The entity has also been referred to as the 'Chicago Mothman', 'Chicago Owlman' & 'O'Hare Mothman' or 'O'Hare Batman.' - Chicago / Lake Michigan Winged Humanoid Regional Interactive Map - Please feel free to contact me at lonstrickler@phantomsandmonsters.com - your anonymity is guaranteed. With the help of Strickler, Mysterious Universe was able to secure an interview. LB; P&M, July of 2006A woman and her family report a "man with bat-like features" flying near their vehicle while driving in southern Wisconsin. Map of the current sighting locations. UE; P&M, September 7th, 2017A family visiting Lincoln Park Zoo reports a "large creature with a giant set of wings" flying over them. In the late 1960s, people around Point Pleasant, West Virginia, began reporting sightings of a creature that would later be dubbed "Mothman." Hilda Walker, Judy Meyers and Howard Phillips saw a "man with wings like a bat" sitting in the branches of a nearby tree, watching them. "We were watching and observing as the moon begin its transit when we heard a very loud scream. While nothing is certain, Strickler does believe something is lurking in the shadows of Chicago, and that it is an ill omen. Everyone loves a good monster story, so long as it remains just a story. "If something is suggested to them subsequently as a plausible scenario like a Mothman or whatever that person might be inclined to fill in the gaps with that., © 2023 IFLScience. DISCLAIMER: We are not responsible for any laws that are broken in the pursuit of Mothman, nor are we responsible for the factualness of any of the information contained herein. UE; P&M/TSFS, May 1st, 2018A man's parents report a "large winged humanoid" flying above the trees behind their home in Wheeling, Illinois. His first appearance in the Chicago area was in 2011. Date of Sighting: December 30, 2021 Well, despite exhaustive research, interviews with witnesses and cryptozoologists, and one good old-fashioned monster hunt (for more on that, listen to the SHOCKING audio story! UE; P&M/TSFS, April 15th and April 16th, 2017Three separate witnesses report seeing an unidentified flying humanoid over Chicago. UE; P&M, December 3rd, 2019A security person at OHare International Airport in Chicago reports a red-eyed flying man. UE; UFOCH, December 6th, 2019A man reports seeing a red-eyed, winged humanoid while driving near Chicagos OHare International Airport. UE; UFOCH, September 17th or 20th, 2019A man reportedly sees a mythological Harpy in Chicagos Little Village. The site not only has a link to every Mothman sighting in Chicago, but it also has a map which . UE; TSFS, April 15th, 2021A woman reportedly sees a seven-to-eight-foot-tall, black, winged creature with glowing red eyes after leaving work at OHare International Airport at approximately 9 p.m. UE; UFOCH, April 21st, 2021A man reportedly sees a large, humanoid owl while working as a shuttle bus driver at OHare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois. UE; P&M, Early summer 2016A woman reports seeing a prehistoric bird after dropping her kids off at school in Gary, Indiana. When pressed about what she thinks people could be seeing, after all our detective work, she suggested a large bird, like a sandhill crane, or an owl or even a prankster with a drone. LB; P&M, March 16th, 2017A witness reports a large, winged being perched on top of a roof in the Tinley Park suburb of Chicago. UE; TSFS, 1981A 13-year-old claims to have had an intense psychic encounter with a red-eyed winged being in Cicero, Illinois. Size and shape: between 6 and 10 feet tall, 10+ foot wingspan. Probably all the other colors, too. We were watching and observing as the moon begin its transit when we heard a very loud scream. As part of her obsession with Chicago Mothman, Sarah created a series of comics of the creature visiting different iconic sites in our fair city and having a great time. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Alex Degman, Congregation members respond during an Antioch Missionary Baptist Church service at Calahan Funeral Home. UE; TSFS, March 7th, 2019A woman driving in Woodstock, Illinois is reportedly startled to see an extremely tall being with fur and wings run in front of her car. It still remains unknown whether Chicago Mothman is a subspecies of the West Virginia Mothman or the same species or whether it is, perhaps, just a heron that got caught in a garbage bag. hide caption. UE; TSFS, April 27th, 2017A man fishing with his son on the banks of the Little Calumet in Chicago reportedly sees a weird winged being after hearing an eerie, unexplained sound. Below are some clues weve gathered based on reported sightings and interviews. Join MU Plus+ and get exclusive shows and extensions & much more! UE; P&M, Summer of 2003A young woman and her friend report an owlman outside the window of her house in Alsip, Illinois. Could These Monster-Sized Snakes Be Beaten? Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, If you go to the spot featured in that image of the map. Following several recent reports of a strange winged creature around the Chicago area, we try to find out what the heck is going on. Dubbed the Chicago Mothman, it has been seen all over the area, often near the Lake Michigan shoreline. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Mara Ins Zamudio, Images courtesy of Sarah Becan, Brian Serway and Lon Strickler/WBEZ, Courtesy Lon Strickler of Phantoms and Monsters and Egertron Puck/WBEZ, Courtesy of Johnny Pippins and Fortepan Iowa/WBEZ Chicago, To get his Ph.D., Gov. They told The Point Pleasant Register that the beast had red eyes and a wingspan of 10 feet and was able to fly as fast as 100 miles per hour. It still remains unknown whether Chicago Mothman is a subspecies of the West. Settled in the late 1840s, the town has gone by several names including "Mink's Prairie" and "Mink". Sightings collected via the Phantoms & Monsters website are compiled here and in this map. A man in Indiana near the Prairie Creek Reservoir has also spoken to the Singular Fortean Society about a series of glowing orb sightings from 1981 to 2020 that could be related to the Lake Michigan Mothman phenomenon. This sounded like squeaky truck brakes that squeal when youre pressing hard on them. It could be a feeding pattern. I want to write this comment for anybody who saw this and then Googled it like I did - this is a fabrication. All Rights Reserved. 27.07 - MU Plus+ Podcast - Flames of Prophecy, 29.07 - MU Podcast - Contract with the Goddess, 27.06 - MU Plus+ Podcast - Secret Vaults of Time, 29.06 - MU Podcast - Italian Disco Abductions, The Mystery of New York's Renegade Subway Psychic, Forget About What We Know About Roswell: It's What's Missing About the Case That We Need to Look For, Archeologists Discover Another Secret Corridor Inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, A Boat-Swallowing Sea Monster of Norse Legends Still Lives Today, Ghosts, Fairies, and a Spectral Hag on Canada's Most Haunted Island, More on the Matter of the Most Dangerous Creature of the Mind: The Slenderman, The Time Mark Twain Wrote a New Novel From Beyond the Grave. The Mothman has been spotted quite a bit around Chicago in the last few years. Each year, Mothman enthusiasts gather in Point Pleasant for the Mothman Festival, but for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, they had to cancel. Menu Back. UE; P&M, Fall of 1971Retired police officer David Ramos reports an encounter with a shadowy winged humanoid he had when he was 12 years old near the North Branch of the Chicago River. UE; P&M, April 10th, 2017A woman walking her dog in Chicago's Oz Park reports a run-in with a paralyzing winged being. Courtesy Lon Strickler of Phantoms and Monsters and Egertron Puck/WBEZ TSFS (The Singular Fortean Society): These sightings were received/investigated by Tobias and Emily Wayland of the Singular Fortean Society. The witness also revealed that the airline (assumed to be American) has covered up other similar incidents: many witnesses have either been terminated, laid off or reassigned to other workstations in order to keep these sightings under wraps.. The reports, which peaked in 2017, inspired Chicago-based comics artist Sarah Becan to bring Curious City this question: There was a . Senior Staff Writer & Space Correspondent. UE; P&M, August of 2006A man and his son report a large, dark being with cape-like wings in Bensenville, Illinois. While they did experience some odd battery drains on their equipment, nothing conclusive was found. It still remains unknown whether Chicago Mothman is a subspecies of the West Virginia Mothman or the same species or whether it is, perhaps, just a heron that got caught in a garbage bag. It wasn't being buffeted about by the wind. Probably Not! LB; P&M, July 1st, 2017A witness reports two strange, red lights in a golf course that closely resemble reports of the flying humanoid's glowing eyes. Chicago 'Mothman' | Police Accounts Believe Winged..Something Still Roams City - YouTube Over the last two years, something strange has been happening in and around the city of Chicago. Should we believe the latest witnesses of a Mothman at Chicagos OHare airport? Early winter, 1957Gerald Turrise reports seeing a winged creature with the body of a large man while out hunting as a young man in Braidwood, Illinois. Click here to view the live map. UE; P&M, October 7th, 2017A witness reports a large, winged being flying in the River North neighborhood. It was moving slowly but not randomly. UE (Unexplained): These sightings are unexplainedthey are potentially paranormal according to the nature of the events described and the evidence currently available, and represent the best likelihood of a Mothman-like entity. Inspired by all of the Mothman sightings in 2017, questioner and illustrator Sarah Becan imagined the types of activities Mothman might enjoy in Chicago. According to Bantz. Our investigative group is conducting a serious examination of his phenomenon. What location would be #2? I definitely kept my eyes on the sky hoping to see something, she says. My informant has relayed other previous incidents. The creature stood in front of the car the group of sitting in, according to eyewitnesses Roger Scarberry and Steve Mallet. UE; P&M, Late September, 2019A woman reports a toddler-sized bat creaturerunning like a gorilla across Meadow Hill Road near Barrington, Illinois. UE; TSFS, August of 2016A man driving in Gary, Indiana has his second reported sighting of a dark, grayish prehistoric bird with smooth, leathery skin. Enter Lon Strickler, an expert in the field of cryptids and founder of the popular website, Phantoms and Monsters. As reports continued to come in over the months of April, May and June, hosts Vance Nesbitt and Jennifer Ann of the fledgling paranormal podcast, The Acrylic Ranch, went out on their own night investigations to try and catch footage of the monster. Sarah Becan/sarahbecan.com Neither heard any sound. There's a phenomenon where there's basically some real witnessed experience, but if there are holes or gaps in that original experience, sometimes the mind is unable to fill in the gaps," he said. UE; UFOCH, April 20th, 2022A man in River Grove, Illinois, claims to have seen a strange, black, winged creature flying near St. Joseph Cemetery. There are many opinions as to why these sightings are occurring, including a general feeling that unfortunate events may be in the city's future. The tale of the Mothman begins back in the 1960s in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, where over the course of 13 months it allegedly appeared to multiple people andeven heralded the fatal collapse of the city's Silver Bridge in 1967. (Image: Phantoms and Monsters) The winged being, according to some witnesses, bears a resemblance to the famous Mothman of Point Pleasant, while others have described it as more bat-like in appearance. - Other reported features: fur, leather-like skin, bat wings, no neck. Despite the number of sightings, there is very littlephotographic evidenceonline, which is perplexing given that we live in a world where everyone has a high-quality camera on them at all times. Possibly confused with: a barred owl, a shitepoke, a sandhill crane, a drone costume, another Chicago cryptid. UE; P&M, 1999A woman, along with her husband and a girlfriend, report a flying, red-eyed gargoyle in Rockford, Illinois. I've lived in big cities all my life from the time I left. The head was prominent, and thinner than a human head. I'm a sucker for skylines. This was later turned into a terrible movie starring Richard Gere and if the creature truly was a herald of doom, it should haveappeared to anyone about to buy a ticket. LB; TSFS, August 27th, 2017A retired police officer reports a "dark gargoyle" with red eyes in the Forest Park neighborhood. UE; P&M, 2004A 12-year-old boy and his friends report a winged man all in black near Panther Creek in Auburn, Illinois. LB; P&M, March 22nd, 2017A semi truck driver reports suffering from strange medical maladies after spotting a flying humanoid soaring over a Chicago expressway. The most recent incident, on June 3rd, occurred in the Lincoln Park area around 10:00 PM local time. Lenart's mostly working class families raise about $20,000 a year. It was freaky.. According to the report. Now he's seeking clemency so he can continue his education. The couple, who wishes to remain anonymous, just finished a late dinner and were out for a walk when they saw the strange being. LB; P&M, July 27th, 2017A person headed home from work reports a large, bat-like creature perched atop a light pole. The "Mothman" legend, after decades of random alleged sightings around the country, picked up steam in the Chicago area in 2011 when reports of a giant, flying, winged humanoid began surfacing. UE; P&M, November 26th, 2014A Fire and Rescue officer and his partner report a green-eyed, winged humanoid in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Witnesses and artists have depicted Mothman as a tall, owl-like creature with membrane wings. Robbie Telfer is a performance poet, teacher and conservationist. In the intervening years, Mothman's cult fame grew, becoming the subject of an annual festival, a museum and even a 2002 movie starring Richard Gere. LB; P&M/TSFS, June 25th, 2018Video of a large flying creature is captured on home security camera in Rantoul, Illinois. In the intervening years, Mothmans cult fame grew, becoming the subject of an annual festival, a museum and even a 2002 movie starring Richard Gere. LB; UFOCH, June 23rd, 2017A couple, along with a crowd of people, reportedly sees a large, black, bat-like creature with humanoid features near the Adler Planetarium. UE; UFOCH, February 15th, 2018A man leaving a truck stop near the Wisconsin/Illinois border reports a "giant, skinny man with a large pair of wings and red eyes." ), we were unable to get to the bottom of this mystery. Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. Since then, the sightings are mainly around the airport and . I definitely kept my eyes on the sky hoping to see something," she says. UE; TSFS/P&M, 2011A suspicious winged entity is captured on camera, two roommates and their friends are reportedly terrorized by glowing eyes peeking through their window, and a college student reports a "man with wings." Et cibo reque honestatis vim, mei ad idque iisque graecis. The Chicago region has been experiencing a collective case of the heebie-jeebies in recent years, ever since reports of a giant, flying, winged humanoid began surfacing in 2011. Another hotspot for Mothman . LB; UFOCH, September 9th, 2017A group of friends reports a "black demon with large wings" in Chicago's Little Village. Brian Munoz/St. UFO Clearinghouse forwarded its report to Phantoms & Monsters, which had this addendum: This situation is similar to other sightings and attempted recordings by O'Hare employees. One witness came forward with her own timeline of personal sightings, ranging from 1970 through 2017, available here. Subscribe Today! It is unclear if they eat German shepherds exclusively or rather just the pets of Newell Partridge. Late September, 2018A man and his family report a flying creature with the body of a large monkey and wings similar to bat wings from their porch in Gary, Indiana. UE; UFOCH, Early July, 2020A man and his coworkers report seeing a large person with wings fly overhead while unloading a plane at Chicagos OHare International Airport. Well, despite exhaustive research, interviews with witnesses and cryptozoologists, and one good old-fashioned monster hunt (for more on that, listen to the SHOCKING audio story! Is This A Picture Of The Chicago Mothman?Never miss a paranormal mystery! Image Credit: Mothman by Tim Bertelinkvia Wikicommons, Chicago: Ian Dikhtiar/Shutterstock. Private fundraising in Chicago Public Schools who wins and who loses? UE; UFOCH, July 29th, 2017Two friends report a "huge black shape" gliding over the Albany Park/Lincoln Square area. UE; P&M, February 8th, 2017A man driving on interstate 294 reports seeing what he thinks is a person turn into a large black bird. The reports, which peaked in 2017, inspired Chicago-based comics artist Sarah Becan to bring Curious City this question: There was a rash of sightings in Chicago of a creature that people then called the "Chicago Mothman." LB; P&M, April 10th, 2018A woman reports a winged creature with "bat-like" wings near Oak Park. Manuel Martinez/WBEZ Chicago Now, even if we don't agree that we are looking at a kite and at a bird, I thinkwe can be sure that these pictures depict two different creatures. John Amitrano, one of the eye-witnesses interviewed by VICE said his phone was charging when he saw something flying awkwardly under a plane. The gravediggers from Clendenin, West Virginiaallegedly described the strange sighting as a brown human being.. - Species it's been compared to: a big owl, a pterosaur, a bat. UE; TSFS/UFOCH, May 31st, 2020An airline pilot reports a large, black, human-like creature flying above OHare International Airport. - Possibly confused with: a barred owl, a shitepoke, a sandhill crane, a drone costume, another Chicago cryptid. Magnolia is located at 3012?38?N 9545?2?W / 30.21056N 95.75056W / 30.21056; -95.75056 (30.210476, -95.750631).