Cryptids of Europe

One of my favorite aspects of travel is doing a research to see what kind of cryptids and strange creatures exist wherever I am headed. I have never run into anything like the Loch Ness Monster, but it is still fun to read about. Europe is home to plenty of these creatures.

The Wolpertinger can purportedly be found in the Bavarian forests of Germany. The Wolpertinger is a sort of Leporidine chimera, with any number of different animal body parts coming together to create the legendary critter. In many cases, the animal appears to have the head of a rabbit, body of a squirrel, antlers of a deer and wings of a pheasant. Although you won’t see any of these guys in the wild, it is not uncommon to see fake Wolpertingers in bars throughout the regions surrounding the Bavarian Forest.

In England, there is a creature that was definitely alive at some point. The Canvey Island Monster washed up on the shores of Canvey Island twice in the 1950s. It is pretty highly disputed as to what this fish-type animal actually was, but it is safe to say it wasn’t a new species or we probably would have seen more of it by now.

Ireland is home to its fair share of monsters. One of my favorites is the lesser-known Dobhar-chú. This dog-fish-otter hybrid is known for apparently killing a woman in the 17^th century. The creature lives in the waters of Ireland. A headstone in Conwall cemetery in Glenade, County Leitrim commemorates the attack.