Join Earth Ranger Emma for a deep dive into one of history’s most infamous cryptids – the Mothman. Is the truth as spooky as the legend suggests? While Ryan is wrapped up in tales of red-eyed monsters, Emma’s on a mission to sift through the fluff and uncover the real facts. With her science smarts and a knack for debunking myths, Emma’s ready to reveal what might really be lurking in the shadows. Tune in to discover the truth behind the legend!

Ryan’s at it again! In his next episode of “Earth Investigators” he’s talking about the infamous “mothman” cryptid. This has led his rival, our friend Emma to travel to Point Pleasant, West Virginia, where the legend first made its appearance.

Mention of mothman first started in 1966, when a group of friends reported seeing a “tall man” with white wings and glowing red eyes. After this, the story spread like wildfire! People all over Point Pleasant spoke of seeing a creature with red glowing eyes, a large bird or man.

Today, scientists believe that these people mistook the sandhill crane for a monster and spread a legend. In fact… a lot of the details that started the legend sound VERY close to this bird. Large white wings… red eyes… AND THEY’RE SUPER TALL! Big wings of roughly 6’5” in length, that’s larger than the average adult.

Yup, this isn’t a monster but a real animal. The thing is – people of Point Pleasant wouldn’t have had a chance to see a sandhill crane normally. These birds are closer to the middle of the country in Washington, Oregon, California, and Mexico—but never West Virginia. They likely accidentally found themselves flown off-course during their migration flight, landing in the little town of Point Pleasant and spooking its residents. If spooked, these birds would likely spread their wings and take flight, and their eyes reflect in the car lights.

Some might find the sandhill crane to be rather boring compared to the story of mothman. How cool would it be to have a half-man half-moth? They are far from boring! Think of the crazy adventures these sandhill cranes had to have experienced, flying off course and scaring locals. It’s quite a funny story in fact!

What do you think of the Mothman Legend? Do you wish it was real? Do you like the fact they’re really Sandhill Crane?
Let us know some other cool cryptids you wish Ryan or Emma talked about! Ryan’s going nuts coming up with some, but why not talk about other cool legends here?