Mystery Moose vs. Ogopogo
Posted by: Craig Woolheater on July 10th, 2015
Cryptomundian springheeledjack adds to the discussion of this Cryptomundo post from a few days ago: Mysterious Moose in Okanagan
Link to video if unable to watch embedded clip.
That’s interesting and it may well qualify for a few of the sightings.
My only problem with this is that the thrust is that well, since we saw a moose swimming in the lake and it’s similar to some descriptions, that’s the answer to the entire issue.
It’s like most scoftical conclusions when it comes to any cryptid: one possibility is tossed out like it’s “mystery solved,” when in fact, if you’ve actually read the entire body of accounts for any cryptid…in this case, Ogopogo, you realize it may only explain a handful of accounts.
As with all of my time honored posts–yes, if someone sees something for a fleeting second without getting a chance to really “see” what they’re looking at, it’s easy to mistake a regular animal for a cryptid (or better yet, a log or some other debris). Or if you get someone in an area they’re not familiar with, it’s much easier to mistake natural flora and fauna for monsters. And I think water cryptids are even harder to identify because the witnesses are usually only getting a look at whatever is above the surface, which is most likely a really small percentage of the actual creature. That and close up sightings happen a lot less than for other cryptids like BF, and it’s because of the water factor again.
However, many witnesses get quality, solid looks at the mysterious somethings and can rule out standard critters. Or what they are observing doesn’t fit the parameters of moose, otters or birds.
~ springheeledjack
Co-founder of Cryptomundo in 2005.
I have appeared in or contributed to the following TV programs, documentaries and films:
OLN's Mysterious Encounters: "Caddo Critter", Southern Fried Bigfoot, Travel Channel's Weird Travels: "Bigfoot", History Channel's MonsterQuest: "Swamp Stalker", The Wild Man of the Navidad, Destination America's Monsters and Mysteries in America: Texas Terror - Lake Worth Monster, Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot: Return to Boggy Creek and Beast of the Bayou.
I’m not sure why a moose swimming across the lake a mystery. Moose are at home in the water and are in fact strong swimmers. Only an inexperienced observer would mistake a moose for anything else, no less a large water monster as Ogopogo is often described. And at some point, the moose will walk out of the water and onto the shore and reveal what is actually is. We could only hope that the Ogopogo would be so obliging…
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That’s kind of my point. I can buy misidentification if a witness only spots something for a couple of seconds, but as with the moose–if you watch long enough, you’re going to figure it out. Same with birds, otters and the like.
I just really get ticked at the age old dodge of: “well animal ______ looks kind of like what a few people described when they saw said cryptid, so that must be what people are seeing,” while ignoring the bulk of the accounts that don’t come close to being explained by a swimming whatever.
Thanks for posting this Craig! I think it’s an important point that gets ignored or glossed over when it comes to explaining cryptid sightings.
cryptokellie:
Absolutely. Moose live their lives around and in water. Anyone who doesn’t know that is totally ignorant of these animals.
However, I thought the part about Ogopogo being a Moose was tongue-in-cheek. But I don’t know it for a fact.
@springheeledjack: A very timely and insightful post; we need more like this. Thank you and nice hearing from you!