Cryptozoology is the study of legendary animals, or cryptids, that are rumored to live among us but have not yet been proven to exist.
It is human nature to be curious about the unknown. This same curiosity has enabled several beasts, formerly classified as cryptids, to secure a legitimate classification in the animal kingdom. The Komodo dragon, the okapi and even the mountain gorilla are just a few such creatures that were once considered cryptids. At one point, even Florida’s beloved manatees were thought by sailors to be real mermaids.
If you are on the skeptical side, remember this when you read these stories: Maybe there really is something else out there, waiting to be discovered and to find its rightful place in the animal kingdom. And maybe … it’s waiting to strike.
In researching this book, we were struck by something unexpected: the courage of those who lived through the stories. This is not only the bravery required to face these monsters; it’s also the courage to come forward to tell of their experiences. We realized, time and again, that these stories come from respected, hard-working members of the community. You will read accounts from doctors and lawyers and from former skeptics and critics. All of these people put their reputations on the line when they decided to talk about their encounters. They faced criticism and ridicule, but still, they spoke up.
And we believe them.
With that said, from newspaper articles, interviews, books and blogs, we’ve recreated the sightings of some of the most ferocious monster reports of the Midwest. Our research for this book was extensive and thorough. Taking the facts into consideration, we also applied our imagination to each story, often envisioning a scene as it might have played out. We strove to provide the details as closely as we were able, giving you, the reader, a glimpse of what it could have been like to be there, in the shoes of a witness. However, in some cases, names have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.
So curl up for a good read. But maybe you should make sure that your windows and doors are locked first.
—Jessica Freeburg and Natalie Fowler