and in 2002 actor Richard Gere
played a lead role in a successful movie called "The Mothman Prophesies" - which was based on a book of the same name written in 1975.

So realistically what could the 'mothman' be? Some suggest it was a large American Crane bird, with reddish markings around its eyes that had wondered off its migration route. Other cryptozoologists and alien-fanciers suggest it is an alien.

Either way, it's fascinating to see that belief in the strange and bizarre still has its followers! Check out the video below.
http://youtu.be/a9qvZXlSJ-8