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Sighting in Southern California, Sep 21, 2009

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I interviewed the two eyewitnesses separately, by phone, on Sep 23rd (soon after their sighting). Both of them told me that the creature they saw flying about 300 feet above them, at about 10:30 p.m. in the San Fernando Valley, was too big to be a bird. (They had been walking their dog as usual; they had never seen anything like that before, nor had either of them known anything about living-pterosaur investigations.) Less than two weeks earlier, I had spoken with a man who had seen something that may have been similar; it was also in the Los Angeles area, but flying further away from that eyewitness, preventing detailed observations. The date of that sighting, however, and lack of detail about location, make it somewhat unlikely to have been the same individual creature as that seen by the couple.

I found the two eyewitnesses of the Sep 21st sighting quite credible in the substance of their descriptions and manner of speech. To help prevent assisting any potential future hoax, I am withholding most details from publication, for the moment. I would like to find at least one more eyewitness of this particular creature. It was seen near the intersection of Burband Blvd and Woodman, near the border between the cities of Van Nuys and Sherman Oaks. It was flying either east or southeast, either towards North Hollywood or the foothills just south of Studio City (or inbetween).

Should anyone feel any desire to help with this investigation, please contact me:  whitcomb-<at-sign>-livepterosaur.com

Thank you.

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Modern pterosaurs and bats

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Scientific study of fossils and cryptozoological study of reports of ropens in Papua New Guinea–they both point to the idea that many pterosaurs like (or liked) sea food, including fish; I know that. But some of my associates, in recent years, have observed apparent ropens (or ropen-like nocturnal flying creatures) that fly among bats. It now seems probable that some of our modern pterosaurs eat bats; that is covered in my new book Live Pterosaurs in America.

Sightings of ropen-like animals sometimes coincide with observed bat activity. One of my contacts, living in West-Central Africa, once told me about a report (from a missionary who does not want to get involved with cryptozoological investigations) of a tree full of fruit bats that scattered when a large flying creature approached. I know that is rather vague, but a number of sightings of apparent pterosaurs in the United States are more suggestive.

This gives us two obvious avenues of investigation: Someone could question bat experts; someone could search for records of eyewitnesses of any “giant bat” or giant flying creature that appeared to have attacked one or more bats. I would greatly appreciate any volunteers.

Bat Conservation International . . . . . Bats, order: Chiroptera . . . Home Page Introduction to this blog

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Sightings in Mexico

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I’ve never interviewed this eyewitness, but I find the report interesting; it is by “Stew,” who was visiting Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, in 2000. (“pterodactyl” sighting details) I hope that he will someday get in touch with me.

” . . . about one and a half miles away, a huge black bird-like creature came from the more mountainous region to my left, and flew toward the ocean . . . wingspan about equal to the length of the taller palm trees, I thought about 30 to 40 feet. The wings moved very slowly, almost touching on the downward swing . . .”

I believe RM-2 has information about another sighting in Mexico. [Blog Intro]

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“Flying Snakes” and Pterosaurs in Namibia

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Welcome, RM-2

I’m grateful to this new subscriber, from the UK, who has been active in cryptozoological research (he recently gave me important information on another unrelated sighting report). By the way, Namibia, on the southwest coast of Africa (much desert), is the second most sparsely populated country in the world, according to Wikipedia.

A desert is not usually the best place to search for a living pterosaur, but a few eyewitness accounts are of such sightings. Consider one sighting in a Southern California desert. The eyewitnesses estimated that the flying creature may have been three times the size of an eagle.

The late-ninteenth century Tombstone newspaper account has limited credibility. Why? For one thing, that was a period in Western American history when some newspapers are said to have fabricated stories when things became quiet. A giant pterodactyl in the desert may have been one of those fabricated stories. Nevertheless, if anyone has any historical information that might verify that account, please let me know by email. Thank you.