Ape of Albertson
Posted by: Loren Coleman on November 9th, 2008
THE ROSLYN NEWS
Roslyn, New York [Published out of Mineola, New York]
November 7, 2008 [Correct date, this was a flashback report]
The Ape of Albertson:
In June 1931, Nassau County police officers armed with shotguns combed the woods of Albertson, searching for what newspapers called an ape-like animal that was frightening residents. The animal was described as four-feet tall with a chest covered in brown hair. After three sightings were reported to authorities over a ten-day period, police took action after the animal startled and terrorized a group of boys playing baseball, with numerous witnesses. The animal climbed over an improvised backstop where the boys were playing on I.U. Willets Road, just on the east side of Willis Avenue. The boys’ screaming got the attention of a passing motorist who stopped and chased the animal away by hurling bricks. The animal never harmed anyone, but no explanation is known.
Thanks to Chuck Flood for sharing this flashback.
The 1931 Nassau County and Wading River reports were widely known, having been published in the New York Times in 1931 and carried in The Books of Charles Fort, which were originally published in the 1930s. I revisited them in a broader context in Fortean Times‘ articles in the 1970s, and then in the 1983 first and later editions of Mysterious America.
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Loren Coleman no longer writes for Cryptomundo. His archived posts remain here at Cryptomundo.
Based on the rather brief description given, as well as the short time span of sightings, it seems to me this could have easily been an escaped ape of some kid. Wonder what ever happened to it?
I wondered the same thing, seems like there would have been some follow-up to a great story like that. I expected some witness interviews, etc. I agree though, it sounds like a chimp, they can be pretty aggressive, and if it was an escaped chimp that had been in captivity and was accustom to the presence of humans, that would certainly explain it’s behavior. This is one of those stories that just leaves you wanting more details.