Comments on: Meandrous Monster Migrates to Utah Lake

By: Mnynames

Mnynames — Wed, 17 May 2006 00:19:44 +0000

Most consider it to be a Giant Beaver, Casteroides ohioensis, common throughout much of North America until just after the last ice age. Although the first fossil remains of the Giant Beaver were discovered in Ohio in 1837, scientists had already been in search of live specimens. The British Naturalist Charles Fothergill went in search of them in Upper Canada in 1828, convinced of their existence based on Native American accounts. Many 19th century stories of Giant Beavers, sometimes simply described as hairy lake monsters, come from the Ute Tribe of Utah. Many accounts point to their presence in Bear Lake, where legend holds that a man was swallowed whole by one near Pelican Point. The Shoshone Tribe reported them in Bear Lake Valley, most notably after the blizzard of 1830, which killed all of the Buffalo in the region. Perhaps a lack of food due to the harsh winter forced some of them onto land. The last sighting of one that I am aware of was in 2000. Loren Coleman’s Field Guide to Lake Monsters offers a wonderful collection of sightings.

By: sasquatch

sasquatch — Mon, 08 May 2006 02:56:39 +0000

Sounds like a large otter in the description.

By: timi_hendrix

timi_hendrix — Sun, 07 May 2006 23:45:50 +0000

Wow, that would be amazing to study these creatures in the wild.

By: kokodhem

kokodhem — Sun, 07 May 2006 16:56:48 +0000

That link has also been snuffed.

Sounds to me kinda like a giant otter, like something from the pleistocene. I’ve been to Bear Lake several times, but alas haven’t seen the critter…

By: fuzzy

fuzzy — Sun, 07 May 2006 13:33:24 +0000

Uh Oh! The Link posted above doesn’t seem to work - but not to worry, there’s another