"Mysteries at the Museum" Freaks of Nature: Mysteries at the Museum Special

1 00:00:01,903 --> 00:00:04,070 A circus act straight out of a fairy tale. 2 00:00:04,105 --> 00:00:06,538 WALK: To see a living unicorn 3 00:00:06,574 --> 00:00:09,342 was just awe-inspiring. 4 00:00:09,477 --> 00:00:12,144 A bizarre trial for a feathered freak. 5 00:00:12,180 --> 00:00:15,014 They had to find out whether that egg 6 00:00:15,083 --> 00:00:17,416 was laid with evil intent. 7 00:00:17,418 --> 00:00:20,586 And a curious creature lurking in the deep. 8 00:00:20,622 --> 00:00:23,289 CAMPBELL: This furry river dweller 9 00:00:23,291 --> 00:00:25,691 caught the attention of the nation. 10 00:00:25,693 --> 00:00:28,127 These are the mysteries at the museum. 11 00:00:34,335 --> 00:00:36,368 Sarasota, Florida. 12 00:00:36,437 --> 00:00:38,370 This Gulf Coast City features 13 00:00:38,439 --> 00:00:41,006 35 miles of white, sandy beaches 14 00:00:41,141 --> 00:00:42,841 and crystal clear waters 15 00:00:42,877 --> 00:00:47,380 that are famously home to a colony of bottlenose dolphins. 16 00:00:47,515 --> 00:00:52,851 And just steps from the shore is an equally awe-inspiring sight, 17 00:00:52,887 --> 00:00:54,520 the Ringling Museum. 18 00:00:57,124 --> 00:00:59,858 This sprawling institution preserves the history 19 00:00:59,928 --> 00:01:03,395 of the greatest show on earth, 20 00:01:03,431 --> 00:01:07,199 the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. 21 00:01:07,268 --> 00:01:12,271 On display is an ornately carved parade wagon from 1878, 22 00:01:12,273 --> 00:01:14,140 a costume featured in a production 23 00:01:14,142 --> 00:01:16,074 of Puss in Boots, 24 00:01:16,110 --> 00:01:19,211 and a 1910 chariot used in a reenactment 25 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:22,882 of an ancient Roman chariot race. 26 00:01:23,017 --> 00:01:27,353 But the item with the most extraordinary story to tell 27 00:01:27,422 --> 00:01:29,822 can be found not on the museum floor 28 00:01:29,957 --> 00:01:31,490 but on its walls. 29 00:01:31,559 --> 00:01:34,560 It is 44 feet long 30 00:01:34,562 --> 00:01:36,362 by 22 feet high. 31 00:01:36,497 --> 00:01:38,230 It is made of canvas. 32 00:01:38,366 --> 00:01:41,233 It depicts 45 people, 33 00:01:41,302 --> 00:01:43,702 and it has 45 animals, 34 00:01:43,738 --> 00:01:46,905 from horses and alligators 35 00:01:46,941 --> 00:01:50,242 to mammoth, elegant elephants. 36 00:01:53,714 --> 00:01:55,847 WILDMAN: And amid these magnificent creatures, 37 00:01:55,883 --> 00:01:57,983 one stands apart. 38 00:01:58,019 --> 00:02:00,986 This is a story about the circus, 39 00:02:01,055 --> 00:02:03,922 legends, 40 00:02:03,992 --> 00:02:06,592 and a unicorn. 41 00:02:06,661 --> 00:02:09,328 WILDMAN: What role did a real-life unicorn play 42 00:02:09,463 --> 00:02:13,265 in one of the strangest episodes in circus history? 43 00:02:16,137 --> 00:02:19,604 It's 1985 in New York City. 44 00:02:19,641 --> 00:02:22,074 The Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus 45 00:02:22,076 --> 00:02:23,676 has come to town. 46 00:02:23,745 --> 00:02:28,080 On opening night, a packed house watches the trapeze artists, 47 00:02:28,082 --> 00:02:30,349 dancing elephants, and big cats 48 00:02:30,351 --> 00:02:33,152 that make up this three-ring spectacle. 49 00:02:33,154 --> 00:02:34,887 But the circus is about to debut 50 00:02:34,956 --> 00:02:39,291 what's sure to be its greatest attraction yet, 51 00:02:39,293 --> 00:02:43,229 Lancelot, a real-life unicorn. 52 00:02:43,364 --> 00:02:46,098 WALK: The attention was incredible. 53 00:02:46,167 --> 00:02:48,300 Everyone wanted to have the chance 54 00:02:48,436 --> 00:02:51,103 to see the only living unicorn. 55 00:02:53,374 --> 00:02:55,908 WILDMAN: These one-horned creatures have long been described 56 00:02:56,043 --> 00:02:58,577 in legends and fairy tales. 57 00:02:58,613 --> 00:03:01,046 The elusive beasts are sometimes depicted 58 00:03:01,049 --> 00:03:02,648 as looking like a horse 59 00:03:02,650 --> 00:03:05,785 and other times like a goat or a deer. 60 00:03:05,920 --> 00:03:09,922 Unicorns have held a special place in mythology. 61 00:03:10,057 --> 00:03:12,391 From the ancient times forward, 62 00:03:12,460 --> 00:03:17,129 they are a symbol of beauty, purity, and peace. 63 00:03:17,165 --> 00:03:19,331 WILDMAN: Although unicorns have captivated people 64 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:20,599 throughout the ages, 65 00:03:20,735 --> 00:03:23,502 few still believe the animals are real. 66 00:03:26,908 --> 00:03:29,808 So the audience is curious. 67 00:03:29,844 --> 00:03:32,945 Anticipation builds over the course of the show. 68 00:03:33,014 --> 00:03:37,283 WALK: You were tantalized throughout the entire circus 69 00:03:37,418 --> 00:03:41,086 waiting to see the living unicorn. 70 00:03:41,188 --> 00:03:43,288 WILDMAN: Finally, the ringmaster introduces 71 00:03:43,324 --> 00:03:45,224 the star of the show, 72 00:03:45,293 --> 00:03:47,259 Lancelot the unicorn. 73 00:03:50,765 --> 00:03:53,432 WALK: He stood 40 inches, 74 00:03:53,568 --> 00:03:56,836 had a wonderful, beautiful coat 75 00:03:56,838 --> 00:04:02,040 and he also had a single, long horn. 76 00:04:02,110 --> 00:04:05,043 WILDMAN: Lancelot circles the ring in a chariot. 77 00:04:05,079 --> 00:04:07,513 The audience erupts in applause. 78 00:04:11,252 --> 00:04:14,754 WILDMAN: Lancelot's debut makes headlines across the country. 79 00:04:17,925 --> 00:04:20,325 Amid the excitement and national attention, 80 00:04:20,394 --> 00:04:22,928 everyone wants to know... 81 00:04:22,964 --> 00:04:26,665 is he a real unicorn? 82 00:04:26,801 --> 00:04:28,934 And where did he come from? 83 00:04:29,069 --> 00:04:32,337 Skeptics insist that Lancelot is a fake. 84 00:04:32,406 --> 00:04:34,140 WALK: The people who did not believe 85 00:04:34,275 --> 00:04:35,941 that Lancelot was a unicorn 86 00:04:36,010 --> 00:04:40,011 thought a horn was placed on top of his head 87 00:04:40,047 --> 00:04:45,951 and tied to his head by a bow underneath his neck. 88 00:04:45,953 --> 00:04:48,220 WILDMAN: So, to prove the skeptics wrong 89 00:04:48,222 --> 00:04:52,357 Ringling allows a radiologist to x-ray Lancelot's head. 90 00:04:52,426 --> 00:04:54,993 The results are astounding. 91 00:04:55,029 --> 00:04:57,296 The x-ray shows without a doubt 92 00:04:57,365 --> 00:05:00,566 that the horn is part of the animal's skull. 93 00:05:00,701 --> 00:05:03,636 WALK: Through the x-ray, there was medical evidence 94 00:05:03,771 --> 00:05:06,806 that Lancelot was a unicorn. 95 00:05:10,044 --> 00:05:13,111 WILDMAN: Lancelot dazzles audiences around the nation 96 00:05:13,147 --> 00:05:16,448 until he is finally retired in 1987. 97 00:05:16,584 --> 00:05:19,251 WALK: But the question still remains for people, 98 00:05:19,386 --> 00:05:23,989 where did the only living unicorn come from? 99 00:05:23,991 --> 00:05:27,593 WILDMAN: The answer is revealed 22 years later. 100 00:05:27,595 --> 00:05:30,863 A man named Oberon Zell comes forward and says 101 00:05:30,998 --> 00:05:34,200 he was behind Ringling's one-horned wonder. 102 00:05:34,335 --> 00:05:37,736 WALK: Oberon Zell was a self-proclaimed wizard, 103 00:05:37,738 --> 00:05:40,138 and he was absolutely enraptured 104 00:05:40,208 --> 00:05:42,842 by the history of unicorns. 105 00:05:46,147 --> 00:05:48,681 WILDMAN: Zell's fascination with unicorns began 106 00:05:48,683 --> 00:05:52,350 as a small child while reading fantasy books. 107 00:05:52,386 --> 00:05:54,152 So, as an adult he came up 108 00:05:54,222 --> 00:05:57,089 with a plan to create one of his own, 109 00:05:57,091 --> 00:05:59,291 using a baby goat. 110 00:06:02,096 --> 00:06:05,297 After doing some research, Zell took the baby goat 111 00:06:05,333 --> 00:06:07,366 and, using a simple medical procedure, 112 00:06:07,368 --> 00:06:10,769 fused its two horns together. 113 00:06:10,805 --> 00:06:14,840 Then they grew into a single horn. 114 00:06:14,842 --> 00:06:18,577 WALK: Lancelot was born a goat but grew into a unicorn. 115 00:06:22,583 --> 00:06:25,784 WILDMAN: Zell then sold his unique creature to Ringling Brothers, 116 00:06:25,853 --> 00:06:27,319 who named it Lancelot 117 00:06:27,454 --> 00:06:30,456 after the famous Knight of the Round Table. 118 00:06:30,458 --> 00:06:33,325 WALK: Ringling Brothers was always bringing the new 119 00:06:33,460 --> 00:06:36,929 and the unusual to the American public. 120 00:06:37,064 --> 00:06:41,667 And Lancelot very much fit that desire 121 00:06:41,736 --> 00:06:44,603 to make the greatest show on earth. 122 00:06:44,605 --> 00:06:46,671 WILDMAN: Lancelot's brief career marks 123 00:06:46,707 --> 00:06:50,042 the only time the circus has exhibited a unicorn. 124 00:06:53,614 --> 00:06:57,683 Today, a mural that vividly depicts Lancelot the unicorn 125 00:06:57,752 --> 00:07:01,886 is on display at the Ringling Museum in Florida. 126 00:07:01,923 --> 00:07:04,223 It's a fitting tribute to the lovable legend, 127 00:07:04,225 --> 00:07:06,525 who brought fantasy to life. 128 00:07:10,998 --> 00:07:13,232 Basel, Switzerland. 129 00:07:13,367 --> 00:07:15,300 This ancient city boasts 130 00:07:15,303 --> 00:07:18,570 an eclectic mix of architecture, ranging from 12th-century 131 00:07:18,706 --> 00:07:22,174 gothic cathedrals to towering modern skyscrapers. 132 00:07:22,309 --> 00:07:25,711 And based in one of its oldest buildings 133 00:07:25,713 --> 00:07:29,247 is an institution that celebrates the city's rich heritage-- 134 00:07:29,283 --> 00:07:32,418 the Basel Historical Museum. 135 00:07:35,255 --> 00:07:36,855 The collection includes 136 00:07:36,891 --> 00:07:40,592 a battle-worn bronze cannon from 1476, 137 00:07:40,628 --> 00:07:44,195 a silver-and-gold-plated bust of a Catholic saint, 138 00:07:44,231 --> 00:07:47,399 and models depicting the suffering of Black Plague victims 139 00:07:47,534 --> 00:07:49,635 in the 15th century. 140 00:07:52,106 --> 00:07:54,739 And among these storied relics is one item 141 00:07:54,775 --> 00:07:58,010 that's linked to perhaps the most bizarre tale 142 00:07:58,079 --> 00:08:00,278 in European history. 143 00:08:00,348 --> 00:08:03,482 It's about 25 inches tall. It's made of gold and silver. 144 00:08:03,551 --> 00:08:05,884 It's engraved quite delicately. 145 00:08:05,953 --> 00:08:09,688 Its base is a frightening-looking creature, 146 00:08:09,823 --> 00:08:12,124 which is half-rooster and half-dragon. 147 00:08:16,630 --> 00:08:19,164 WILDMAN: This intricately-designed goblet tells of 148 00:08:19,299 --> 00:08:22,968 an incredible incident that pitted man against monster. 149 00:08:22,970 --> 00:08:25,637 This creature was threatening to destroy the city. 150 00:08:30,544 --> 00:08:33,178 It's 1474 in Basel, Switzerland. 151 00:08:33,313 --> 00:08:37,048 Residents here lead a quiet, humble existence 152 00:08:37,084 --> 00:08:39,518 farming the land and raising livestock, 153 00:08:39,587 --> 00:08:41,520 but their world 154 00:08:41,522 --> 00:08:43,722 is about to be turned upside-down. 155 00:08:45,726 --> 00:08:48,394 According to legend, one day, 156 00:08:48,529 --> 00:08:51,062 a local farmer is tending to his chickens 157 00:08:51,098 --> 00:08:53,398 when he discovers something alarming -- 158 00:08:53,467 --> 00:08:55,768 his rooster has laid an egg. 159 00:08:58,739 --> 00:09:01,873 A male chicken is not meant to lay an egg. 160 00:09:01,909 --> 00:09:04,743 This was very, very strange. 161 00:09:07,347 --> 00:09:10,149 WILDMAN: Unsure of what to make of this strange incident, 162 00:09:10,284 --> 00:09:13,418 the farmer asks the town's leaders for guidance. 163 00:09:13,421 --> 00:09:16,488 The elders examine the fowl 164 00:09:16,490 --> 00:09:18,690 and its improbable egg. 165 00:09:18,726 --> 00:09:20,892 LEVINE: The local authorities in Basel didn't know 166 00:09:20,961 --> 00:09:24,028 what was going on, but they were very suspicious 167 00:09:24,065 --> 00:09:25,831 of anything unusual. 168 00:09:28,169 --> 00:09:30,301 WILDMAN: It seems there are two possible theories 169 00:09:30,337 --> 00:09:32,771 to explain this odd occurrence. 170 00:09:32,773 --> 00:09:35,974 On the one hand, it could be just a harmless freak of nature. 171 00:09:36,043 --> 00:09:38,510 LEVINE: This rooster can be nothing more 172 00:09:38,579 --> 00:09:41,580 than the victim of some kind of medical complaint. 173 00:09:41,649 --> 00:09:44,483 WILDMAN: But the second possibility is chilling. 174 00:09:47,288 --> 00:09:50,122 LEVINE: The authorities thought what this may well represent 175 00:09:50,191 --> 00:09:52,991 was the interference of the devil. 176 00:09:53,127 --> 00:09:55,928 WILDMAN: Folklore says that a rooster that lays an egg 177 00:09:56,063 --> 00:09:58,597 has made a pact with Satan, 178 00:09:58,732 --> 00:10:01,933 and that its offspring will grow into a terrifying creature 179 00:10:01,969 --> 00:10:05,136 called a basilisk. 180 00:10:05,172 --> 00:10:08,940 LEVINE: A basilisk is half rooster 181 00:10:09,009 --> 00:10:12,076 and half dragon, and it breathes fire 182 00:10:12,113 --> 00:10:15,214 so that it can scorch anything in its path. 183 00:10:15,216 --> 00:10:18,483 But even stranger and even more dangerous, 184 00:10:18,519 --> 00:10:22,221 it can kill anything or anyone with just a glance. 185 00:10:24,959 --> 00:10:27,426 WILDMAN: If this horrifying prophecy comes to pass, 186 00:10:27,561 --> 00:10:30,229 the egg could hatch at any moment. 187 00:10:30,364 --> 00:10:33,232 The local people are absolutely terrified. 188 00:10:33,234 --> 00:10:36,034 If this thing existed inside this rooster's egg, 189 00:10:36,103 --> 00:10:38,303 it threatened to destroy Basel. 190 00:10:42,376 --> 00:10:45,911 WILDMAN: As the panic grows, the town elders don't know what to do. 191 00:10:45,913 --> 00:10:48,246 Was this merely a fluke, 192 00:10:48,282 --> 00:10:51,449 or is a dark, Satanic plot brewing? 193 00:10:51,485 --> 00:10:53,919 They worried that it had been communing with the devil. 194 00:10:53,921 --> 00:10:56,622 Had the devil been part of this process? 195 00:11:00,194 --> 00:11:02,661 WILDMAN: The authorities come up with an unorthodox scheme 196 00:11:02,796 --> 00:11:04,930 to solve the mystery. 197 00:11:05,065 --> 00:11:07,466 They reason that the only way to uncover the truth 198 00:11:07,601 --> 00:11:11,202 is to do it in a formal court of law. 199 00:11:11,238 --> 00:11:15,206 It was decided to put that animal on trial 200 00:11:15,242 --> 00:11:17,876 just as you would a human being. 201 00:11:18,011 --> 00:11:20,879 WILDMAN: So what will be the outcome of this bizarre trial? 202 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:28,074 Do you want subtitles for any video? -=[ ai.OpenSubtitles.com ]=- 203 00:11:32,326 --> 00:11:34,359 It's 1474. 204 00:11:34,428 --> 00:11:37,296 In the Swiss town of Basel, according to legend, 205 00:11:37,298 --> 00:11:40,699 a rooster has done the impossible -- laid an egg. 206 00:11:40,801 --> 00:11:43,235 Locals believe this is the work of the devil, 207 00:11:43,370 --> 00:11:45,770 and they put the bird on trial. 208 00:11:45,806 --> 00:11:48,540 So what will the verdict be in this feather-brained case? 209 00:11:52,179 --> 00:11:55,447 The peculiar trial captures the public's imagination. 210 00:11:55,516 --> 00:11:57,916 LEVINE: The rooster was placed in the courtroom. 211 00:11:58,051 --> 00:12:00,184 The egg was placed in the courtroom. 212 00:12:00,221 --> 00:12:03,722 Procedurally, this would not have been very different 213 00:12:03,724 --> 00:12:05,891 to a modern court case. 214 00:12:08,062 --> 00:12:10,395 WILDMAN: One lawyer defends the rooster, 215 00:12:10,397 --> 00:12:13,799 claiming it is nothing more than an unfortunate freak of nature, 216 00:12:13,934 --> 00:12:16,935 while the prosecution argues that the bird 217 00:12:17,004 --> 00:12:19,871 is in league with the devil, and that the egg it laid 218 00:12:19,940 --> 00:12:22,941 contains a basilisk. 219 00:12:22,943 --> 00:12:27,612 The judge listens intently to both sides. 220 00:12:27,615 --> 00:12:30,882 Finally, the time comes for him to render his verdict. 221 00:12:30,918 --> 00:12:33,752 Quiet! Quiet in the courtroom! Quiet! 222 00:12:33,821 --> 00:12:36,021 These are very tense moments for the rooster. 223 00:12:38,025 --> 00:12:40,292 WILDMAN: After weighing the arguments, 224 00:12:40,294 --> 00:12:43,828 the judge cries foul. 225 00:12:43,864 --> 00:12:47,032 That rooster 226 00:12:47,134 --> 00:12:49,567 is guilty! 227 00:12:49,603 --> 00:12:51,703 LEVINE: He found the rooster guilty 228 00:12:51,838 --> 00:12:54,439 of the heinous crime of laying an egg 229 00:12:54,475 --> 00:12:56,508 that contained a basilisk. 230 00:12:56,643 --> 00:12:58,777 WILDMAN: Before the cock can fly the coop, 231 00:12:58,912 --> 00:13:01,646 he is given the only sentence that will definitively 232 00:13:01,715 --> 00:13:04,649 rid the town of its devilish influence. 233 00:13:04,685 --> 00:13:07,719 If you burnt the rooster to death at the stake, 234 00:13:07,854 --> 00:13:10,922 then you cleansed the evil. 235 00:13:11,058 --> 00:13:13,525 MAN: Burn it! 236 00:13:13,527 --> 00:13:16,928 WILDMAN: That night, the whole town comes out 237 00:13:16,964 --> 00:13:19,731 to watch the bird's execution. 238 00:13:19,767 --> 00:13:23,468 The rooster, along with the egg it laid, is burned at the stake. 239 00:13:23,504 --> 00:13:26,538 LEVINE: The people must have felt very, very relieved. 240 00:13:26,673 --> 00:13:30,141 Now that the danger had been averted, now that the basilisk 241 00:13:30,177 --> 00:13:33,077 was not going to take over their town. 242 00:13:33,113 --> 00:13:36,682 WILDMAN: The astonishing event 243 00:13:36,817 --> 00:13:39,484 makes such an impression on the city 244 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:42,688 that the basilisk becomes Basel's permanent symbol. 245 00:13:42,823 --> 00:13:46,158 It is depicted on statues, in paintings, 246 00:13:46,293 --> 00:13:48,694 and on items, 247 00:13:48,829 --> 00:13:52,030 such as this goblet at the Basel Historical Museum. 248 00:13:52,165 --> 00:13:55,567 Nowadays, you see it all over the place. It's in the coat of arms. 249 00:13:55,569 --> 00:13:59,504 It's something that's very, very close to the heart of the people of Basel. 250 00:14:03,043 --> 00:14:06,844 WILDMAN: But was the rooster's crime really an act of Satan? 251 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:09,781 Modern scientists have an explanation that proves 252 00:14:09,817 --> 00:14:11,983 the bird's innocence. 253 00:14:11,985 --> 00:14:14,653 Some hens can experience a hormone imbalance 254 00:14:14,655 --> 00:14:18,123 that causes them to display the same kind of colorful feathers 255 00:14:18,192 --> 00:14:20,725 seen on roosters. 256 00:14:20,761 --> 00:14:23,462 If such a female bird were to lay an egg, 257 00:14:23,464 --> 00:14:26,198 it would appear to the casual observer that a rooster 258 00:14:26,333 --> 00:14:28,400 had laid an egg, when really, 259 00:14:28,469 --> 00:14:30,535 it was just a hen with male plumage. 260 00:14:30,537 --> 00:14:33,939 This rooster actually wasn't a rooster at all. 261 00:14:37,177 --> 00:14:40,412 WILDMAN: And today, this ornate golden goblet 262 00:14:40,414 --> 00:14:43,214 in the collection of the Basel Historical Museum, 263 00:14:43,283 --> 00:14:46,484 recalls the terrifying tale of a possessed bird 264 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:50,122 and the egg that wasn't all it was cracked up to be. 265 00:14:53,293 --> 00:14:55,827 Douglas, Wyoming, was originally a pit stop 266 00:14:55,863 --> 00:14:59,764 for settlers traveling west on the Oregon Trail. 267 00:14:59,767 --> 00:15:01,833 Today, the region's rich history 268 00:15:01,968 --> 00:15:05,203 is preserved at the Wyoming Pioneer Memorial Museum. 269 00:15:09,042 --> 00:15:12,710 Its displays include a saddle from a steer wrestling competition, 270 00:15:12,780 --> 00:15:15,380 a Native American teepee, 271 00:15:15,449 --> 00:15:19,117 and a reconstructed 19th-century horse buggy. 272 00:15:22,456 --> 00:15:24,456 But there is one object here 273 00:15:24,458 --> 00:15:27,192 that is perhaps more intriguing than any other. 274 00:15:27,327 --> 00:15:31,062 MORGAN: He's 20 inches from tail to nose. 275 00:15:31,198 --> 00:15:34,666 It's white and gray. 276 00:15:34,801 --> 00:15:36,735 It has the features of a rabbit 277 00:15:36,737 --> 00:15:40,538 with long ears and a fuzzy tail, 278 00:15:40,574 --> 00:15:42,874 but it also has horns. 279 00:15:42,876 --> 00:15:46,878 WILDMAN: This is the Wild West's most legendary creature, 280 00:15:46,880 --> 00:15:48,880 the jackalope. 281 00:15:48,882 --> 00:15:52,149 But its curious appearance may be based more in fact 282 00:15:52,186 --> 00:15:54,151 than in fiction. 283 00:15:54,188 --> 00:15:56,154 There's evidence that this legendary critter 284 00:15:56,289 --> 00:15:57,923 is more than just a tall tale. 285 00:16:04,832 --> 00:16:07,599 It's 1807 in Wyoming. 286 00:16:07,668 --> 00:16:10,502 Mountain man John Colter is on an expedition 287 00:16:10,571 --> 00:16:12,904 to explore the American West. 288 00:16:12,906 --> 00:16:14,772 One day, while hunting, 289 00:16:14,842 --> 00:16:17,375 he spots something unusual 290 00:16:17,511 --> 00:16:19,678 out of the corner of his eye. 291 00:16:21,782 --> 00:16:24,181 MORGAN: He noticed a very curious sight 292 00:16:24,218 --> 00:16:26,384 that he couldn't explain-- 293 00:16:26,453 --> 00:16:29,788 a creature that had protrusions coming out of its head. 294 00:16:29,923 --> 00:16:32,257 It had a body of a jackrabbit 295 00:16:32,326 --> 00:16:35,326 but the horns of a deer. 296 00:16:35,395 --> 00:16:38,396 WILDMAN: But the animal runs away 297 00:16:38,398 --> 00:16:41,933 before Colter is able to capture it. 298 00:16:44,404 --> 00:16:47,939 News of Colter's sighting of an odd, horned rabbit 299 00:16:48,074 --> 00:16:50,875 spreads far and wide. 300 00:16:50,911 --> 00:16:53,811 And it's soon clear that he's not the only person 301 00:16:53,847 --> 00:16:55,813 to have spotted this bizarre bunny. 302 00:16:55,849 --> 00:16:57,815 Others throughout the West claim 303 00:16:57,851 --> 00:17:01,086 they, too, have encountered such a creature. 304 00:17:01,088 --> 00:17:04,289 As reports pile up, it's even given a name-- 305 00:17:04,391 --> 00:17:07,092 the jackalope. 306 00:17:07,094 --> 00:17:09,627 A jackalope refers to the jackrabbit 307 00:17:09,696 --> 00:17:11,363 and an antelope. 308 00:17:13,600 --> 00:17:16,034 WILDMAN: But despite all the sightings, 309 00:17:16,036 --> 00:17:18,502 no one is able to capture one to study. 310 00:17:18,539 --> 00:17:21,906 MORGAN: Some people say that one of the reasons 311 00:17:21,909 --> 00:17:24,576 that jackalopes are so elusive is that 312 00:17:24,645 --> 00:17:27,045 they can run very, very fast, 313 00:17:27,180 --> 00:17:30,848 and they could also throw its own voice from a different direction 314 00:17:30,918 --> 00:17:34,085 in order to trick you into going the opposite way. 315 00:17:40,260 --> 00:17:43,395 WILDMAN: Over time, reports of jackalopes roaming the West 316 00:17:43,397 --> 00:17:46,130 become less and less common, 317 00:17:46,166 --> 00:17:48,099 and most people eventually believe 318 00:17:48,135 --> 00:17:51,402 that the horned rabbit is nothing more than a tall tale. 319 00:17:51,471 --> 00:17:55,273 MORGAN: Jackalope folklore became just a campfire legend, 320 00:17:55,342 --> 00:17:57,609 akin to other mythological creatures, 321 00:17:57,744 --> 00:18:01,146 such as the Loch Ness monster or Bigfoot. 322 00:18:03,483 --> 00:18:06,484 WILDMAN: But in 1932, something amazing happens 323 00:18:06,486 --> 00:18:09,620 that changes the history of the jackalope forever. 324 00:18:09,656 --> 00:18:12,557 A scientist in New York claims 325 00:18:12,692 --> 00:18:14,559 he has finally solved the mystery. 326 00:18:14,694 --> 00:18:18,630 He believes he's discovered the truth about the jackalope. 327 00:18:18,632 --> 00:18:21,232 WILDMAN: Will there finally be proof 328 00:18:21,268 --> 00:18:23,702 of a real-life jackalope? 329 00:18:34,447 --> 00:18:36,314 It's the 1930s. 330 00:18:36,449 --> 00:18:39,317 For more than a century, sightings of horned rabbits 331 00:18:39,319 --> 00:18:42,787 have been reported across the western United States. 332 00:18:42,789 --> 00:18:45,256 The strange creature even has a name-- 333 00:18:45,292 --> 00:18:46,858 the jackalope. 334 00:18:46,993 --> 00:18:50,261 The problem is, no one can prove they actually exist. 335 00:18:50,330 --> 00:18:52,263 So what's the truth behind the stories 336 00:18:52,332 --> 00:18:54,466 of this bizarre bunny? 337 00:18:56,069 --> 00:18:58,670 1932, Manhattan. 338 00:18:58,672 --> 00:19:02,674 Dr. Richard Shope, a virologist in New York, 339 00:19:02,743 --> 00:19:05,944 receives a strange parcel from hunters in the west. 340 00:19:06,079 --> 00:19:09,347 They claim it is a jackalope horn. 341 00:19:13,053 --> 00:19:16,354 The sample consists of a piece of dark, hard tissue 342 00:19:16,489 --> 00:19:19,690 removed from the head of a supposedly horned rabbit. 343 00:19:19,726 --> 00:19:23,094 And when Shope puts it under a microscope, 344 00:19:23,163 --> 00:19:27,098 he makes a curious observation, one that prompts him to wonder 345 00:19:27,167 --> 00:19:30,568 if the stories of horned rabbits could actually have 346 00:19:30,570 --> 00:19:32,570 a simple, scientific explanation. 347 00:19:32,572 --> 00:19:35,773 MORGAN: Dr. Shope has a hunch that the protrusions 348 00:19:35,842 --> 00:19:38,443 could be explained in another way. 349 00:19:38,445 --> 00:19:42,180 The sample seems more like a wart or a tumor 350 00:19:42,249 --> 00:19:45,383 rather than an actual horn. 351 00:19:45,452 --> 00:19:47,585 WILDMAN: Shope comes up with a theory. 352 00:19:47,721 --> 00:19:49,654 He believes these aren't horns at all. 353 00:19:49,723 --> 00:19:52,724 Instead, they might actually be growths 354 00:19:52,793 --> 00:19:55,794 caused by an infectious disease. 355 00:19:55,796 --> 00:19:58,797 The test his theory, Shope grinds the sample up 356 00:19:58,932 --> 00:20:01,666 and mixes it into a liquid. 357 00:20:01,668 --> 00:20:05,136 He then applies a solution to the heads of healthy rabbits. 358 00:20:05,205 --> 00:20:08,339 Dr. Shope found that the healthy rabbits 359 00:20:08,408 --> 00:20:11,209 began growing horns. 360 00:20:11,344 --> 00:20:14,479 WILDMAN: Dr. Shope has proved his theory. 361 00:20:14,548 --> 00:20:17,615 He's created real jackalopes. 362 00:20:17,651 --> 00:20:20,885 His successful experiment indicates 363 00:20:20,887 --> 00:20:24,422 these bizarre creatures were actually normal rabbits 364 00:20:24,557 --> 00:20:27,491 infected with a contagious disease that caused 365 00:20:27,527 --> 00:20:30,561 benign tumors to grow and look like horns. 366 00:20:30,597 --> 00:20:33,298 The doctor names the condition 367 00:20:33,300 --> 00:20:35,533 the Shope papilloma virus. 368 00:20:38,037 --> 00:20:41,039 He theorizes that the more outlandish aspects 369 00:20:41,041 --> 00:20:43,975 of the jackalope legend were merely embellishments 370 00:20:44,044 --> 00:20:46,745 produced by overactive imaginations. 371 00:20:49,249 --> 00:20:51,916 Today, stories of the jackalope live on. 372 00:20:52,051 --> 00:20:54,986 Depictions of the legendary animal appear 373 00:20:55,121 --> 00:20:57,522 in souvenir shops, motels, and bars 374 00:20:57,657 --> 00:21:00,058 throughout the American West. 375 00:21:00,193 --> 00:21:02,794 MORGAN: We enjoy using the jackalope as something 376 00:21:02,863 --> 00:21:05,196 that binds us together because it's funny 377 00:21:05,198 --> 00:21:09,066 and because it symbolizes Wyoming in a unique way 378 00:21:09,136 --> 00:21:11,068 that people recognize. 379 00:21:11,138 --> 00:21:14,205 WILDMAN: Today, this taxidermied mock jackalope, 380 00:21:14,340 --> 00:21:17,408 on loan to the Wyoming Pioneer Memorial Museum, 381 00:21:17,544 --> 00:21:20,078 serves as a reminder of a bizarre creature 382 00:21:20,213 --> 00:21:22,280 with an enduring appeal. 383 00:21:25,585 --> 00:21:28,486 WILDMAN: Durham, North Carolina, first found prosperity 384 00:21:28,621 --> 00:21:31,222 by way of the tobacco industry 385 00:21:31,224 --> 00:21:33,358 but now thrives on the strength 386 00:21:33,360 --> 00:21:35,960 of its scientific research community. 387 00:21:35,996 --> 00:21:37,362 But just west of downtown, 388 00:21:37,364 --> 00:21:41,165 an unassuming building hides a boundary-pushing institution -- 389 00:21:41,201 --> 00:21:44,569 the Rhine ESP/ Parapsychology Museum. 390 00:21:46,639 --> 00:21:49,040 On display is a variety of devices 391 00:21:49,175 --> 00:21:52,977 meant to assist in the research of extrasensory perception. 392 00:21:53,046 --> 00:21:56,647 But amongst these intriguing instruments 393 00:21:56,683 --> 00:21:57,848 lies a more humble item. 394 00:21:57,884 --> 00:21:59,184 FREEMAN: It's very small. 395 00:21:59,319 --> 00:22:01,519 It's only about 4 inches by 6 inches, 396 00:22:01,521 --> 00:22:03,721 tan with a red binding, 397 00:22:03,757 --> 00:22:07,592 full of pages with many notes and little, tiny writing. 398 00:22:07,727 --> 00:22:09,927 WILDMAN: This memorandum book was used 399 00:22:09,996 --> 00:22:12,397 to document a remarkable equine phenomenon 400 00:22:12,532 --> 00:22:13,864 that captivated the country. 401 00:22:13,900 --> 00:22:15,667 FREEMAN: This is one of the most amazing things 402 00:22:15,669 --> 00:22:17,735 ever attributed to an animal. 403 00:22:17,871 --> 00:22:20,672 WILDMAN: So how is this notebook connected 404 00:22:20,807 --> 00:22:24,309 to perhaps the strangest telepathy story ever told? 405 00:22:26,613 --> 00:22:30,014 1927 -- Chesterfield, Virginia. 406 00:22:30,149 --> 00:22:33,417 On a farm outside the city of Richmond, 407 00:22:33,486 --> 00:22:36,220 Claudia Fonda tends to Lady Wonder, 408 00:22:36,223 --> 00:22:38,089 a healthy, 3-year-old filly. 409 00:22:38,091 --> 00:22:40,291 But soon, Claudia notices something remarkable 410 00:22:40,327 --> 00:22:45,096 about the horse she's raised since shortly after its birth. 411 00:22:45,231 --> 00:22:47,832 Mrs. Fonda rarely had to call the horse. 412 00:22:47,901 --> 00:22:50,834 Lady always seemed to sense when Mrs. Fonda was looking for her 413 00:22:50,871 --> 00:22:53,304 and would show up before called. 414 00:22:53,373 --> 00:22:57,441 WILDMAN: Believing Lady is particularly intelligent and intuitive, 415 00:22:57,510 --> 00:22:59,710 Fonda decides to nurture her gift. 416 00:22:59,779 --> 00:23:02,713 Mrs. Fonda used small children's blocks with letters and numbers, 417 00:23:02,749 --> 00:23:05,916 and she taught Lady to move the blocks with her nose 418 00:23:05,952 --> 00:23:07,452 in order to spell words. 419 00:23:07,454 --> 00:23:12,323 WILDMAN: Soon, Lady even begins spelling words on her own. 420 00:23:12,458 --> 00:23:14,258 When a tractor came down the road, 421 00:23:14,261 --> 00:23:16,127 Lady spelled out the word "engine." 422 00:23:16,129 --> 00:23:18,796 WILDMAN: All the more remarkably, 423 00:23:18,798 --> 00:23:22,266 she spells it out before the vehicle appears, 424 00:23:22,335 --> 00:23:25,870 and soon, Fonda becomes convinced that her horse's gifts 425 00:23:25,872 --> 00:23:27,338 transcend intelligence. 426 00:23:27,407 --> 00:23:28,872 Lady predicts the winners 427 00:23:28,909 --> 00:23:32,610 of several world heavyweight boxing championship fights 428 00:23:32,745 --> 00:23:35,746 by spelling out the names before each bout. 429 00:23:35,815 --> 00:23:38,883 News of the seemingly clairvoyant mare 430 00:23:39,018 --> 00:23:41,619 spreads through the Richmond area, 431 00:23:41,688 --> 00:23:46,090 and Fonda is eager to capitalize on her horse's growing fame. 432 00:23:46,126 --> 00:23:48,026 She has a special machine built 433 00:23:48,028 --> 00:23:50,962 to enable Lady to display her talents. 434 00:23:51,031 --> 00:23:53,431 FREEMAN: It mimicked the actions of a typewriter arm, 435 00:23:53,566 --> 00:23:55,433 and when Lady would push it with her nose, 436 00:23:55,568 --> 00:23:57,302 letters would raise to spell words. 437 00:23:57,437 --> 00:24:00,371 WILDMAN: The public flocks to the Fonda farm 438 00:24:00,407 --> 00:24:03,908 to ask Lady Wonder questions, three for a dollar. 439 00:24:03,910 --> 00:24:07,378 And this seemingly psychic horse does not disappoint. 440 00:24:07,380 --> 00:24:12,583 FREEMAN: Lady was able to give people names of their mothers 441 00:24:12,652 --> 00:24:14,585 or their own personal maiden names -- 442 00:24:14,654 --> 00:24:17,054 things that no one else could really have known 443 00:24:17,090 --> 00:24:18,990 except for the person asking the question. 444 00:24:18,992 --> 00:24:22,593 WILDMAN: But is Lady Wonder really clairvoyant, 445 00:24:22,595 --> 00:24:25,529 or is she just taking them for a ride? 446 00:24:25,598 --> 00:24:29,333 In December of 1927, Dr. J.B. Rhine, 447 00:24:29,369 --> 00:24:32,269 a renowned psychologist from Duke University, 448 00:24:32,305 --> 00:24:34,938 visits the farm hoping to find out. 449 00:24:34,975 --> 00:24:40,211 FREEMAN: Dr. Rhine was interested in telepathy, in mediumship, 450 00:24:40,213 --> 00:24:42,213 and he wanted to research her. 451 00:24:42,282 --> 00:24:44,081 WILDMAN: With Claudia Fonda's permission, 452 00:24:44,150 --> 00:24:47,285 Dr. Rhine devises a test for Lady. 453 00:24:47,287 --> 00:24:48,753 He writes down words 454 00:24:48,755 --> 00:24:51,823 on pieces of paper that he keeps from view, 455 00:24:51,825 --> 00:24:54,492 and then asks the horse to spell them 456 00:24:54,494 --> 00:24:57,227 on her typewriter-like device. 457 00:24:57,263 --> 00:24:59,697 FREEMAN: Dr. Rhine started out with simple words, 458 00:24:59,699 --> 00:25:01,699 but then he graduated to bigger words 459 00:25:01,768 --> 00:25:03,234 like Mesopotamia and Carolina. 460 00:25:03,369 --> 00:25:05,903 WILDMAN: Much to Dr. Rhine's astonishment and delight, 461 00:25:06,039 --> 00:25:10,174 Lady produces the correct answer the majority of the time. 462 00:25:10,309 --> 00:25:11,709 FREEMAN: Dr. Rhine believed 463 00:25:11,711 --> 00:25:14,178 that Lady was showing signs of clear telepathic abilities 464 00:25:14,313 --> 00:25:15,580 at this point. 465 00:25:15,582 --> 00:25:18,783 WILDMAN: The psychologist's notes from these sessions 466 00:25:18,852 --> 00:25:20,051 are now on display 467 00:25:20,186 --> 00:25:24,055 at his namesake Rhine ESP/Parapsychologist Museum 468 00:25:24,190 --> 00:25:26,457 in Durham. 469 00:25:26,592 --> 00:25:30,060 In the wake of Dr. Rhine's astonishing findings, 470 00:25:30,096 --> 00:25:33,264 Lady's popularity soars, and for over two decades, 471 00:25:33,399 --> 00:25:37,335 it seems there's no question she can't answer. 472 00:25:37,337 --> 00:25:43,341 But in 1951, the mare encounters her toughest inquiry yet. 473 00:25:43,343 --> 00:25:46,544 Over 500 miles away, in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, 474 00:25:46,613 --> 00:25:51,148 the district attorney has been investigating for over a year 475 00:25:51,184 --> 00:25:54,085 the disappearance of a 4-year-old local boy. 476 00:25:54,220 --> 00:25:57,287 With few leads and the case colder than ever, 477 00:25:57,323 --> 00:26:00,090 he turns to the psychic horse for help. 478 00:26:00,126 --> 00:26:03,027 FREEMAN: The district attorney asked someone 479 00:26:03,162 --> 00:26:05,162 to go down and present Lady with the question, 480 00:26:05,198 --> 00:26:06,564 "Where is this young boy?" 481 00:26:06,633 --> 00:26:10,201 WILDMAN: So, can Lady Wonder help find this missing child? 482 00:26:19,879 --> 00:26:22,112 It's 1951 in Virginia. 483 00:26:22,148 --> 00:26:25,849 A horse named Lady Wonder has taken the Richmond area 484 00:26:25,885 --> 00:26:29,186 by storm with her seemingly psychic abilities. 485 00:26:29,222 --> 00:26:32,190 Now she's been called upon to locate a missing boy 486 00:26:32,192 --> 00:26:34,325 in Massachusetts. 487 00:26:34,327 --> 00:26:36,727 So can this magical mare harness her powers 488 00:26:36,796 --> 00:26:39,463 to solve the case? 489 00:26:39,499 --> 00:26:42,400 Lady is asked to spell the missing boy's whereabouts, 490 00:26:42,535 --> 00:26:45,336 and she promptly types a response -- 491 00:26:45,471 --> 00:26:47,337 "Pittsfield water wheel." 492 00:26:47,373 --> 00:26:49,940 The name baffles investigators. 493 00:26:50,009 --> 00:26:52,877 FREEMAN: Unfortunately, there is no Pittsfield water wheel 494 00:26:52,946 --> 00:26:55,879 in the location where they were searching for the boy. 495 00:26:55,915 --> 00:26:59,684 WILDMAN: But back in Massachusetts, an investigator has a thought. 496 00:26:59,686 --> 00:27:02,220 What if the horse accidentally rearranged 497 00:27:02,222 --> 00:27:05,088 the letters of an actual location? 498 00:27:05,125 --> 00:27:06,958 FREEMAN: The Field-and-Wilde water pit, 499 00:27:07,093 --> 00:27:09,227 which is in the area of Massachusetts 500 00:27:09,362 --> 00:27:11,361 where the boy disappeared, 501 00:27:11,397 --> 00:27:14,899 is a very similar word to what Lady offered. 502 00:27:14,901 --> 00:27:19,504 WILDMAN: Investigators drain the old, abandoned quarry, 503 00:27:19,639 --> 00:27:20,705 and at the bottom... 504 00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:24,242 they find the boy's lifeless body. 505 00:27:24,244 --> 00:27:28,913 It's a tragic conclusion to a yearlong case, 506 00:27:28,915 --> 00:27:31,582 but it seems to prove once and for all 507 00:27:31,584 --> 00:27:34,385 Lady's much-ballyhooed psychic abilities. 508 00:27:34,454 --> 00:27:36,921 FREEMAN: The Fondas and Lady were inundated 509 00:27:36,923 --> 00:27:38,723 by the National Press. 510 00:27:38,858 --> 00:27:40,457 Everyone came to get a photograph 511 00:27:40,493 --> 00:27:41,925 of Lady and the Fondas. 512 00:27:41,961 --> 00:27:44,061 WILDMAN: But many fail to accept 513 00:27:44,097 --> 00:27:48,299 that Lady Wonder's psychic gifts are real. 514 00:27:48,368 --> 00:27:52,069 A magician named John Scarne visits the Fonda farm 515 00:27:52,205 --> 00:27:55,339 and is convinced that she is merely a well-trained horse. 516 00:27:55,341 --> 00:27:57,341 FREEMAN: Scarne pointed out 517 00:27:57,343 --> 00:28:00,210 that Mrs. Fonda used a whip or other body language 518 00:28:00,246 --> 00:28:03,146 to cue Lady Wonder. 519 00:28:03,183 --> 00:28:07,018 Scarne believes that Mrs. Fonda signaled Lady Wonder 520 00:28:07,153 --> 00:28:09,620 each time the horse hovered over the correct letter. 521 00:28:09,622 --> 00:28:13,491 But the earlier tests performed by Dr. Rhine 522 00:28:13,493 --> 00:28:17,562 had made sure to account for this possibility. 523 00:28:17,697 --> 00:28:21,732 Rhine and his team did use blinders and even blindfolds 524 00:28:21,768 --> 00:28:24,502 on Lady to ensure that she could not see Mrs. Fonda. 525 00:28:24,637 --> 00:28:27,171 WILDMAN: In the end, Scarne's suspicions 526 00:28:27,306 --> 00:28:30,308 do nothing to diminish Lady Wonder's acclaim. 527 00:28:30,310 --> 00:28:31,576 FREEMAN: There's always someone 528 00:28:31,711 --> 00:28:34,979 that's going to doubt in psychic abilities in human beings, 529 00:28:35,048 --> 00:28:37,181 much less a horse. 530 00:28:37,316 --> 00:28:39,049 It's almost impossible to prove. 531 00:28:39,085 --> 00:28:41,652 There are some things we just can't explain. 532 00:28:41,654 --> 00:28:46,657 WILDMAN: Lady Wonder continues to astound the public with her mental feats 533 00:28:46,792 --> 00:28:52,063 until her death in 1957 at the ripe old age of 32. 534 00:28:52,065 --> 00:28:56,600 And today, at the Rhine ESP/Parapsychology Museum, 535 00:28:56,603 --> 00:29:00,871 this notebook stands as a tribute to one remarkable horse 536 00:29:00,940 --> 00:29:05,710 and her ability to entertain and enthrall, psychic or not. 537 00:29:08,214 --> 00:29:10,347 Located on the eastern slope 538 00:29:10,416 --> 00:29:12,149 of the Continental Divide, 539 00:29:12,285 --> 00:29:15,152 the city of Salida, Colorado, was founded in 1880 540 00:29:15,221 --> 00:29:17,688 as a railroad hub to the West. 541 00:29:17,757 --> 00:29:20,091 And preserving the region's frontier history 542 00:29:20,093 --> 00:29:22,493 is the Salida Museum. 543 00:29:22,562 --> 00:29:26,230 Its exhibits include a porter tank engine, 544 00:29:26,299 --> 00:29:29,900 a Sioux dress fashioned from army blankets, 545 00:29:29,936 --> 00:29:32,103 and a safari helmet 546 00:29:32,105 --> 00:29:34,105 worn by President Teddy Roosevelt 547 00:29:34,107 --> 00:29:36,240 during a local visit. 548 00:29:36,242 --> 00:29:38,575 But among the varied objects that tell the tale 549 00:29:38,611 --> 00:29:40,711 of this community's past, 550 00:29:40,846 --> 00:29:43,380 one strange item stands apart. 551 00:29:43,416 --> 00:29:46,116 The artifact is 17 inches by 5 inches. 552 00:29:46,185 --> 00:29:49,253 It has scales and teeth. 553 00:29:49,388 --> 00:29:52,723 And it has hair all over its body. 554 00:29:52,759 --> 00:29:55,459 WILDMAN: The tale of this curious critter 555 00:29:55,461 --> 00:29:57,795 once hooked the public's imagination. 556 00:29:57,930 --> 00:30:00,397 CAMPBELL: This furry river dweller 557 00:30:00,466 --> 00:30:02,666 caught the attention of the nation. 558 00:30:02,735 --> 00:30:05,536 WILDMAN: So what, exactly, is this unusual animal, 559 00:30:05,671 --> 00:30:09,073 and how did it transform the city of Salida? 560 00:30:09,075 --> 00:30:12,276 November, 1938, 561 00:30:12,278 --> 00:30:14,345 Pueblo, Colorado. 562 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:16,480 A journalist for a popular newspaper 563 00:30:16,516 --> 00:30:18,749 receives an envelope bearing the postmark 564 00:30:18,884 --> 00:30:21,485 of the nearby town of Salida. 565 00:30:21,554 --> 00:30:25,089 Inside, he finds the photograph of a bizarre-looking creature. 566 00:30:25,091 --> 00:30:29,025 It was shaped like a fish-- it had fins, but it had fur. 567 00:30:29,062 --> 00:30:31,762 WILDMAN: The picture is accompanied by a letter 568 00:30:31,764 --> 00:30:34,364 from one Wilbur Foshay. 569 00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:36,567 Wilbur Foshay was the Salida 570 00:30:36,569 --> 00:30:38,569 Chamber of Commerce Secretary. 571 00:30:38,571 --> 00:30:42,039 WILDMAN: When reached for comment, Foshay explains 572 00:30:42,041 --> 00:30:45,509 that the image is of a rare, fur-covered trout 573 00:30:45,511 --> 00:30:49,246 that inhabits Salida's ice-cold rivers and streams. 574 00:30:49,248 --> 00:30:52,316 CAMPBELL: As the streams got colder, 575 00:30:52,318 --> 00:30:54,585 the trout actually grew fur 576 00:30:54,587 --> 00:30:56,921 to keep warm. 577 00:30:57,056 --> 00:30:59,790 WILDMAN: The journalist is skeptical of Foshay's claim 578 00:30:59,859 --> 00:31:02,660 but decides to investigate. 579 00:31:02,795 --> 00:31:04,995 When he arrives in Salida, 580 00:31:05,064 --> 00:31:07,665 he's surprised to encounter locals with knowledge 581 00:31:07,667 --> 00:31:09,733 of the bizarre beast. 582 00:31:09,769 --> 00:31:12,870 This one man related a story that his father had several 583 00:31:12,939 --> 00:31:16,073 of the fur-bearing trout but had kept 'em in a warm pond, 584 00:31:16,142 --> 00:31:18,542 and they lost their fur. 585 00:31:18,677 --> 00:31:22,012 WILDMAN: Though the newsman never lays eyes upon the fish, 586 00:31:22,048 --> 00:31:24,415 he senses a scoop. 587 00:31:24,550 --> 00:31:26,951 The reporter decided that there was enough proof 588 00:31:27,086 --> 00:31:29,286 for him to actually write a story 589 00:31:29,288 --> 00:31:31,889 regarding the fur-bearing trout. 590 00:31:32,024 --> 00:31:34,692 WILDMAN: And the news causes a sensation. 591 00:31:34,827 --> 00:31:36,894 CAMPBELL: Papers are picking up this story, 592 00:31:36,896 --> 00:31:38,962 and eventually, it ran in 593 00:31:38,998 --> 00:31:41,499 different newspapers from coast to coast. 594 00:31:41,634 --> 00:31:43,901 WILDMAN: As journalists dig deeper, 595 00:31:44,036 --> 00:31:46,904 one proposes a biological explanation 596 00:31:46,906 --> 00:31:49,773 for the species' distinctive look. 597 00:31:49,809 --> 00:31:52,109 There was a fungus that would develop on fish 598 00:31:52,178 --> 00:31:54,245 that would look like fur. 599 00:31:54,247 --> 00:31:56,513 WILDMAN: This mold, called saprolegnia, 600 00:31:56,582 --> 00:31:59,984 typically thrives in the Rocky Mountains' cold water rivers. 601 00:31:59,986 --> 00:32:02,386 Soon, anglers from 602 00:32:02,388 --> 00:32:04,988 across the region descend on Salida, 603 00:32:05,024 --> 00:32:08,125 eager to catch a furry fish for themselves. 604 00:32:08,194 --> 00:32:11,661 If you were the one to catch that fur-bearing trout 605 00:32:11,697 --> 00:32:15,232 and prove that they're there, you would've been famous also. 606 00:32:15,268 --> 00:32:17,868 WILDMAN: But after weeks on the water, 607 00:32:17,937 --> 00:32:20,738 the fishermen grow increasingly frustrated. 608 00:32:20,873 --> 00:32:23,340 It seems that nobody was able 609 00:32:23,409 --> 00:32:25,743 to catch a fur-bearing trout. 610 00:32:25,745 --> 00:32:28,679 WILDMAN: Then, just as everyone is about to pack up their gear, 611 00:32:28,748 --> 00:32:31,281 Salida's Chamber of Commerce announces 612 00:32:31,317 --> 00:32:34,952 that the elusive creature has finally been reeled in. 613 00:32:34,954 --> 00:32:37,354 Word came out that there was a particular person 614 00:32:37,423 --> 00:32:40,157 that had caught a fur-bearing trout. 615 00:32:40,226 --> 00:32:43,494 WILDMAN: And it seems the lucky angler is none other 616 00:32:43,563 --> 00:32:45,629 than Wilbur Foshay. 617 00:32:45,698 --> 00:32:47,697 So is it true? 618 00:32:47,733 --> 00:32:50,067 Has Foshay finally caught a furry fish? 619 00:32:59,445 --> 00:33:03,180 It's 1939 in Salida, Colorado. 620 00:33:03,315 --> 00:33:06,249 Anglers have descended on this tiny town 621 00:33:06,285 --> 00:33:08,852 in the hopes of hooking an elusive fish 622 00:33:08,855 --> 00:33:11,121 that's said to grow fur. 623 00:33:11,190 --> 00:33:12,856 But just when it seems this strange creature 624 00:33:12,892 --> 00:33:14,324 won't take the bait, 625 00:33:14,393 --> 00:33:17,061 the town's Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Foshay, 626 00:33:17,196 --> 00:33:18,929 says he caught one. 627 00:33:18,965 --> 00:33:22,399 So what's the real story of this furry fish? 628 00:33:24,604 --> 00:33:27,203 Reporters race to Foshay's office, 629 00:33:27,240 --> 00:33:30,140 eager for a glimpse of the enigmatic trout. 630 00:33:30,276 --> 00:33:32,943 It seems he's already stuffed his catch 631 00:33:32,979 --> 00:33:35,279 for the sake of posterity. 632 00:33:35,281 --> 00:33:37,281 CAMPBELL: When the reporters were able to see 633 00:33:37,350 --> 00:33:39,817 the fur-bearing trout more closely, 634 00:33:39,819 --> 00:33:43,354 they thought something was not quite right. 635 00:33:43,489 --> 00:33:47,157 WILDMAN: The rare specimen's most prominent feature, its fur, 636 00:33:47,159 --> 00:33:50,093 seems suspiciously familiar. 637 00:33:50,162 --> 00:33:53,630 They thought it looked more like muskrat fur. 638 00:33:53,666 --> 00:33:56,900 This was not an actual fish 639 00:33:56,903 --> 00:33:59,235 but something contrived. 640 00:33:59,272 --> 00:34:02,305 WILDMAN: Foshay quickly cops to the deception. 641 00:34:02,341 --> 00:34:04,508 The reporters are dumbfounded 642 00:34:04,577 --> 00:34:08,112 and question the motives behind the elaborate ruse. 643 00:34:08,114 --> 00:34:10,347 The Secretary of Commerce explains 644 00:34:10,349 --> 00:34:12,916 he was simply doing his job. 645 00:34:12,985 --> 00:34:16,386 Wilbur Foshay was trying to figure out how to promote Salida. 646 00:34:16,455 --> 00:34:19,389 WILDMAN: But the journalists are still perplexed. 647 00:34:19,425 --> 00:34:22,192 If the fur-covered trout is just a fake, 648 00:34:22,228 --> 00:34:25,395 why were so many Salida residents familiar 649 00:34:25,431 --> 00:34:27,464 with the fabled fish? 650 00:34:27,466 --> 00:34:29,934 It seems Foshay's plot was inspired 651 00:34:30,069 --> 00:34:31,936 by a local legend. 652 00:34:32,071 --> 00:34:34,471 CAMPBELL: The myth of the fur-bearing trout 653 00:34:34,607 --> 00:34:37,273 actually started back in the 17th century. 654 00:34:37,310 --> 00:34:40,277 WILDMAN: According to the story, a Scottish immigrant 655 00:34:40,346 --> 00:34:42,413 who recently arrived in the region 656 00:34:42,415 --> 00:34:44,748 penned a confusing letter to his family. 657 00:34:44,883 --> 00:34:48,085 In it, he describes the area's plentiful 658 00:34:48,220 --> 00:34:51,287 furried animals and fish. 659 00:34:51,324 --> 00:34:54,825 And he got a reply back from his family in Scotland that said 660 00:34:54,894 --> 00:34:58,094 tell them more about this fur-bearing fish. 661 00:34:58,130 --> 00:35:01,365 WILDMAN: Whether this was a fanciful play on words 662 00:35:01,434 --> 00:35:03,767 or evidence of a semantic misunderstanding 663 00:35:03,769 --> 00:35:05,769 may never be known. 664 00:35:05,771 --> 00:35:07,838 Regardless, the bemused Scotsman 665 00:35:07,973 --> 00:35:09,974 crafted a playful response. 666 00:35:10,109 --> 00:35:12,642 He created a fur-bearing fish 667 00:35:12,678 --> 00:35:14,645 out of different parts of different animals 668 00:35:14,780 --> 00:35:17,982 and sent that back to Scotland to his family. 669 00:35:18,117 --> 00:35:20,384 WILDMAN: Eventually, news of 670 00:35:20,519 --> 00:35:22,986 a North American fur-bearing fish 671 00:35:23,055 --> 00:35:25,322 filtered down through the centuries. 672 00:35:25,457 --> 00:35:28,391 And Wilbur Foshay was able to capitalize on this myth 673 00:35:28,427 --> 00:35:30,727 to help put this little town 674 00:35:30,796 --> 00:35:32,930 in Colorado on the map. 675 00:35:35,601 --> 00:35:38,002 WILDMAN: But rather than spawning outrage, 676 00:35:38,137 --> 00:35:40,337 Foshay's hoax delights citizens 677 00:35:40,339 --> 00:35:42,339 across the nation. 678 00:35:42,341 --> 00:35:46,076 Fur-bearing trout even become sought-after novelty items, 679 00:35:46,145 --> 00:35:49,480 one of which is on display here at the Salida Museum. 680 00:35:49,615 --> 00:35:53,083 And today, it reminds visitors of a brilliant huckster 681 00:35:53,119 --> 00:35:55,285 and the fabulous fish tale 682 00:35:55,287 --> 00:35:58,322 that reeled in the public hook, line, and sinker. 683 00:36:02,628 --> 00:36:06,230 Situated on the sprawling plains of West Texas 684 00:36:06,232 --> 00:36:09,299 is the quiet town of Crosbyton. 685 00:36:09,301 --> 00:36:11,634 And it's on this small city's main street 686 00:36:11,671 --> 00:36:15,239 that visitors will find the Mt. Blanco Fossil Museum. 687 00:36:15,374 --> 00:36:18,041 Founded in 1998, 688 00:36:18,077 --> 00:36:21,445 it contains massive dinosaur specimens 689 00:36:21,514 --> 00:36:23,513 and wonders of paleontology. 690 00:36:23,549 --> 00:36:26,116 But there is one creature in the collection 691 00:36:26,118 --> 00:36:27,918 that is said to have lived in the region 692 00:36:28,053 --> 00:36:30,120 much more recently. 693 00:36:30,189 --> 00:36:32,722 It's black, and it's hairless. 694 00:36:32,758 --> 00:36:35,659 The ears are huge. The teeth are sharp. 695 00:36:35,794 --> 00:36:39,830 And you can see how they could get ahold of an animal's throat. 696 00:36:41,534 --> 00:36:44,267 WILDMAN: According to local legend, this taxidermied animal 697 00:36:44,336 --> 00:36:47,538 is proof of a gruesome monster that once terrorized 698 00:36:47,673 --> 00:36:51,074 the community -- so what is this bizarre beast, 699 00:36:51,077 --> 00:36:54,110 and did it really once roam the open plains 700 00:36:54,146 --> 00:36:56,580 of the Lone Star State? 701 00:36:58,617 --> 00:37:01,084 West Texas, 2005. 702 00:37:01,087 --> 00:37:04,287 One by one, the farmers and ranchers 703 00:37:04,356 --> 00:37:06,489 of this quiet, rural area 704 00:37:06,525 --> 00:37:09,359 report a common but unsettling occurrence. 705 00:37:09,428 --> 00:37:12,762 Something is killing their livestock 706 00:37:12,798 --> 00:37:14,364 in the middle of the night, 707 00:37:14,400 --> 00:37:17,568 and the vicious nature of the attacks has them on edge. 708 00:37:17,703 --> 00:37:19,236 TAYLOR: This thing's killing technique 709 00:37:19,305 --> 00:37:21,705 is not like anything anybody's familiar with. 710 00:37:21,840 --> 00:37:24,475 The livestock are drained of their blood. 711 00:37:26,645 --> 00:37:29,513 WILDMAN: Hoping to stop whatever is behind these brutal attacks, 712 00:37:29,515 --> 00:37:32,916 concerned citizens start armed patrols. 713 00:37:32,952 --> 00:37:37,187 Is it a coyote? Is it a dog? Is it a wolf? 714 00:37:37,223 --> 00:37:39,656 Nobody knows what's really going on. 715 00:37:41,660 --> 00:37:46,063 But they do know that there's some weird creature out there. 716 00:37:46,065 --> 00:37:50,133 WILDMAN: Because of the unique way it kills its prey, 717 00:37:50,169 --> 00:37:53,737 frightened citizens think that it's an unclassified, 718 00:37:53,872 --> 00:37:57,007 and some say vampire-like beast, 719 00:37:57,009 --> 00:38:00,544 called the chupacabra. 720 00:38:00,679 --> 00:38:02,813 Tales of the chupacabra, 721 00:38:02,948 --> 00:38:05,082 Spanish for "goat sucker," 722 00:38:05,217 --> 00:38:08,952 were first reported in 1995 in Puerto Rico and Mexico. 723 00:38:09,087 --> 00:38:11,154 It's said to have earned its name 724 00:38:11,157 --> 00:38:14,625 from killing herds of goats, chickens, and cows. 725 00:38:14,627 --> 00:38:17,427 It has never been captured. 726 00:38:17,496 --> 00:38:21,899 And now some are convinced that it's moved north to Texas 727 00:38:22,034 --> 00:38:24,334 to continue its killing spree. 728 00:38:26,438 --> 00:38:29,239 August 8, 2008. 729 00:38:29,275 --> 00:38:33,377 Deputy Sheriff Brandon Riedel is on routine patrol 730 00:38:33,512 --> 00:38:36,379 on the outskirts of Dewitt County. 731 00:38:36,482 --> 00:38:39,782 He sees something ahead of him, very unusual. 732 00:38:39,819 --> 00:38:41,418 He's going, "What in the heck is that?" 733 00:38:42,855 --> 00:38:46,456 WILDMAN: Riedel quickly turns on his dashboard camera. 734 00:38:47,993 --> 00:38:49,459 But before long, 735 00:38:49,461 --> 00:38:52,696 this strange animal darts off into the brush. 736 00:38:54,199 --> 00:38:58,334 But this short video fuels further speculation 737 00:38:58,370 --> 00:39:01,772 that this monster is more than just a myth. 738 00:39:03,942 --> 00:39:06,543 The next summer, in Blanco, Texas... 739 00:39:08,347 --> 00:39:11,882 ...a farmer named Lynn Butler hears chickens being attacked 740 00:39:11,884 --> 00:39:13,283 in the middle of the night. 741 00:39:13,385 --> 00:39:15,151 He goes outside, 742 00:39:15,187 --> 00:39:18,522 but before he can even see what is responsible... 743 00:39:19,491 --> 00:39:22,091 ...the creature disappears. 744 00:39:22,127 --> 00:39:25,095 Determined to prevent his chickens from being killed, 745 00:39:25,164 --> 00:39:28,699 he baits the area around the coop with a deadly poison. 746 00:39:32,237 --> 00:39:34,904 TAYLOR: He comes in the next day, 747 00:39:34,940 --> 00:39:38,508 and here is this strange creature laying on the floor, 748 00:39:38,644 --> 00:39:40,811 and he thought, "What the heck is that?" 749 00:39:44,016 --> 00:39:47,050 WILDMAN: Mystified, Butler delivers the corpse 750 00:39:47,086 --> 00:39:51,187 to a local taxidermist in hopes of finding the answer. 751 00:39:51,223 --> 00:39:52,789 As he examines the creature, 752 00:39:52,825 --> 00:39:55,058 he sees that it shares characteristics 753 00:39:55,193 --> 00:39:59,396 with a very familiar animal, up to a certain point. 754 00:39:59,465 --> 00:40:02,866 He sees it's like a coyote, in many similar ways, 755 00:40:02,868 --> 00:40:07,203 but hind legs are longer, the teeth are different. 756 00:40:07,239 --> 00:40:11,808 WILDMAN: Not only that, no coyote has smooth, black skin. 757 00:40:11,877 --> 00:40:14,677 Whatever it is, it's not like something he's seen before. 758 00:40:14,713 --> 00:40:18,715 WILDMAN: So, is this bizarre-looking creature the chupacabra? 759 00:40:29,295 --> 00:40:31,962 It's 2009. 760 00:40:31,964 --> 00:40:34,464 For years, the citizens of West Texas 761 00:40:34,500 --> 00:40:36,833 have been terrorized by a mysterious animal 762 00:40:36,869 --> 00:40:39,035 known as a chupacabra 763 00:40:39,104 --> 00:40:41,171 until finally, a local farmer 764 00:40:41,173 --> 00:40:44,041 kills a strange, hairless, doglike creature, 765 00:40:44,176 --> 00:40:46,843 that matches the description of the beast. 766 00:40:46,979 --> 00:40:49,947 So is Texas finally rid of this mythical menace? 767 00:40:52,851 --> 00:40:54,184 To solve the mystery, 768 00:40:54,319 --> 00:40:57,387 tissue samples are sent to a California university 769 00:40:57,522 --> 00:41:01,458 for further analysis, and the genetic testing reveals 770 00:41:01,460 --> 00:41:05,062 this bizarre creature's ancestry. 771 00:41:05,064 --> 00:41:07,864 The results were it has affinities with... 772 00:41:07,866 --> 00:41:11,534 coyote and wolf. 773 00:41:11,570 --> 00:41:14,204 WILDMAN: Researchers believe that it's a hybrid, 774 00:41:14,339 --> 00:41:16,206 primarily related to the coyote 775 00:41:16,341 --> 00:41:18,608 but linked genetically to a wolf 776 00:41:18,644 --> 00:41:22,946 through its maternal line two generations ago. 777 00:41:22,948 --> 00:41:26,082 Such hybrids are rare but not unheard of, 778 00:41:26,118 --> 00:41:29,219 and scientists determine the case closed. 779 00:41:29,288 --> 00:41:33,824 But many West Texas residents remain skeptical. 780 00:41:33,959 --> 00:41:37,761 Could this be the very animal seen by Sheriff Brandon Riedel 781 00:41:37,830 --> 00:41:39,362 and the one responsible 782 00:41:39,431 --> 00:41:41,832 for the rash of livestock fatalities? 783 00:41:41,967 --> 00:41:47,637 Or could there be more of these bloodthirsty beasts out there? 784 00:41:48,640 --> 00:41:50,741 I've talked to seven people who've seen them up here. 785 00:41:52,544 --> 00:41:55,712 There must be a lot of these things. 786 00:41:55,847 --> 00:41:58,315 People are afraid, what will this thing do next? 787 00:42:00,052 --> 00:42:02,919 WILDMAN: And today, the legend of this monster 788 00:42:02,955 --> 00:42:05,054 lives on through this strange specimen, 789 00:42:05,090 --> 00:42:07,524 leaving visitors to the Mt. Blanco Fossil Museum 790 00:42:07,593 --> 00:42:09,459 to wonder... 791 00:42:09,495 --> 00:42:12,129 Will the chupacabra strike again? 792 00:42:14,800 --> 00:42:16,766 From a real-life unicorn 793 00:42:16,802 --> 00:42:19,136 to an egg-laying rooster. 794 00:42:19,138 --> 00:42:21,404 The legendary jackalope 795 00:42:21,473 --> 00:42:23,807 to a psychic horse. 796 00:42:23,876 --> 00:42:26,142 I'm Don Wildman, and these are 797 00:42:26,178 --> 00:42:27,844 the mysteries at the museum. 797 00:42:28,305 --> 00:43:28,327