A menagerie of taxidermied animals discovered in Spain, research suggesting the ivory-billed woodpecker may still exist, and an alleged mermaid that washed ashore in Africa were among the strange and unusual stories to cross our desk this past week.
Bird buffs and fans of hard-to-find creatures were understandably disheartened last year when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officially declared the famed ivory-billed woodpecker to be extinct. However, this past week saw the publication of new research that cast doubt on that dire assessment as a team of conservationists claim to have captured evidence which suggests that the legendary creature may still exist. Working in a remote part of the Louisianan wilderness, the group used trail cameras, drones, and on-site expeditions to document what they believe are multiple sightings of the elusive woodpecker.
Photo: Getty Images
A particularly bizarre piece of footage popped up on our radar this past week by way of a viral video purportedly showing a still-living mermaid that had washed ashore in Africa. Like so many strange and unusual cases, the circumstances surrounding the incident were murky at best with some asserting that it occurred in South Africa and others claiming it took place in Kenya. Be that as it may, the incredibly surreal footage captured the imagination of people online as it shows what appears to be a creature sporting a body that is a half human child and half fish while bewildered onlookers examine the oddity, which we hope was some kind of clever hoax, since no one made any effort to actually save the mermaid from the perilous predicament.
Photo: Guardia Civil
Authorities in Spain made a jaw-dropping discovery this past week when they searched a warehouse and uncovered a massive menagerie of taxidermied animals believed to be worth millions. The shocking investigation, which unfolded in the community of Bétera, saw police find a staggering 1,090 "dissected specimens," which included an astounding 405 stuffed creatures that are either endangered or have already been declared extinct in the wild. The proverbial curator of the collection, valued at around $31 million, is currently being investigated for having possibly smuggled the taxidermied animals into the country or potentially violating regional regulations surrounding "the protection of flora and fauna."
For more strange and unusual stories from the past week, check out the Coast to Coast AM website.