Brent Swancer delves into reports of a decidedly odd creature first spotted in the swamplands of Harrisburg, Illinois, in 1963. Big and hairy like our favorite cryptid, but it was described as having a long snout like an anteater and no fear of humans. Stranger still, it was believed by some to be only one of a number of creatures intentionally released by the US federal government into the wild.  If that sounds a bit too XFiles-ish for you, allow us to direct you toward some reading that will get that taste of conspiracy out of your mouth: The Top Twenty Cryptozoology Books of 2019 as selected by Loren Coleman. Every one of the books listed is no doubt a worthwhile read, but you’ll have to excuse our excitement that the top cryptozoology book of the year is The Historical Bigfoot: Early Reports of Wild Men, Hairy Giants, and Wandering Gorillas in North America by Chad Arment. Oh, and one more thing: Remember that six-foot-tall, 180-pound statue of Sasquatch that was stolen from Mountaineer Landscaping in Linville, North Carolina, a few months ago? Well, Bigfoot Found and Placed in Police Custody in North Carolina. Haha. (CM)

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