Typical depiction of the Mothman
Since February of last year, over 55 eyewitnesses in the city of Chicago have reported something strange flying in the sky and concluded that it’s the famous Mothman. Mothman is a cryptid resembling a tall man with large wings like that of a moth, its notable feature is its large red glowing eyes that resemble brake lights.
The creature was first reported in 1966 in Point Pleasant, West Virginia and the sightings lasted until December 15, 1967, after the collapse of the Silver Bridge leaving many to believe that the Mothman was either a warning or harbinger of the incident that claimed 46 lives.
The Mothman statue in Point Pleasant
The debate back then continues to this day, trying to figure out what exactly is the mothman, some say it’s a supernatural creature, others believe it’s an alien, and there have even been suggestions that it’s a failed experiment from WWII since most of the original sightings were around McClintic Wildlife Management Area or as the locals call it, the “TNT area” since it was the site of a munitions plant.
Even though there are many theories of what the Mothman could be, it’s believed that what people saw in Point Pleasant in the 60’s and what folks are now seeing in Chicago is a sandhill crane, a large crane species that stands between 2-4 feet tall, while in flight their wingspan can reach 7ft 7in. The crane has an ash colored body and on its head, it has large red markings around the eyes.
Sandhill crane in flight
Whether it’s an unknown creature from this world, a dark specter from the stars, or a bird minding its own business, 55 people in Chicago saw something that they can’t explain and with the lack of photographs or videos of these sightings all we can go on is eyewitness testimony. If it is the Mothman, let’s hope no large-scale catastrophe will rock the windy city.
More information about the sightings of the Mothman in Chicago can be found here
Trailer for the 2017 documentary THE MOTHMAN OF POINT PLEASANT
