Montauk Monster Pictures Show Raccoon, Dog, Turtle... What?

No one seems to be disputing that some strange creature washed ashore on Montauk in early July. But not many agree on what it might be. Since the pictures surfaced on Tuesday, July 29, and were disseminated worldwide via Gawker.com and other outlets, the Montauk Monster has undergone intense scrutiny and even more intense speculation as to what it might actually be. Jeff Corwin, wildlife expert on Animal Planet, told Fox News that the Montauk Monster was actually an "incredibly rare raccoon." Fox News also reported that a member of animal control at East Hampton Department of Environmental Analysis told New York magazine that it was a raccoon.

Is The Montauk Monster A Raccoon?

There are now several sets of witnesses claiming to have seen the Montauk Monster aside from Alanna Nevitski, who took the original photo. Three young ladies appeared on New York local channel Plum TV and shared a second picture of the 'Monster' with the world. Rachel Goldberg, Jenna Hewitt, and Courtney Fruin were a bit evasive when talking about the creature, but did say that the Montauk Monster had originally been brought ashore by a surfer friend of theirs who had not wanted to run into its floating body while surfing. The surfer himself then appeared -- with a bag of what appeared to be bones -- on television, stating that he was going to have them studied by a scientist.

To add spice to the story, Alanna Nevitski is saying in interviews that the three girls and the surfer are full of what creatures are generally full of and that they had nothing to do with the picture. It has also been suggested that the trio of discoverers photoshopped the picture they presented. They of course deny any tampering with the photo.

So... Is The Montauk Monster A Raccoon?

Pictures of the so-called 'monster' are varied and from different angles. One shows a muscular body with thin, short legs and brownish fur. What looks like a vicious hooked snout with prominent canines passes for a face on a small head. A second photo shows a similar looking beast, possibly more bloated, with purple-ish mottled skin and patches of brownish fur. Part of the face seems to be missing in this photo, a white v-shape (possibly bone from the nose?) very discernible on a head that looks more compatible to the husky body (in comparison to the other picture).

Newsday.com quotes Ryan O'Shea of Brooklyn who belonged to yet another group of beachgoers (the photographer of which was Christina Pampalone) who came across the body of the beast: "Everybody I showed her pictures to said it looks like a dead dog."

Does Anybody Know What It Is?

Watching various news shows and surfing the internet will gain you some rather colorful ideas as to just what the Monster of Montauk might actually be. There are those that say it is a dog, a pig, a ram, a whale fetus, a shell-less sea turtle, or some hybrid monster created at the government facility at Plum Island Animal Disease Center (denied by both the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Department of Agriculture which jointly run the Center). There are even those who claim it to be a heretofore undiscovered sea beast and those who claim it is an alien from outer space.

But most usually do not trust government officials to explain something, no matter how mundane the truth of the matter may be. People got tired of hearing UFOs explained as errant weather balloons years ago.

Still, the simplest answer generally applies. Judging from the musculature of the animal and its short legs, assuming that the snout has been either eroded by water or abrasive action, the Monster of Montauk appears to be a canine of some sort. Possibly a pit bull. But this writer makes no claims to being even remotely trained in zoology or xenobiology so must defer to the experts in this matter.

A Montauk local, Noel Arikian, who claims to have one decomposing behind his house, is quoted in Tim Worstall's Tabloid Edition saying that the strange creature that washed ashore was a raccoon. "In photos there appeared to be a beak. It was just a tricky angle. It's a dead raccoon. That's what it is. It's undoubtedly a raccoon, the same teeth, paws, the right size."

The Monster of Montauk is a raccoon.

Maybe...

Sources:

Pictures of the 'Monster of Montauk' can be found all over the web. For this article, pictures from Timesoftheinternet.com were used.

"'Montauk Monster' Mystery Gets More Mysterious," FoxNews.com

Joye Brown, "'Montauk Monster' witnesses emerge," Newsday.com

Tim Worstall, "Montauk Monster -- Revealed!" Typepad.com