Bessie (Lake Erie Cow Monster Or Lorain Ocean’s Lake Monster)

Jackalopes are my favorite cryptid, so I decided to stitch one featuring the night sky!

The term Blobsquatch is used when an image is taken of a supposed Sasquatch but nothing can be deciphered out of the vaguely human-shaped “blob”. These blobs can commonly be debunked as dead trees, tree stumps, or shadows. The term was first used on Bigfoot Forums in the early 2000s by a man by the name of Vito Quaranta. 

Name: Barghest, Barguest

Area of Origin: Northern England

Prevalent in Northern English folklore, the Barghest is a monstrous black dog, with fiery eyes, large teeth and claws, though the name has been known to refer to ghosts or household elves in other regions of the country. The word “Ghost” was pronounced “Guest” in Northern England, and the etymology of Barghest is thought to be the combination word, Burh-ghest or “Town-Ghost”. Similar to other mythical Black Dogs like the Black Shuck, Grim, Padfoot, Gwyllgi and Gytrash, the Barghest is believed to be an omen of death, foretelling the passing of an individual by laying on or near their doorstep. In some tales, the dog is but one form the entity can shapeshift into, with other appearances being that of a headless man or woman, a white cat or a rabbit. They are said to attack lone travelers in the countryside as well as the narrow alleys in those of the old English cities.

Some beautiful 35mm stills from a 1928 film of three thylacines residing at the Beaumaris Zoo, Hobart. Stills taken by James Malley.

Inktober Day 20 - Jackalope

“The jackalope is a mythical animal of North American folklore (a fearsome critter) described as a jackrabbit with antelope horns”

Colourised footage of Benjamin, the last know Tasmanian Tiger (Thylacine).

Benjamin died on September 7th, 1936 in Hobart zoo. It is believed that he died out of neglect, as he was locked out of his shelter and was exposed to the searing hot sun and freezing cold night of Tasmania.

The Thylacine was one of the last large marsupials left on Australia (the other being the Kangaroo) after a great extinction event occurred around 40 thousand years ago. This extinction event, caused mainly by the arrival of humans, wiped out 90% of Australia’s terrestrial vertebrates, including the famous Megafauna.

The Thylacine was around 15-30kg (33-66lbs), were carnivorous, and had numerous similarities to other species like dogs, despite not being related and purely by chance, in a phenomenon known as convergent evolution (just like the ability to fly of bats and birds, despite following different evolutionary paths). Not only that, they could open their jaws up to 120 degrees, could hop around on two legs like a kangaroo, and both males and females had pouches.

Lastly in a cruel twist, the Tasmanian government decided to protect the Thylacine - just 59 days before the last one died, in a very notable case case of “Too little too late”. To date, many biologists believe that there are still Thylacine roaming the wild plains of Australia. 

thylacine from the london zoo

Here’s my little thylacine figurines! I’ve just finished stringing a bunch. Theyre kind of BJDs (they’re smaller than the more articulated BJD thylas I posted the other day). I’ve just listed a few on my website: www.palaeoplushies.com