WABC’s Mystery Animal, Not A Mystery
Posted by: Loren Coleman on August 29th, 2011
WABC posted the following video of an animal trying to make its way through floodwaters in New York on August 28, 2011.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX4E0UCFrK0
This one is easy to identify. It is rather recognizable as a Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana).
Thanks to BCL for news tip.
About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
Nooooo, that is definitely not a ‘possum; a wet ‘possum looks remarkably like an oversize rat, especially with their hairless tail; unlike all the hair on the badger’s (that’s what it actually is) tail. Besides the tail, other differences are the color of the fur, the shape of the head, the shape and size of the paws, and more.
Anytime the average person sees an animal in any other state than they normally would (ie; wet, hairless, partially decayed) it’s mysterious.
Bob
Maybe I missed it but I didn’t hear anything about this animal being a mystery in that video.
I wonder if scenes like this are responsible for the ‘giant rat’ sightings that are making the rounds. Although supposedly these sewer/subway rats actually chew through cement/concrete and I don’t think an opossum can do that.
Have there been many reports yet about unusual or out of place animals coming from the NYC area? I saw the 2 foot alligator one earlier.
However, this is also a good lesson in perspective. From the video it’s hard to guage size and it would be eassssssssssssy to say that it’s something bigger than what it is…
The link to the video doesn’t seem to be valid anymore – does anyone know how to reach the video?
Robb said: “The link to the video doesn’t seem to be valid anymore – does anyone know how to reach the video?”
It is working now – I don’t know if it was a momentary problem with YouTube, or with my PC, but all is fine now. 🙂