Phantom Kangaroo Sightings
Did you know that there is a very long history of what is called "Phantom Kangaroo" sightings? I know it may seem a bit unusual for a Kangaroo to fall into the cryptid category but some of these reports are very odd and mysterious.
Phantom kangaroo reports are reports or sightings of kangaroos, wallabies, or footprints of these animals in areas where there is no known population. In other words, they are seen in places where there is no history of them or in places they should not be. An out-of-place animal if you will.
It kind of reminds me of black panther sightings. Black panthers are reported in areas where officials tell us they are not, like here in Kentucky.
Let's look at some reported sightings of Phantom Kangaroos.
New Zealand - In 1831, after arriving in Australia, two sailors from the Sydney Packet reported that they had seen a "giant kangaroo", 30 feet (nine meters) tall, at a small cove in Dusky Sound, South Island. From a small boat, they observed it standing near the treeline, and when they came too close the animal jumped into the water and swam away, leaving a wake extending from one end of the sound to the other.
Richmond, Wisconsin 1899 – During a large storm, a woman reported that she witnessed a large kangaroo leaping around her backyard. It eventually made its way out of the area and was not seen again. A circus was in the area at the time but had no kangaroos in its possession.
A 30-foot-tall kangaroo would be terrifying, in my opinion, have you seen them things box? Yikes!
There have also been many reports of Wallibes in the United Kingdom including an albino wallaby in Northamptonshire in 2015.
Here in the United States, we have had our fair share of reports, as well.
In 1934, near South Pittsburg, Tennessee, an atypical kangaroo or "kangaroo-like beast" was reported by several witnesses over a five-day period. The creature was said to have killed and partially devoured several animals, including ducks, geese, a German Shepherd, and other dogs. Kangaroos are typically unaggressive and vegetarian. A witness described the animal as looking "like a large kangaroo, running and leaping across a field."
A search party followed the animal's tracks to a mountainside cave where they stopped. The animal was never found, and national news coverage drew widespread ridicule.
There have also been several more recent sightings.
In 1974, in Chicago, Illinois, two Chicago police officers were called to investigate a report that a kangaroo was standing on someone's porch. After a brief search, the officers located the animal in an alleyway but were unable to capture it. Over the 30 days, there were several other reports of the kangaroo in several other locations.
In 1978, in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, two men photographed a large kangaroo beside the highway.
In 2013, in Oklahoma, a kangaroo was reportedly recorded by hunters in a field. Many speculated that the animal may be a pet kangaroo who went missing in the state just over a year earlier. Below is a screenshot from the video.
Also in 2013, The Ridgefield Press reported that a motorist in North Salem, New York captured on video what he thought was a kangaroo, and published the video on their website. I was unable to find the video.
According to W. Haden Blackman’s Field Guide to North American Monsters, the first reported phantom kangaroo sighting was on June 12, 1899, in Richmond, Wisconsin. Interestingly, the phantom kangaroo activity appears to occur in waves.
Most of these types of sightings are explained away as either escaped pets or zoo animals. Some are explained away as publicity stunts by local businesses.
In preparing this little post, I found an old newspaper article about 2 months ago. I thought I saved the article image to my computer but I can't find it. I tried to search for it again but could not find it online. So that little piece has been lost for now.
I used Wikipedia for a lot of the information but also did a lot of web searching for little bits of information.
I have never seen a phantom kangaroo but if you have please feel free to submit a report to us.
Thanks
~Thomas~
This post by Thomas Marcum, Thomas is the founder/leader of the cryptozoology and paranormal research organization known as The Crypto Crew. Over 25 years of experience with research and investigation of unexplained activity, working with video and websites. A trained wild land firefighter and a published photographer, and a poet.
~Thomas~
This post by Thomas Marcum, Thomas is the founder/leader of the cryptozoology and paranormal research organization known as The Crypto Crew. Over 25 years of experience with research and investigation of unexplained activity, working with video and websites. A trained wild land firefighter and a published photographer, and a poet.
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