Unveiled Cryptids: From Devil Bird to Real-Life Sea Monsters

Have you ever heard of the term "cryptid"? According to Merriam Webster, a cryptid is defined as an animal that has been claimed to exist but never proven to exist. A cryptid can lose its cryptid status by being discovered and recognized by science, at which point it's no longer a monster but an animal. Recently, I came across a YouTube video from the channel lil WaterBill that explores five cryptids that turned out to be real animals. The video is an interesting mix of mythology, folklore, and science, and I can't help but be intrigued by the stories behind each of these creatures. The first cryptid on the list is the Olma, also known as the Devil Bird, from Sri Lanka. According to folklore, the Olma is a horned bird that is the result of a disgruntled husband serving his wife his own child in the form of a curry. The cries of the Olma are said to sound like the shrieks of a woman and are an omen of tragedy. However, studies have found that the culprit behind the mysterious shrieks is actually the spot-bellied eagle owl, the largest owl species in Sri Lanka. Next up is the cat Sith from Scottish folklore. These large, dark furred cats with white spots on their chests were believed to serve as a bridge between the physical and spiritual world. However, encounters with large cats near kellus throughout the years, along with the eventual capture of a specimen in 1984, led to the discovery of the kellus cat. These cats are hybrids between domestic cats and Scottish wild cats and are deemed untameable. The third cryptid on the list is the Chakan Peery, a pig-like animal that was believed to have gone extinct 10,000 years ago. However, reports from the Toba and Menonite tribes in the Grand Chako region of Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay spoke of a pig-like animal that they called the taga. These reports were dismissed by scientists at the time, but biologists studying the region in 1971 found squadrons of Chakan peckies, just as the tribesman had described. The fourth cryptid is the zus, also known as the water owl, from Scandinavian folklore. The zus was said to have the body of a fish and the head of an owl, along with a blade-like fin. In 1804, a skull was discovered off the coast of France and was later described by French zoologist Jores Kuier in his book "Research on Fossil Bones". The skull was believed to belong to an extinct species, and was named the genus zus after the legend of old. In 1850, zoologist Paul gervais found a match for the skull from a beached whale carcass, which was later named the Cuvier's beaked whale. Lastly, the video explores a bizarre bird cryptid from the wilderness of Cambodia. Unfortunately, the video cuts off before the story can be fully told, leaving me wanting to know more. Overall, I found this video to be a fascinating mix of mythology, folklore, and science. It's always interesting to learn about the stories behind these creatures and to see how they have been integrated into different cultures and societies. I encourage you all to check out the video for yourself and to let me know what you think.