WEST VIRGINIA (LOOTPRESS) – People have heard of Mothman and the Flatwoods Monster, but the legend of the West Virginia Abbagoochie is seldom spoken of.
The Abbagoochie was believed to be a mix between an owl, a fox, and a deer and was native to Costa Rica.
West Virginians first learned about the creature in a February 2001 article in the Webster Echo by writer Jim Wilson.
Wilson wrote that the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources (WVDNR) had secretly released 13 baby Abbagoochies from Costa Rica into the hills of West Virginia to reduce the population of predators such as coyotes and rattlesnakes.
The article stated that the creature was fierce and carnivorous. It was said that Costa Ricans referred to the creatures as “dry-land piranhas.”
According to Wilson, the plan of the WVDNR had started to go terribly wrong. The creatures were growing in size and population and now they were the overpopulated species.
The Abbagoochies were not eating everything in sight such as “rabbits, coons, squirrels, dogs, cats, deer, and even bear.”
Wilson also wrote that cows and horses were also being attacked. Once Wilson had published his article, people in Webster County apparently started having encounters with the creature.
Farmers started carrying shotguns to protect their livestock and parents were now walking their kids to the bus stop.
Finally, after much panic and chaos, Wilson announced on February 14th, 2001 that he made up the story about the Abbagoochies.
Despite his admission, rumors of the existence of Abbagoochies still float around.
