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A circus act straight
out of a fairy tale.

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WALK: To see a living unicorn

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was just awe-inspiring.

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A bizarre trial
for a feathered freak.

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They had to find out
whether that egg

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was laid with evil intent.

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And a curious creature
lurking in the deep.

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CAMPBELL:
This furry river dweller

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caught the attention
of the nation.

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These are the mysteries
at the museum.

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Sarasota, Florida.

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This Gulf Coast City features

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35 miles of white, sandy beaches

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and crystal clear waters

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that are famously home to
a colony of bottlenose dolphins.

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And just steps from the shore is
an equally awe-inspiring sight,

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the Ringling Museum.

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This sprawling institution
preserves the history

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of the greatest show on earth,

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the Ringling Brothers
and Barnum and Bailey Circus.

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On display is an ornately carved
parade wagon from 1878,

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a costume featured
in a production

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of Puss in Boots,

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and a 1910 chariot
used in a reenactment

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of an ancient Roman
chariot race.

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But the item with the most
extraordinary story to tell

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can be found not
on the museum floor

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but on its walls.

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It is 44 feet long

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by 22 feet high.

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It is made of canvas.

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It depicts 45 people,

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and it has 45 animals,

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from horses and alligators

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to mammoth, elegant elephants.

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WILDMAN: And amid these
magnificent creatures,

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one stands apart.

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This is a story
about the circus,

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legends,

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and a unicorn.

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WILDMAN: What role did
a real-life unicorn play

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in one of the strangest episodes
in circus history?

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It's 1985 in New York City.

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The Ringling Brothers
and Barnum and Bailey Circus

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has come to town.

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On opening night, a packed house
watches the trapeze artists,

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dancing elephants, and big cats

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that make up this
three-ring spectacle.

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But the circus is about to debut

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what's sure to be
its greatest attraction yet,

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Lancelot, a real-life unicorn.

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WALK:
The attention was incredible.

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Everyone wanted
to have the chance

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to see the only living unicorn.

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WILDMAN:
These one-horned creatures
have long been described

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in legends and fairy tales.

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The elusive beasts
are sometimes depicted

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as looking like a horse

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and other times
like a goat or a deer.

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Unicorns have held
a special place in mythology.

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From the ancient times forward,

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they are a symbol of beauty,
purity, and peace.

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WILDMAN: Although unicorns
have captivated people

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throughout the ages,

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few still believe
the animals are real.

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So the audience is curious.

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Anticipation builds
over the course of the show.

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WALK: You were tantalized
throughout the entire circus

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waiting to see
the living unicorn.

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WILDMAN: Finally,
the ringmaster introduces

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the star of the show,

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Lancelot the unicorn.

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WALK: He stood 40 inches,

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had a wonderful,
beautiful coat

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and he also had
a single, long horn.

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WILDMAN: Lancelot circles
the ring in a chariot.

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The audience erupts in applause.

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[ Cheers and applause ]

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WILDMAN: Lancelot's debut makes
headlines across the country.

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Amid the excitement
and national attention,

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everyone wants to know...

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is he a real unicorn?

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And where did he come from?

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Skeptics insist
that Lancelot is a fake.

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WALK:
The people who did not believe

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that Lancelot was a unicorn

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thought a horn was placed
on top of his head

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and tied to his head
by a bow underneath his neck.

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WILDMAN:
So, to prove the skeptics wrong

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Ringling allows a radiologist
to x-ray Lancelot's head.

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The results are astounding.

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The x-ray shows without a doubt

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that the horn is part
of the animal's skull.

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WALK: Through the x-ray,
there was medical evidence

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that Lancelot was a unicorn.

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WILDMAN: Lancelot dazzles
audiences around the nation

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until he is finally
retired in 1987.

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WALK: But the question
still remains for people,

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where did the only living
unicorn come from?

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WILDMAN: The answer
is revealed 22 years later.

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A man named Oberon Zell
comes forward and says

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he was behind Ringling's
one-horned wonder.

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WALK: Oberon Zell was
a self-proclaimed wizard,

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and he was absolutely enraptured

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by the history of unicorns.

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WILDMAN: Zell's fascination
with unicorns began

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as a small child
while reading fantasy books.

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So, as an adult he came up

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with a plan to create
one of his own,

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using a baby goat.

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After doing some research,
Zell took the baby goat

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and, using a simple
medical procedure,

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fused its two horns together.

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Then they grew into
a single horn.

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WALK: Lancelot was born a goat
but grew into a unicorn.

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WILDMAN:
Zell then sold his unique
creature to Ringling Brothers,

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who named it Lancelot

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after the famous
Knight of the Round Table.

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WALK: Ringling Brothers
was always bringing the new

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and the unusual
to the American public.

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And Lancelot very much
fit that desire

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to make the greatest
show on earth.

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WILDMAN:
Lancelot's brief career marks

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the only time the circus
has exhibited a unicorn.

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Today, a mural that vividly
depicts Lancelot the unicorn

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is on display at
the Ringling Museum in Florida.

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It's a fitting tribute
to the lovable legend,

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who brought fantasy to life.

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Basel, Switzerland.

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This ancient city boasts

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an eclectic mix of architecture,
ranging from 12th-century

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gothic cathedrals to towering
modern skyscrapers.

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And based in one of
its oldest buildings

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is an institution that
celebrates the city's
rich heritage--

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the Basel Historical Museum.

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The collection includes

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a battle-worn bronze cannon
from 1476,

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a silver-and-gold-plated bust
of a Catholic saint,

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and models depicting
the suffering of
Black Plague victims

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in the 15th century.

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And among these storied relics
is one item

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that's linked to perhaps
the most bizarre tale

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in European history.

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It's about 25 inches tall.
It's made of gold and silver.

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It's engraved quite delicately.

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Its base is
a frightening-looking creature,

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which is half-rooster
and half-dragon.

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WILDMAN:
This intricately-designed
goblet tells of

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an incredible incident that
pitted man against monster.

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This creature was threatening
to destroy the city.

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[ Muffled screaming ]

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It's 1474 in Basel,
Switzerland.

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Residents here lead a quiet,
humble existence

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farming the land
and raising livestock,

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but their world

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is about to be
turned upside-down.

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According to legend, one day,

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a local farmer is tending
to his chickens

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when he discovers
something alarming --

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his rooster has laid an egg.

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A male chicken is not meant
to lay an egg.

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This was very, very strange.

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[ Rooster crows ]

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WILDMAN:
Unsure of what to make
of this strange incident,

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the farmer asks the town's
leaders for guidance.

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The elders examine the fowl

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and its improbable egg.

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LEVINE:
The local authorities
in Basel didn't know

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what was going on,
but they were very suspicious

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of anything unusual.

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WILDMAN:
It seems there are two
possible theories

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to explain this odd occurrence.

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On the one hand, it could be
just a harmless freak of nature.

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LEVINE: This rooster can
be nothing more

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than the victim of some kind
of medical complaint.

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WILDMAN: But the second
possibility is chilling.

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LEVINE: The authorities thought
what this may well represent

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was the interference
of the devil.

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WILDMAN: Folklore says that
a rooster that lays an egg

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has made a pact with Satan,

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and that its offspring will grow
into a terrifying creature

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called a basilisk.

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LEVINE:
A basilisk is half rooster

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and half dragon,
and it breathes fire

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so that it can scorch
anything in its path.

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[ Muffled screaming ]
But even stranger
and even more dangerous,

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it can kill anything or anyone
with just a glance.

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WILDMAN:
If this horrifying
prophecy comes to pass,

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the egg could hatch
at any moment.

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The local people are
absolutely terrified.

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If this thing existed
inside this rooster's egg,

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it threatened to destroy Basel.

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WILDMAN: As the panic grows,
the town elders don't know
what to do.

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Was this merely a fluke,

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or is a dark,
Satanic plot brewing?

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They worried that it had been
communing with the devil.

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Had the devil been part
of this process?

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00:11:00,194 --> 00:11:02,661
WILDMAN:
The authorities come up
with an unorthodox scheme

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00:11:02,796 --> 00:11:04,930
to solve the mystery.

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00:11:05,065 --> 00:11:07,466
They reason that the only way
to uncover the truth

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00:11:07,601 --> 00:11:11,202
is to do it
in a formal court of law.

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It was decided to put
that animal on trial

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just as you would
a human being.

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WILDMAN:
So what will be the outcome
of this bizarre trial?

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00:11:20,948 --> 00:11:23,649
[ Rooster crows ]

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00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:31,074
Watch Online Movies and Series for FREE
www.osdb.link/lm

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00:11:32,326 --> 00:11:34,359
It's 1474.

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00:11:34,428 --> 00:11:37,296
In the Swiss town of Basel,
according to legend,

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00:11:37,298 --> 00:11:40,699
a rooster has done
the impossible -- laid an egg.

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00:11:40,801 --> 00:11:43,235
Locals believe
this is the work of the devil,

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00:11:43,370 --> 00:11:45,770
and they put the bird on trial.

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00:11:45,806 --> 00:11:48,540
So what will the verdict be
in this feather-brained case?

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00:11:52,179 --> 00:11:55,447
The peculiar trial captures
the public's imagination.

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LEVINE: The rooster was
placed in the courtroom.

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00:11:58,051 --> 00:12:00,184
The egg was placed
in the courtroom.

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00:12:00,221 --> 00:12:03,722
Procedurally, this would not
have been very different

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00:12:03,724 --> 00:12:05,891
to a modern court case.

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00:12:08,062 --> 00:12:10,395
WILDMAN:
One lawyer defends the rooster,

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00:12:10,397 --> 00:12:13,799
claiming it is nothing more than
an unfortunate freak of nature,

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00:12:13,934 --> 00:12:16,935
while the prosecution argues
that the bird

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00:12:17,004 --> 00:12:19,871
is in league with the devil,
and that the egg it laid

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00:12:19,940 --> 00:12:22,941
contains a basilisk.

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00:12:22,943 --> 00:12:27,612
The judge listens intently
to both sides.

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00:12:27,615 --> 00:12:30,882
Finally, the time comes for him
to render his verdict.

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00:12:30,918 --> 00:12:33,752
[ Shouting indistinctly ]
Quiet! Quiet in the courtroom!
Quiet!

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00:12:33,821 --> 00:12:36,021
These are very tense moments
for the rooster.

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00:12:38,025 --> 00:12:40,292
WILDMAN:
After weighing
the arguments,

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00:12:40,294 --> 00:12:43,828
the judge cries foul.

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00:12:43,864 --> 00:12:47,032
That rooster

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00:12:47,134 --> 00:12:49,567
is guilty!

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00:12:49,603 --> 00:12:51,703
LEVINE:
He found the rooster guilty

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00:12:51,838 --> 00:12:54,439
of the heinous crime
of laying an egg

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00:12:54,475 --> 00:12:56,508
that contained a basilisk.

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00:12:56,643 --> 00:12:58,777
WILDMAN:
Before the cock
can fly the coop,

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00:12:58,912 --> 00:13:01,646
he is given the only sentence
that will definitively

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00:13:01,715 --> 00:13:04,649
rid the town of
its devilish influence.

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00:13:04,685 --> 00:13:07,719
If you burnt the rooster
to death at the stake,

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00:13:07,854 --> 00:13:10,922
then you cleansed the evil.

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00:13:11,058 --> 00:13:13,525
MAN: Burn it!

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00:13:13,527 --> 00:13:16,928
WILDMAN: That night,
the whole town comes out

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00:13:16,964 --> 00:13:19,731
to watch the bird's execution.

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00:13:19,767 --> 00:13:23,468
The rooster, along with the egg
it laid, is burned at the stake.

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00:13:23,504 --> 00:13:26,538
LEVINE: The people must have
felt very, very relieved.

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00:13:26,673 --> 00:13:30,141
Now that the danger had been
averted, now that the basilisk

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00:13:30,177 --> 00:13:33,077
was not going to take over
their town.

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00:13:33,113 --> 00:13:36,682
WILDMAN: The astonishing event

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00:13:36,817 --> 00:13:39,484
makes such an impression
on the city

248
00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:42,688
that the basilisk becomes
Basel's permanent symbol.

249
00:13:42,823 --> 00:13:46,158
It is depicted on statues,
in paintings,

250
00:13:46,293 --> 00:13:48,694
and on items,

251
00:13:48,829 --> 00:13:52,030
such as this goblet
at the Basel Historical Museum.

252
00:13:52,165 --> 00:13:55,567
Nowadays, you see it
all over the place.
It's in the coat of arms.

253
00:13:55,569 --> 00:13:59,504
It's something that's very,
very close to the heart
of the people of Basel.

254
00:14:03,043 --> 00:14:06,844
WILDMAN:
But was the rooster's crime
really an act of Satan?

255
00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:09,781
Modern scientists have
an explanation that proves

256
00:14:09,817 --> 00:14:11,983
the bird's innocence.

257
00:14:11,985 --> 00:14:14,653
Some hens can experience
a hormone imbalance

258
00:14:14,655 --> 00:14:18,123
that causes them
to display the same
kind of colorful feathers

259
00:14:18,192 --> 00:14:20,725
seen on roosters.

260
00:14:20,761 --> 00:14:23,462
If such a female bird
were to lay an egg,

261
00:14:23,464 --> 00:14:26,198
it would appear to the casual
observer that a rooster

262
00:14:26,333 --> 00:14:28,400
had laid an egg,
when really,

263
00:14:28,469 --> 00:14:30,535
it was just a hen
with male plumage.

264
00:14:30,537 --> 00:14:33,939
This rooster actually wasn't
a rooster at all.

265
00:14:37,177 --> 00:14:40,412
WILDMAN: And today,
this ornate golden goblet

266
00:14:40,414 --> 00:14:43,214
in the collection of
the Basel Historical Museum,

267
00:14:43,283 --> 00:14:46,484
recalls the terrifying tale
of a possessed bird

268
00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:50,122
and the egg that wasn't all
it was cracked up to be.

269
00:14:53,293 --> 00:14:55,827
Douglas, Wyoming, was
originally a pit stop

270
00:14:55,863 --> 00:14:59,764
for settlers traveling west
on the Oregon Trail.

271
00:14:59,767 --> 00:15:01,833
Today, the region's rich history

272
00:15:01,968 --> 00:15:05,203
is preserved at the Wyoming
Pioneer Memorial Museum.

273
00:15:09,042 --> 00:15:12,710
Its displays include a saddle
from a steer wrestling
competition,

274
00:15:12,780 --> 00:15:15,380
a Native American teepee,

275
00:15:15,449 --> 00:15:19,117
and a reconstructed
19th-century horse buggy.

276
00:15:22,456 --> 00:15:24,456
But there is one object here

277
00:15:24,458 --> 00:15:27,192
that is perhaps more intriguing
than any other.

278
00:15:27,327 --> 00:15:31,062
MORGAN: He's 20 inches
from tail to nose.

279
00:15:31,198 --> 00:15:34,666
It's white and gray.

280
00:15:34,801 --> 00:15:36,735
It has the features
of a rabbit

281
00:15:36,737 --> 00:15:40,538
with long ears
and a fuzzy tail,

282
00:15:40,574 --> 00:15:42,874
but it also has horns.

283
00:15:42,876 --> 00:15:46,878
WILDMAN:
This is the Wild West's
most legendary creature,

284
00:15:46,880 --> 00:15:48,880
the jackalope.

285
00:15:48,882 --> 00:15:52,149
But its curious appearance
may be based more in fact

286
00:15:52,186 --> 00:15:54,151
than in fiction.

287
00:15:54,188 --> 00:15:56,154
There's evidence that
this legendary critter

288
00:15:56,289 --> 00:15:57,923
is more than just
a tall tale.

289
00:16:04,832 --> 00:16:07,599
It's 1807 in Wyoming.

290
00:16:07,668 --> 00:16:10,502
Mountain man John Colter is
on an expedition

291
00:16:10,571 --> 00:16:12,904
to explore the American West.

292
00:16:12,906 --> 00:16:14,772
One day, while hunting,

293
00:16:14,842 --> 00:16:17,375
he spots something unusual

294
00:16:17,511 --> 00:16:19,678
out of the corner of his eye.

295
00:16:21,782 --> 00:16:24,181
MORGAN: He noticed
a very curious sight

296
00:16:24,218 --> 00:16:26,384
that he couldn't explain--

297
00:16:26,453 --> 00:16:29,788
a creature that had protrusions
coming out of its head.

298
00:16:29,923 --> 00:16:32,257
It had a body of a jackrabbit

299
00:16:32,326 --> 00:16:35,326
but the horns of a deer.

300
00:16:35,395 --> 00:16:38,396
WILDMAN:
But the animal runs away

301
00:16:38,398 --> 00:16:41,933
before Colter is able
to capture it.

302
00:16:44,404 --> 00:16:47,939
News of Colter's sighting
of an odd, horned rabbit

303
00:16:48,074 --> 00:16:50,875
spreads far and wide.

304
00:16:50,911 --> 00:16:53,811
And it's soon clear that
he's not the only person

305
00:16:53,847 --> 00:16:55,813
to have spotted
this bizarre bunny.

306
00:16:55,849 --> 00:16:57,815
Others throughout
the West claim

307
00:16:57,851 --> 00:17:01,086
they, too, have encountered
such a creature.

308
00:17:01,088 --> 00:17:04,289
As reports pile up,
it's even given a name--

309
00:17:04,391 --> 00:17:07,092
the jackalope.

310
00:17:07,094 --> 00:17:09,627
A jackalope refers
to the jackrabbit

311
00:17:09,696 --> 00:17:11,363
and an antelope.

312
00:17:13,600 --> 00:17:16,034
WILDMAN: But despite
all the sightings,

313
00:17:16,036 --> 00:17:18,502
no one is able to capture one
to study.

314
00:17:18,539 --> 00:17:21,906
MORGAN:
Some people say that
one of the reasons

315
00:17:21,909 --> 00:17:24,576
that jackalopes are
so elusive is that

316
00:17:24,645 --> 00:17:27,045
they can run very,
very fast,

317
00:17:27,180 --> 00:17:30,848
and they could also throw
its own voice from
a different direction

318
00:17:30,918 --> 00:17:34,085
in order to trick you
into going the opposite way.

319
00:17:40,260 --> 00:17:43,395
WILDMAN:
Over time, reports of
jackalopes roaming the West

320
00:17:43,397 --> 00:17:46,130
become less and less common,

321
00:17:46,166 --> 00:17:48,099
and most people
eventually believe

322
00:17:48,135 --> 00:17:51,402
that the horned rabbit is
nothing more than a tall tale.

323
00:17:51,471 --> 00:17:55,273
MORGAN:
Jackalope folklore became
just a campfire legend,

324
00:17:55,342 --> 00:17:57,609
akin to other mythological
creatures,

325
00:17:57,744 --> 00:18:01,146
such as the Loch Ness monster
or Bigfoot.

326
00:18:03,483 --> 00:18:06,484
WILDMAN: But in 1932,
something amazing happens

327
00:18:06,486 --> 00:18:09,620
that changes the history
of the jackalope forever.

328
00:18:09,656 --> 00:18:12,557
A scientist
in New York claims

329
00:18:12,692 --> 00:18:14,559
he has finally solved
the mystery.

330
00:18:14,694 --> 00:18:18,630
He believes he's discovered
the truth about the jackalope.

331
00:18:18,632 --> 00:18:21,232
WILDMAN:
Will there finally be proof

332
00:18:21,268 --> 00:18:23,702
of a real-life jackalope?

333
00:18:34,447 --> 00:18:36,314
It's the 1930s.

334
00:18:36,449 --> 00:18:39,317
For more than a century,
sightings of horned rabbits

335
00:18:39,319 --> 00:18:42,787
have been reported across
the western United States.

336
00:18:42,789 --> 00:18:45,256
The strange creature
even has a name--

337
00:18:45,292 --> 00:18:46,858
the jackalope.

338
00:18:46,993 --> 00:18:50,261
The problem is,
no one can prove
they actually exist.

339
00:18:50,330 --> 00:18:52,263
So what's the truth
behind the stories

340
00:18:52,332 --> 00:18:54,466
of this bizarre bunny?

341
00:18:56,069 --> 00:18:58,670
1932, Manhattan.

342
00:18:58,672 --> 00:19:02,674
Dr. Richard Shope,
a virologist in New York,

343
00:19:02,743 --> 00:19:05,944
receives a strange parcel
from hunters in the west.

344
00:19:06,079 --> 00:19:09,347
They claim it is
a jackalope horn.

345
00:19:13,053 --> 00:19:16,354
The sample consists of a piece
of dark, hard tissue

346
00:19:16,489 --> 00:19:19,690
removed from the head of
a supposedly horned rabbit.

347
00:19:19,726 --> 00:19:23,094
And when Shope puts it
under a microscope,

348
00:19:23,163 --> 00:19:27,098
he makes a curious observation,
one that prompts him to wonder

349
00:19:27,167 --> 00:19:30,568
if the stories of horned rabbits
could actually have

350
00:19:30,570 --> 00:19:32,570
a simple, scientific
explanation.

351
00:19:32,572 --> 00:19:35,773
MORGAN:
Dr. Shope has a hunch
that the protrusions

352
00:19:35,842 --> 00:19:38,443
could be explained
in another way.

353
00:19:38,445 --> 00:19:42,180
The sample seems more like
a wart or a tumor

354
00:19:42,249 --> 00:19:45,383
rather than an actual horn.

355
00:19:45,452 --> 00:19:47,585
WILDMAN:
Shope comes up with a theory.

356
00:19:47,721 --> 00:19:49,654
He believes
these aren't horns at all.

357
00:19:49,723 --> 00:19:52,724
Instead, they might actually
be growths

358
00:19:52,793 --> 00:19:55,794
caused by
an infectious disease.

359
00:19:55,796 --> 00:19:58,797
The test his theory,
Shope grinds the sample up

360
00:19:58,932 --> 00:20:01,666
and mixes it into a liquid.

361
00:20:01,668 --> 00:20:05,136
He then applies a solution
to the heads of healthy rabbits.

362
00:20:05,205 --> 00:20:08,339
Dr. Shope found that
the healthy rabbits

363
00:20:08,408 --> 00:20:11,209
began growing horns.

364
00:20:11,344 --> 00:20:14,479
WILDMAN:
Dr. Shope has proved
his theory.

365
00:20:14,548 --> 00:20:17,615
He's created
real jackalopes.

366
00:20:17,651 --> 00:20:20,885
His successful experiment
indicates

367
00:20:20,887 --> 00:20:24,422
these bizarre creatures
were actually normal rabbits

368
00:20:24,557 --> 00:20:27,491
infected with a contagious
disease that caused

369
00:20:27,527 --> 00:20:30,561
benign tumors to grow
and look like horns.

370
00:20:30,597 --> 00:20:33,298
The doctor names
the condition

371
00:20:33,300 --> 00:20:35,533
the Shope papilloma virus.

372
00:20:38,037 --> 00:20:41,039
He theorizes that
the more outlandish aspects

373
00:20:41,041 --> 00:20:43,975
of the jackalope legend
were merely embellishments

374
00:20:44,044 --> 00:20:46,745
produced by overactive
imaginations.

375
00:20:49,249 --> 00:20:51,916
Today, stories of the jackalope
live on.

376
00:20:52,051 --> 00:20:54,986
Depictions of
the legendary animal appear

377
00:20:55,121 --> 00:20:57,522
in souvenir shops,
motels, and bars

378
00:20:57,657 --> 00:21:00,058
throughout the American West.

379
00:21:00,193 --> 00:21:02,794
MORGAN: We enjoy using
the jackalope as something

380
00:21:02,863 --> 00:21:05,196
that binds us together
because it's funny

381
00:21:05,198 --> 00:21:09,066
and because it symbolizes
Wyoming in a unique way

382
00:21:09,136 --> 00:21:11,068
that people recognize.

383
00:21:11,138 --> 00:21:14,205
WILDMAN:
Today, this taxidermied
mock jackalope,

384
00:21:14,340 --> 00:21:17,408
on loan to the Wyoming Pioneer
Memorial Museum,

385
00:21:17,544 --> 00:21:20,078
serves as a reminder of
a bizarre creature

386
00:21:20,213 --> 00:21:22,280
with an enduring appeal.

387
00:21:25,585 --> 00:21:28,486
WILDMAN: Durham, North Carolina,
first found prosperity

388
00:21:28,621 --> 00:21:31,222
by way of the tobacco industry

389
00:21:31,224 --> 00:21:33,358
but now thrives
on the strength

390
00:21:33,360 --> 00:21:35,960
of its scientific
research community.

391
00:21:35,996 --> 00:21:37,362
But just west of downtown,

392
00:21:37,364 --> 00:21:41,165
an unassuming building hides a
boundary-pushing institution --

393
00:21:41,201 --> 00:21:44,569
the Rhine ESP/
Parapsychology Museum.

394
00:21:46,639 --> 00:21:49,040
On display
is a variety of devices

395
00:21:49,175 --> 00:21:52,977
meant to assist in the research
of extrasensory perception.

396
00:21:53,046 --> 00:21:56,647
But amongst
these intriguing instruments

397
00:21:56,683 --> 00:21:57,848
lies a more humble item.

398
00:21:57,884 --> 00:21:59,184
FREEMAN:
It's very small.

399
00:21:59,319 --> 00:22:01,519
It's only
about 4 inches by 6 inches,

400
00:22:01,521 --> 00:22:03,721
tan with a red binding,

401
00:22:03,757 --> 00:22:07,592
full of pages with many notes
and little, tiny writing.

402
00:22:07,727 --> 00:22:09,927
WILDMAN:
This memorandum book was used

403
00:22:09,996 --> 00:22:12,397
to document
a remarkable equine phenomenon

404
00:22:12,532 --> 00:22:13,864
that captivated the country.

405
00:22:13,900 --> 00:22:15,667
FREEMAN: This is one
of the most amazing things

406
00:22:15,669 --> 00:22:17,735
ever attributed to an animal.

407
00:22:17,871 --> 00:22:20,672
WILDMAN: So how
is this notebook connected

408
00:22:20,807 --> 00:22:24,309
to perhaps the strangest
telepathy story ever told?

409
00:22:26,613 --> 00:22:30,014
1927 --
Chesterfield, Virginia.

410
00:22:30,149 --> 00:22:33,417
On a farm
outside the city of Richmond,

411
00:22:33,486 --> 00:22:36,220
Claudia Fonda
tends to Lady Wonder,

412
00:22:36,223 --> 00:22:38,089
a healthy, 3-year-old filly.

413
00:22:38,091 --> 00:22:40,291
But soon, Claudia notices
something remarkable

414
00:22:40,327 --> 00:22:45,096
about the horse she's raised
since shortly after its birth.

415
00:22:45,231 --> 00:22:47,832
Mrs. Fonda
rarely had to call the horse.

416
00:22:47,901 --> 00:22:50,834
Lady always seemed to sense when
Mrs. Fonda was looking for her

417
00:22:50,871 --> 00:22:53,304
and would show up before called.

418
00:22:53,373 --> 00:22:57,441
WILDMAN:
Believing Lady is particularly
intelligent and intuitive,

419
00:22:57,510 --> 00:22:59,710
Fonda decides to nurture
her gift.

420
00:22:59,779 --> 00:23:02,713
Mrs. Fonda used small children's
blocks with letters and numbers,

421
00:23:02,749 --> 00:23:05,916
and she taught Lady
to move the blocks with her nose

422
00:23:05,952 --> 00:23:07,452
in order to spell words.

423
00:23:07,454 --> 00:23:12,323
WILDMAN: Soon, Lady even begins
spelling words on her own.

424
00:23:12,458 --> 00:23:14,258
When a tractor
came down the road,

425
00:23:14,261 --> 00:23:16,127
Lady spelled out
the word "engine."

426
00:23:16,129 --> 00:23:18,796
WILDMAN:
All the more remarkably,

427
00:23:18,798 --> 00:23:22,266
she spells it out
before the vehicle appears,

428
00:23:22,335 --> 00:23:25,870
and soon, Fonda becomes
convinced that her horse's gifts

429
00:23:25,872 --> 00:23:27,338
transcend intelligence.

430
00:23:27,407 --> 00:23:28,872
Lady predicts the winners

431
00:23:28,909 --> 00:23:32,610
of several world heavyweight
boxing championship fights

432
00:23:32,745 --> 00:23:35,746
by spelling out the names
before each bout.

433
00:23:35,815 --> 00:23:38,883
News of
the seemingly clairvoyant mare

434
00:23:39,018 --> 00:23:41,619
spreads through
the Richmond area,

435
00:23:41,688 --> 00:23:46,090
and Fonda is eager to capitalize
on her horse's growing fame.

436
00:23:46,126 --> 00:23:48,026
She has a special machine built

437
00:23:48,028 --> 00:23:50,962
to enable Lady
to display her talents.

438
00:23:51,031 --> 00:23:53,431
FREEMAN: It mimicked the actions
of a typewriter arm,

439
00:23:53,566 --> 00:23:55,433
and when Lady would push it
with her nose,

440
00:23:55,568 --> 00:23:57,302
letters would raise
to spell words.

441
00:23:57,437 --> 00:24:00,371
WILDMAN: The public flocks
to the Fonda farm

442
00:24:00,407 --> 00:24:03,908
to ask Lady Wonder questions,
three for a dollar.

443
00:24:03,910 --> 00:24:07,378
And this seemingly psychic horse
does not disappoint.

444
00:24:07,380 --> 00:24:12,583
FREEMAN: Lady was able to give
people names of their mothers

445
00:24:12,652 --> 00:24:14,585
or their own personal
maiden names --

446
00:24:14,654 --> 00:24:17,054
things that no one else
could really have known

447
00:24:17,090 --> 00:24:18,990
except for the person
asking the question.

448
00:24:18,992 --> 00:24:22,593
WILDMAN: But is Lady Wonder
really clairvoyant,

449
00:24:22,595 --> 00:24:25,529
or is she just
taking them for a ride?

450
00:24:25,598 --> 00:24:29,333
In December of 1927,
Dr. J.B. Rhine,

451
00:24:29,369 --> 00:24:32,269
a renowned psychologist
from Duke University,

452
00:24:32,305 --> 00:24:34,938
visits the farm
hoping to find out.

453
00:24:34,975 --> 00:24:40,211
FREEMAN:
Dr. Rhine was interested
in telepathy, in mediumship,

454
00:24:40,213 --> 00:24:42,213
and he wanted to research her.

455
00:24:42,282 --> 00:24:44,081
WILDMAN:
With Claudia Fonda's permission,

456
00:24:44,150 --> 00:24:47,285
Dr. Rhine devises a test
for Lady.

457
00:24:47,287 --> 00:24:48,753
He writes down words

458
00:24:48,755 --> 00:24:51,823
on pieces of paper
that he keeps from view,

459
00:24:51,825 --> 00:24:54,492
and then asks the horse
to spell them

460
00:24:54,494 --> 00:24:57,227
on her typewriter-like device.

461
00:24:57,263 --> 00:24:59,697
FREEMAN: Dr. Rhine started out
with simple words,

462
00:24:59,699 --> 00:25:01,699
but then he graduated
to bigger words

463
00:25:01,768 --> 00:25:03,234
like Mesopotamia and Carolina.

464
00:25:03,369 --> 00:25:05,903
WILDMAN: Much to Dr. Rhine's
astonishment and delight,

465
00:25:06,039 --> 00:25:10,174
Lady produces the correct answer
the majority of the time.

466
00:25:10,309 --> 00:25:11,709
FREEMAN:
Dr. Rhine believed

467
00:25:11,711 --> 00:25:14,178
that Lady was showing signs
of clear telepathic abilities

468
00:25:14,313 --> 00:25:15,580
at this point.

469
00:25:15,582 --> 00:25:18,783
WILDMAN: The psychologist's
notes from these sessions

470
00:25:18,852 --> 00:25:20,051
are now on display

471
00:25:20,186 --> 00:25:24,055
at his namesake Rhine
ESP/Parapsychologist Museum

472
00:25:24,190 --> 00:25:26,457
in Durham.

473
00:25:26,592 --> 00:25:30,060
In the wake of Dr. Rhine's
astonishing findings,

474
00:25:30,096 --> 00:25:33,264
Lady's popularity soars,
and for over two decades,

475
00:25:33,399 --> 00:25:37,335
it seems there's no question
she can't answer.

476
00:25:37,337 --> 00:25:43,341
But in 1951, the mare encounters
her toughest inquiry yet.

477
00:25:43,343 --> 00:25:46,544
Over 500 miles away, in
Norfolk County, Massachusetts,

478
00:25:46,613 --> 00:25:51,148
the district attorney has been
investigating for over a year

479
00:25:51,184 --> 00:25:54,085
the disappearance
of a 4-year-old local boy.

480
00:25:54,220 --> 00:25:57,287
With few leads
and the case colder than ever,

481
00:25:57,323 --> 00:26:00,090
he turns to the psychic horse
for help.

482
00:26:00,126 --> 00:26:03,027
FREEMAN: The district attorney
asked someone

483
00:26:03,162 --> 00:26:05,162
to go down and present Lady
with the question,

484
00:26:05,198 --> 00:26:06,564
"Where is this young boy?"

485
00:26:06,633 --> 00:26:10,201
WILDMAN: So, can Lady Wonder
help find this missing child?

486
00:26:19,879 --> 00:26:22,112
It's 1951
in Virginia.

487
00:26:22,148 --> 00:26:25,849
A horse named Lady Wonder
has taken the Richmond area

488
00:26:25,885 --> 00:26:29,186
by storm with her seemingly
psychic abilities.

489
00:26:29,222 --> 00:26:32,190
Now she's been called upon
to locate a missing boy

490
00:26:32,192 --> 00:26:34,325
in Massachusetts.

491
00:26:34,327 --> 00:26:36,727
So can this magical mare
harness her powers

492
00:26:36,796 --> 00:26:39,463
to solve the case?

493
00:26:39,499 --> 00:26:42,400
Lady is asked to spell
the missing boy's whereabouts,

494
00:26:42,535 --> 00:26:45,336
and she promptly types
a response --

495
00:26:45,471 --> 00:26:47,337
"Pittsfield water wheel."

496
00:26:47,373 --> 00:26:49,940
The name baffles investigators.

497
00:26:50,009 --> 00:26:52,877
FREEMAN: Unfortunately, there is
no Pittsfield water wheel

498
00:26:52,946 --> 00:26:55,879
in the location where
they were searching for the boy.

499
00:26:55,915 --> 00:26:59,684
WILDMAN:
But back in Massachusetts,
an investigator has a thought.

500
00:26:59,686 --> 00:27:02,220
What if the horse
accidentally rearranged

501
00:27:02,222 --> 00:27:05,088
the letters
of an actual location?

502
00:27:05,125 --> 00:27:06,958
FREEMAN:
The Field-and-Wilde water pit,

503
00:27:07,093 --> 00:27:09,227
which is in the area
of Massachusetts

504
00:27:09,362 --> 00:27:11,361
where the boy disappeared,

505
00:27:11,397 --> 00:27:14,899
is a very similar word
to what Lady offered.

506
00:27:14,901 --> 00:27:19,504
WILDMAN: Investigators drain
the old, abandoned quarry,

507
00:27:19,639 --> 00:27:20,705
and at the bottom...

508
00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:24,242
they find
the boy's lifeless body.

509
00:27:24,244 --> 00:27:28,913
It's a tragic conclusion
to a yearlong case,

510
00:27:28,915 --> 00:27:31,582
but it seems to prove
once and for all

511
00:27:31,584 --> 00:27:34,385
Lady's much-ballyhooed
psychic abilities.

512
00:27:34,454 --> 00:27:36,921
FREEMAN: The Fondas and Lady
were inundated

513
00:27:36,923 --> 00:27:38,723
by the National Press.

514
00:27:38,858 --> 00:27:40,457
Everyone came
to get a photograph

515
00:27:40,493 --> 00:27:41,925
of Lady and the Fondas.

516
00:27:41,961 --> 00:27:44,061
WILDMAN:
But many fail to accept

517
00:27:44,097 --> 00:27:48,299
that Lady Wonder's psychic gifts
are real.

518
00:27:48,368 --> 00:27:52,069
A magician named John Scarne
visits the Fonda farm

519
00:27:52,205 --> 00:27:55,339
and is convinced that she is
merely a well-trained horse.

520
00:27:55,341 --> 00:27:57,341
FREEMAN: Scarne pointed out

521
00:27:57,343 --> 00:28:00,210
that Mrs. Fonda used a whip
or other body language

522
00:28:00,246 --> 00:28:03,146
to cue Lady Wonder.

523
00:28:03,183 --> 00:28:07,018
Scarne believes that Mrs. Fonda
signaled Lady Wonder

524
00:28:07,153 --> 00:28:09,620
each time the horse
hovered over the correct letter.

525
00:28:09,622 --> 00:28:13,491
But the earlier tests
performed by Dr. Rhine

526
00:28:13,493 --> 00:28:17,562
had made sure
to account for this possibility.

527
00:28:17,697 --> 00:28:21,732
Rhine and his team did
use blinders and even blindfolds

528
00:28:21,768 --> 00:28:24,502
on Lady to ensure that
she could not see Mrs. Fonda.

529
00:28:24,637 --> 00:28:27,171
WILDMAN: In the end,
Scarne's suspicions

530
00:28:27,306 --> 00:28:30,308
do nothing to diminish
Lady Wonder's acclaim.

531
00:28:30,310 --> 00:28:31,576
FREEMAN:
There's always someone

532
00:28:31,711 --> 00:28:34,979
that's going to doubt in psychic
abilities in human beings,

533
00:28:35,048 --> 00:28:37,181
much less a horse.

534
00:28:37,316 --> 00:28:39,049
It's almost impossible to prove.

535
00:28:39,085 --> 00:28:41,652
There are some things
we just can't explain.

536
00:28:41,654 --> 00:28:46,657
WILDMAN:
Lady Wonder continues to astound
the public with her mental feats

537
00:28:46,792 --> 00:28:52,063
until her death in 1957
at the ripe old age of 32.

538
00:28:52,065 --> 00:28:56,600
And today, at the Rhine
ESP/Parapsychology Museum,

539
00:28:56,603 --> 00:29:00,871
this notebook stands as a
tribute to one remarkable horse

540
00:29:00,940 --> 00:29:05,710
and her ability to entertain
and enthrall, psychic or not.

541
00:29:08,214 --> 00:29:10,347
Located on the eastern slope

542
00:29:10,416 --> 00:29:12,149
of the Continental Divide,

543
00:29:12,285 --> 00:29:15,152
the city of Salida, Colorado,
was founded in 1880

544
00:29:15,221 --> 00:29:17,688
as a railroad hub
to the West.

545
00:29:17,757 --> 00:29:20,091
And preserving the region's
frontier history

546
00:29:20,093 --> 00:29:22,493
is the Salida Museum.

547
00:29:22,562 --> 00:29:26,230
Its exhibits include
a porter tank engine,

548
00:29:26,299 --> 00:29:29,900
a Sioux dress fashioned
from army blankets,

549
00:29:29,936 --> 00:29:32,103
and a safari helmet

550
00:29:32,105 --> 00:29:34,105
worn by
President Teddy Roosevelt

551
00:29:34,107 --> 00:29:36,240
during a local visit.

552
00:29:36,242 --> 00:29:38,575
But among the varied objects
that tell the tale

553
00:29:38,611 --> 00:29:40,711
of this community's past,

554
00:29:40,846 --> 00:29:43,380
one strange item stands apart.

555
00:29:43,416 --> 00:29:46,116
The artifact is
17 inches by 5 inches.

556
00:29:46,185 --> 00:29:49,253
It has scales and teeth.

557
00:29:49,388 --> 00:29:52,723
And it has hair
all over its body.

558
00:29:52,759 --> 00:29:55,459
WILDMAN: The tale of
this curious critter

559
00:29:55,461 --> 00:29:57,795
once hooked the public's
imagination.

560
00:29:57,930 --> 00:30:00,397
CAMPBELL:
This furry river dweller

561
00:30:00,466 --> 00:30:02,666
caught the attention
of the nation.

562
00:30:02,735 --> 00:30:05,536
WILDMAN:
So what, exactly, is
this unusual animal,

563
00:30:05,671 --> 00:30:09,073
and how did it transform
the city of Salida?

564
00:30:09,075 --> 00:30:12,276
November, 1938,

565
00:30:12,278 --> 00:30:14,345
Pueblo, Colorado.

566
00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:16,480
A journalist
for a popular newspaper

567
00:30:16,516 --> 00:30:18,749
receives an envelope
bearing the postmark

568
00:30:18,884 --> 00:30:21,485
of the nearby town of Salida.

569
00:30:21,554 --> 00:30:25,089
Inside, he finds the photograph
of a bizarre-looking creature.

570
00:30:25,091 --> 00:30:29,025
It was shaped like a fish--
it had fins, but it had fur.

571
00:30:29,062 --> 00:30:31,762
WILDMAN:
The picture is accompanied
by a letter

572
00:30:31,764 --> 00:30:34,364
from one Wilbur Foshay.

573
00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:36,567
Wilbur Foshay was the Salida

574
00:30:36,569 --> 00:30:38,569
Chamber of Commerce Secretary.

575
00:30:38,571 --> 00:30:42,039
WILDMAN:
When reached for comment,
Foshay explains

576
00:30:42,041 --> 00:30:45,509
that the image is of a rare,
fur-covered trout

577
00:30:45,511 --> 00:30:49,246
that inhabits Salida's ice-cold
rivers and streams.

578
00:30:49,248 --> 00:30:52,316
CAMPBELL:
As the streams got colder,

579
00:30:52,318 --> 00:30:54,585
the trout actually grew fur

580
00:30:54,587 --> 00:30:56,921
to keep warm.

581
00:30:57,056 --> 00:30:59,790
WILDMAN:
The journalist is skeptical
of Foshay's claim

582
00:30:59,859 --> 00:31:02,660
but decides to investigate.

583
00:31:02,795 --> 00:31:04,995
When he arrives in Salida,

584
00:31:05,064 --> 00:31:07,665
he's surprised to encounter
locals with knowledge

585
00:31:07,667 --> 00:31:09,733
of the bizarre beast.

586
00:31:09,769 --> 00:31:12,870
This one man related a story
that his father had several

587
00:31:12,939 --> 00:31:16,073
of the fur-bearing trout
but had kept 'em in a warm pond,

588
00:31:16,142 --> 00:31:18,542
and they lost their fur.

589
00:31:18,677 --> 00:31:22,012
WILDMAN:
Though the newsman never
lays eyes upon the fish,

590
00:31:22,048 --> 00:31:24,415
he senses a scoop.

591
00:31:24,550 --> 00:31:26,951
The reporter decided
that there was enough proof

592
00:31:27,086 --> 00:31:29,286
for him to actually
write a story

593
00:31:29,288 --> 00:31:31,889
regarding the fur-bearing trout.

594
00:31:32,024 --> 00:31:34,692
WILDMAN:
And the news causes
a sensation.

595
00:31:34,827 --> 00:31:36,894
CAMPBELL:
Papers are picking up
this story,

596
00:31:36,896 --> 00:31:38,962
and eventually, it ran in

597
00:31:38,998 --> 00:31:41,499
different newspapers
from coast to coast.

598
00:31:41,634 --> 00:31:43,901
WILDMAN:
As journalists dig deeper,

599
00:31:44,036 --> 00:31:46,904
one proposes a biological
explanation

600
00:31:46,906 --> 00:31:49,773
for the species'
distinctive look.

601
00:31:49,809 --> 00:31:52,109
There was a fungus
that would develop on fish

602
00:31:52,178 --> 00:31:54,245
that would look like fur.

603
00:31:54,247 --> 00:31:56,513
WILDMAN:
This mold,
called saprolegnia,

604
00:31:56,582 --> 00:31:59,984
typically thrives
in the Rocky Mountains'
cold water rivers.

605
00:31:59,986 --> 00:32:02,386
Soon, anglers from

606
00:32:02,388 --> 00:32:04,988
across the region
descend on Salida,

607
00:32:05,024 --> 00:32:08,125
eager to catch a furry fish
for themselves.

608
00:32:08,194 --> 00:32:11,661
If you were the one to catch
that fur-bearing trout

609
00:32:11,697 --> 00:32:15,232
and prove that they're there,
you would've been famous also.

610
00:32:15,268 --> 00:32:17,868
WILDMAN:
But after weeks
on the water,

611
00:32:17,937 --> 00:32:20,738
the fishermen grow increasingly
frustrated.

612
00:32:20,873 --> 00:32:23,340
It seems that nobody was able

613
00:32:23,409 --> 00:32:25,743
to catch a fur-bearing trout.

614
00:32:25,745 --> 00:32:28,679
WILDMAN:
Then, just as everyone is
about to pack up their gear,

615
00:32:28,748 --> 00:32:31,281
Salida's Chamber of Commerce
announces

616
00:32:31,317 --> 00:32:34,952
that the elusive creature
has finally been reeled in.

617
00:32:34,954 --> 00:32:37,354
Word came out that there was
a particular person

618
00:32:37,423 --> 00:32:40,157
that had caught
a fur-bearing trout.

619
00:32:40,226 --> 00:32:43,494
WILDMAN:
And it seems
the lucky angler is none other

620
00:32:43,563 --> 00:32:45,629
than Wilbur Foshay.

621
00:32:45,698 --> 00:32:47,697
So is it true?

622
00:32:47,733 --> 00:32:50,067
Has Foshay finally caught
a furry fish?

623
00:32:59,445 --> 00:33:03,180
It's 1939
in Salida, Colorado.

624
00:33:03,315 --> 00:33:06,249
Anglers have descended
on this tiny town

625
00:33:06,285 --> 00:33:08,852
in the hopes of hooking
an elusive fish

626
00:33:08,855 --> 00:33:11,121
that's said to grow fur.

627
00:33:11,190 --> 00:33:12,856
But just when it seems
this strange creature

628
00:33:12,892 --> 00:33:14,324
won't take the bait,

629
00:33:14,393 --> 00:33:17,061
the town's Secretary of
Commerce, Wilbur Foshay,

630
00:33:17,196 --> 00:33:18,929
says he caught one.

631
00:33:18,965 --> 00:33:22,399
So what's the real story
of this furry fish?

632
00:33:24,604 --> 00:33:27,203
Reporters race
to Foshay's office,

633
00:33:27,240 --> 00:33:30,140
eager for a glimpse
of the enigmatic trout.

634
00:33:30,276 --> 00:33:32,943
It seems he's already
stuffed his catch

635
00:33:32,979 --> 00:33:35,279
for the sake of posterity.

636
00:33:35,281 --> 00:33:37,281
CAMPBELL:
When the reporters
were able to see

637
00:33:37,350 --> 00:33:39,817
the fur-bearing trout
more closely,

638
00:33:39,819 --> 00:33:43,354
they thought something
was not quite right.

639
00:33:43,489 --> 00:33:47,157
WILDMAN:
The rare specimen's most
prominent feature, its fur,

640
00:33:47,159 --> 00:33:50,093
seems suspiciously familiar.

641
00:33:50,162 --> 00:33:53,630
They thought it looked
more like muskrat fur.

642
00:33:53,666 --> 00:33:56,900
This was not an actual fish

643
00:33:56,903 --> 00:33:59,235
but something contrived.

644
00:33:59,272 --> 00:34:02,305
WILDMAN:
Foshay quickly cops
to the deception.

645
00:34:02,341 --> 00:34:04,508
The reporters are dumbfounded

646
00:34:04,577 --> 00:34:08,112
and question the motives
behind the elaborate ruse.

647
00:34:08,114 --> 00:34:10,347
The Secretary of Commerce
explains

648
00:34:10,349 --> 00:34:12,916
he was simply
doing his job.

649
00:34:12,985 --> 00:34:16,386
Wilbur Foshay was trying
to figure out how
to promote Salida.

650
00:34:16,455 --> 00:34:19,389
WILDMAN:
But the journalists are
still perplexed.

651
00:34:19,425 --> 00:34:22,192
If the fur-covered trout
is just a fake,

652
00:34:22,228 --> 00:34:25,395
why were so many Salida
residents familiar

653
00:34:25,431 --> 00:34:27,464
with the fabled fish?

654
00:34:27,466 --> 00:34:29,934
It seems Foshay's plot
was inspired

655
00:34:30,069 --> 00:34:31,936
by a local legend.

656
00:34:32,071 --> 00:34:34,471
CAMPBELL: The myth of
the fur-bearing trout

657
00:34:34,607 --> 00:34:37,273
actually started back
in the 17th century.

658
00:34:37,310 --> 00:34:40,277
WILDMAN:
According to the story,
a Scottish immigrant

659
00:34:40,346 --> 00:34:42,413
who recently arrived
in the region

660
00:34:42,415 --> 00:34:44,748
penned a confusing letter
to his family.

661
00:34:44,883 --> 00:34:48,085
In it, he describes
the area's plentiful

662
00:34:48,220 --> 00:34:51,287
furried animals and fish.

663
00:34:51,324 --> 00:34:54,825
And he got a reply
back from his family
in Scotland that said

664
00:34:54,894 --> 00:34:58,094
tell them more about
this fur-bearing fish.

665
00:34:58,130 --> 00:35:01,365
WILDMAN:
Whether this was
a fanciful play on words

666
00:35:01,434 --> 00:35:03,767
or evidence of a semantic
misunderstanding

667
00:35:03,769 --> 00:35:05,769
may never be known.

668
00:35:05,771 --> 00:35:07,838
Regardless,
the bemused Scotsman

669
00:35:07,973 --> 00:35:09,974
crafted a playful response.

670
00:35:10,109 --> 00:35:12,642
He created a fur-bearing fish

671
00:35:12,678 --> 00:35:14,645
out of different parts
of different animals

672
00:35:14,780 --> 00:35:17,982
and sent that back to Scotland
to his family.

673
00:35:18,117 --> 00:35:20,384
WILDMAN:
Eventually, news of

674
00:35:20,519 --> 00:35:22,986
a North American
fur-bearing fish

675
00:35:23,055 --> 00:35:25,322
filtered down
through the centuries.

676
00:35:25,457 --> 00:35:28,391
And Wilbur Foshay was able
to capitalize on this myth

677
00:35:28,427 --> 00:35:30,727
to help put
this little town

678
00:35:30,796 --> 00:35:32,930
in Colorado on the map.

679
00:35:35,601 --> 00:35:38,002
WILDMAN:
But rather than
spawning outrage,

680
00:35:38,137 --> 00:35:40,337
Foshay's hoax delights citizens

681
00:35:40,339 --> 00:35:42,339
across the nation.

682
00:35:42,341 --> 00:35:46,076
Fur-bearing trout even become
sought-after novelty items,

683
00:35:46,145 --> 00:35:49,480
one of which is on display
here at the Salida Museum.

684
00:35:49,615 --> 00:35:53,083
And today, it reminds visitors
of a brilliant huckster

685
00:35:53,119 --> 00:35:55,285
and the fabulous fish tale

686
00:35:55,287 --> 00:35:58,322
that reeled in the public
hook, line, and sinker.

687
00:36:02,628 --> 00:36:06,230
Situated on the sprawling
plains of West Texas

688
00:36:06,232 --> 00:36:09,299
is the quiet town of Crosbyton.

689
00:36:09,301 --> 00:36:11,634
And it's on this small city's
main street

690
00:36:11,671 --> 00:36:15,239
that visitors will find
the Mt. Blanco Fossil Museum.

691
00:36:15,374 --> 00:36:18,041
Founded in 1998,

692
00:36:18,077 --> 00:36:21,445
it contains
massive dinosaur specimens

693
00:36:21,514 --> 00:36:23,513
and wonders of paleontology.

694
00:36:23,549 --> 00:36:26,116
But there is one creature
in the collection

695
00:36:26,118 --> 00:36:27,918
that is said to have lived
in the region

696
00:36:28,053 --> 00:36:30,120
much more recently.

697
00:36:30,189 --> 00:36:32,722
It's black, and it's hairless.

698
00:36:32,758 --> 00:36:35,659
The ears are huge.
The teeth are sharp.

699
00:36:35,794 --> 00:36:39,830
And you can see how they could
get ahold of an animal's throat.

700
00:36:41,534 --> 00:36:44,267
WILDMAN: According to local
legend, this taxidermied animal

701
00:36:44,336 --> 00:36:47,538
is proof of a gruesome monster
that once terrorized

702
00:36:47,673 --> 00:36:51,074
the community --
so what is this bizarre beast,

703
00:36:51,077 --> 00:36:54,110
and did it really once roam
the open plains

704
00:36:54,146 --> 00:36:56,580
of the Lone Star State?

705
00:36:58,617 --> 00:37:01,084
West Texas, 2005.

706
00:37:01,087 --> 00:37:04,287
One by one,
the farmers and ranchers

707
00:37:04,356 --> 00:37:06,489
of this quiet, rural area

708
00:37:06,525 --> 00:37:09,359
report a common
but unsettling occurrence.

709
00:37:09,428 --> 00:37:12,762
Something is killing
their livestock

710
00:37:12,798 --> 00:37:14,364
in the middle of the night,

711
00:37:14,400 --> 00:37:17,568
and the vicious nature of
the attacks has them on edge.

712
00:37:17,703 --> 00:37:19,236
TAYLOR:
This thing's killing technique

713
00:37:19,305 --> 00:37:21,705
is not like anything
anybody's familiar with.

714
00:37:21,840 --> 00:37:24,475
The livestock
are drained of their blood.

715
00:37:26,645 --> 00:37:29,513
WILDMAN:
Hoping to stop whatever is
behind these brutal attacks,

716
00:37:29,515 --> 00:37:32,916
concerned citizens
start armed patrols.

717
00:37:32,952 --> 00:37:37,187
Is it a coyote? Is it a dog?
Is it a wolf?

718
00:37:37,223 --> 00:37:39,656
Nobody knows
what's really going on.

719
00:37:41,660 --> 00:37:46,063
But they do know that there's
some weird creature out there.

720
00:37:46,065 --> 00:37:50,133
WILDMAN:
Because of the unique way
it kills its prey,

721
00:37:50,169 --> 00:37:53,737
frightened citizens think
that it's an unclassified,

722
00:37:53,872 --> 00:37:57,007
and some say
vampire-like beast,

723
00:37:57,009 --> 00:38:00,544
called the chupacabra.

724
00:38:00,679 --> 00:38:02,813
Tales of the chupacabra,

725
00:38:02,948 --> 00:38:05,082
Spanish for "goat sucker,"

726
00:38:05,217 --> 00:38:08,952
were first reported in 1995
in Puerto Rico and Mexico.

727
00:38:09,087 --> 00:38:11,154
It's said to have earned
its name

728
00:38:11,157 --> 00:38:14,625
from killing herds of goats,
chickens, and cows.

729
00:38:14,627 --> 00:38:17,427
It has never been captured.

730
00:38:17,496 --> 00:38:21,899
And now some are convinced that
it's moved north to Texas

731
00:38:22,034 --> 00:38:24,334
to continue its killing spree.

732
00:38:26,438 --> 00:38:29,239
August 8, 2008.

733
00:38:29,275 --> 00:38:33,377
Deputy Sheriff Brandon Riedel
is on routine patrol

734
00:38:33,512 --> 00:38:36,379
on the outskirts
of Dewitt County.

735
00:38:36,482 --> 00:38:39,782
He sees something ahead of him,
very unusual.

736
00:38:39,819 --> 00:38:41,418
He's going,
"What in the heck is that?"

737
00:38:42,855 --> 00:38:46,456
WILDMAN:
Riedel quickly turns on
his dashboard camera.

738
00:38:47,993 --> 00:38:49,459
But before long,

739
00:38:49,461 --> 00:38:52,696
this strange animal darts off
into the brush.

740
00:38:54,199 --> 00:38:58,334
But this short video fuels
further speculation

741
00:38:58,370 --> 00:39:01,772
that this monster is more
than just a myth.

742
00:39:03,942 --> 00:39:06,543
The next summer,
in Blanco, Texas...

743
00:39:06,545 --> 00:39:08,212
[ Chicken clucking ]

744
00:39:08,347 --> 00:39:11,882
...a farmer named Lynn Butler
hears chickens being attacked

745
00:39:11,884 --> 00:39:13,283
in the middle of the night.

746
00:39:13,385 --> 00:39:15,151
He goes outside,

747
00:39:15,187 --> 00:39:18,522
but before he can even see
what is responsible...

748
00:39:19,491 --> 00:39:22,091
...the creature disappears.

749
00:39:22,127 --> 00:39:25,095
Determined to prevent
his chickens from being killed,

750
00:39:25,164 --> 00:39:28,699
he baits the area around
the coop with a deadly poison.

751
00:39:32,237 --> 00:39:34,904
TAYLOR:
He comes in the next day,

752
00:39:34,940 --> 00:39:38,508
and here is this strange
creature laying on the floor,

753
00:39:38,644 --> 00:39:40,811
and he thought,
"What the heck is that?"

754
00:39:44,016 --> 00:39:47,050
WILDMAN: Mystified,
Butler delivers the corpse

755
00:39:47,086 --> 00:39:51,187
to a local taxidermist
in hopes of finding the answer.

756
00:39:51,223 --> 00:39:52,789
As he examines the creature,

757
00:39:52,825 --> 00:39:55,058
he sees that it shares
characteristics

758
00:39:55,193 --> 00:39:59,396
with a very familiar animal,
up to a certain point.

759
00:39:59,465 --> 00:40:02,866
He sees it's like a coyote,
in many similar ways,

760
00:40:02,868 --> 00:40:07,203
but hind legs are longer,
the teeth are different.

761
00:40:07,239 --> 00:40:11,808
WILDMAN:
Not only that, no coyote has
smooth, black skin.

762
00:40:11,877 --> 00:40:14,677
Whatever it is, it's not like
something he's seen before.

763
00:40:14,713 --> 00:40:18,715
WILDMAN:
So, is this bizarre-looking
creature the chupacabra?

764
00:40:29,295 --> 00:40:31,962
It's 2009.

765
00:40:31,964 --> 00:40:34,464
For years,
the citizens of West Texas

766
00:40:34,500 --> 00:40:36,833
have been terrorized
by a mysterious animal

767
00:40:36,869 --> 00:40:39,035
known as a chupacabra

768
00:40:39,104 --> 00:40:41,171
until finally,
a local farmer

769
00:40:41,173 --> 00:40:44,041
kills a strange, hairless,
doglike creature,

770
00:40:44,176 --> 00:40:46,843
that matches the description
of the beast.

771
00:40:46,979 --> 00:40:49,947
So is Texas finally rid
of this mythical menace?

772
00:40:52,851 --> 00:40:54,184
To solve the mystery,

773
00:40:54,319 --> 00:40:57,387
tissue samples are sent
to a California university

774
00:40:57,522 --> 00:41:01,458
for further analysis,
and the genetic testing reveals

775
00:41:01,460 --> 00:41:05,062
this bizarre creature's
ancestry.

776
00:41:05,064 --> 00:41:07,864
The results were it has
affinities with...

777
00:41:07,866 --> 00:41:11,534
coyote and wolf.

778
00:41:11,570 --> 00:41:14,204
WILDMAN:
Researchers believe
that it's a hybrid,

779
00:41:14,339 --> 00:41:16,206
primarily related to the coyote

780
00:41:16,341 --> 00:41:18,608
but linked genetically
to a wolf

781
00:41:18,644 --> 00:41:22,946
through its maternal line
two generations ago.

782
00:41:22,948 --> 00:41:26,082
Such hybrids are rare
but not unheard of,

783
00:41:26,118 --> 00:41:29,219
and scientists determine
the case closed.

784
00:41:29,288 --> 00:41:33,824
But many West Texas residents
remain skeptical.

785
00:41:33,959 --> 00:41:37,761
Could this be the very animal
seen by Sheriff Brandon Riedel

786
00:41:37,830 --> 00:41:39,362
and the one responsible

787
00:41:39,431 --> 00:41:41,832
for the rash
of livestock fatalities?

788
00:41:41,967 --> 00:41:47,637
Or could there be more of these
bloodthirsty beasts out there?

789
00:41:48,640 --> 00:41:50,741
I've talked to seven people
who've seen them up here.

790
00:41:52,544 --> 00:41:55,712
There must be
a lot of these things.

791
00:41:55,847 --> 00:41:58,315
People are afraid,
what will this thing do next?

792
00:42:00,052 --> 00:42:02,919
WILDMAN: And today,
the legend of this monster

793
00:42:02,955 --> 00:42:05,054
lives on
through this strange specimen,

794
00:42:05,090 --> 00:42:07,524
leaving visitors
to the Mt. Blanco Fossil Museum

795
00:42:07,593 --> 00:42:09,459
to wonder...

796
00:42:09,495 --> 00:42:12,129
Will the chupacabra
strike again?

797
00:42:14,800 --> 00:42:16,766
From a real-life unicorn

798
00:42:16,802 --> 00:42:19,136
to an egg-laying rooster.

799
00:42:19,138 --> 00:42:21,404
The legendary jackalope

800
00:42:21,473 --> 00:42:23,807
to a psychic horse.

801
00:42:23,876 --> 00:42:26,142
I'm Don Wildman,
and these are

802
00:42:26,178 --> 00:42:27,844
the mysteries
at the museum.

802
00:42:28,305 --> 00:43:28,327
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