# Maine residents find dead mystery beast? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 16, 2006, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-residents-find-dead-mystery-beast/369015 "2006-08-16T22:00:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Clockwork\_And\_Candy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b782af/32.png) [@Clockwork\_And\_Candy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clockwork_And_Candy)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-residents-find-dead-mystery-beast/369015/1 "2006-08-16T22:00:54Z")
[Link.](http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/articles/2006/08/16/residents_wonder_if_dead_animal_is_legendary_mystery_beast/) So… what’s up with that? It looks like some bizarre cross between a black bear and a tazmanian devil. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-residents-find-dead-mystery-beast/369015/2 "2006-08-16T22:41:34Z")
_El Chupacabra!_ ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-residents-find-dead-mystery-beast/369015/3 "2006-08-16T22:45:52Z")
[Tasmanian Devil - nah.](http://virtual.yosemite.cc.ca.us/ghayes/images/DSC03743%20Tasmanian%20Devil%20yawns%20b.JPG) ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-residents-find-dead-mystery-beast/369015/4 "2006-08-16T23:19:44Z")
Just looks like slightly odd dog to me. I’ve seen weirder-looking breeds. ---
**Author:** ![Pixiesnix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Pixiesnix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixiesnix)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-residents-find-dead-mystery-beast/369015/5 "2006-08-16T23:21:12Z")
Just looks like a really ugly dog to me. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-residents-find-dead-mystery-beast/369015/6 "2006-08-16T23:36:09Z")
Holy water needed. ---
**Author:** ![Pixiesnix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Pixiesnix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixiesnix)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-residents-find-dead-mystery-beast/369015/7 "2006-08-17T00:01:25Z")
Apparently the feared and terrible El Chupacabra is no match against a Mitsubishi Mirage. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-residents-find-dead-mystery-beast/369015/8 "2006-08-17T00:06:54Z")
Good grief, nobody thought to protect it long enough to get it identified? Have these people seen too many monster movies, or too few? Who among you will dare ask “Photoshop?” ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-residents-find-dead-mystery-beast/369015/9 "2006-08-17T00:24:39Z")
It’s _The Cat In The Hat_, minus the hat, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-residents-find-dead-mystery-beast/369015/10 "2006-08-17T00:35:28Z")
> [@Mindfield](#): > > _El Chupacabra!_ Seconded. ¡Ayudame! ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-residents-find-dead-mystery-beast/369015/11 "2006-08-17T00:38:01Z")
I’m gonna go out on a limb here and suggest that the “mystery beast” is in fact a dead dog, that happens to appear a bit odd because: A. it was pulverized by a semi, and: B. it’s started to bloat due to decomposition, which would account for the bulgy-looking eyes, inflated throat area, and general puffiness. Note that the tongue is discolored and protruding, which is an early sign of decay. I like how even though the article doesn’t indicate that anyone actually witnessed the beast get killed, they have somehow determined that it was probably run over while “chasing a cat.” This detail alone makes me suspect that someone isn’t taking the legend of the mystery beast too seriously. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-residents-find-dead-mystery-beast/369015/12 "2006-08-17T00:41:01Z")
So, this is what evil looks like? How boring. Hell, Lord Voldemort (even sans nose) is more interesting… Why isn’t this some type of feral dog? ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-residents-find-dead-mystery-beast/369015/13 "2006-08-17T16:54:57Z")
Damn. The guy down the street has one of those. ---
**Author:** ![Subway\_Prophet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@Subway\_Prophet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subway_Prophet)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-residents-find-dead-mystery-beast/369015/14 "2006-08-19T17:54:10Z")
Isn’t that an Akita mix? ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-residents-find-dead-mystery-beast/369015/15 "2006-08-20T10:32:22Z")
AFAIK a wolf’s teeth do not show unless it bares them: that is, there are no fangs hanging out of its jaws. An animal that size (40-50 lbs) that managed to bring down a Dobie and/or Rottweiler is a bad dude. It was probably some sort of dog/coyote/wolf hybrid, with the ferocity of a hungry wild animal, but little to no fear of humans or domestic pets. Or maybe it was ManBearPig. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-residents-find-dead-mystery-beast/369015/16 "2006-08-20T10:37:56Z")
The last story I read said it was a Chow Chow mix. That’s exactly what it looks like to me. Note the black lips. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-residents-find-dead-mystery-beast/369015/17 "2006-08-20T10:49:45Z")
[QUOTE=Caprese] An animal that size (40-50 lbs) that managed to bring down a Dobie and/or Rottweiler is a bad dude. [/QUOTE] If in fact that is the case, which we have no way of knowing. ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-residents-find-dead-mystery-beast/369015/18 "2006-08-20T11:13:46Z")
[QUOTE=Contrapuntal] If in fact that is the case, which we have no way of knowing. [/QUOTE] Yes indeed. All we have is what locals have reportedly said was going on over a period of time. Facts are in short supply with this case–other than a very dead canine-like critter, which may well have been a feral Akita/Chow or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-residents-find-dead-mystery-beast/369015/19 "2006-08-20T12:14:21Z")
[Loren Coleman](http://www.cryptomundo.com/cryptozoo-news/mainepix/) Here’s the first article on the animal by Loren Coleman. He was being misquoted and the photos given him for his page were pulled. The reporter doesn’t seem to like what Coleman has had to say in the last couple days. He thinks that it’s a dog or hybrid mix. I go with canine guess, and add don’t even go there with the Chupacabra crap. It doesn’t even look like a 3 foot tall reptillian fanged winged space creature. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-residents-find-dead-mystery-beast/369015/20 "2006-08-20T12:38:32Z")
[QUOTE=Caprese] Or maybe it was ManBearPig. [/QUOTE] Half man, half bear, half pig. The single most dangerous animal on the face of the earth. I’m cereal! I worked on a guy’s house last year who had a wolf as a pet. Right in the middle of the city. A wolf. Gorgeous animal. Large and muscular but still sleek and beautiful. What the hell kind of ugly dog would a wolf/dog hybrid have to be from to look that ugly dead thing? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-residents-find-dead-mystery-beast/369015.md?page=2)