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The The Enfield Horror, drawn as an extraterrestrial and mutant said to live in Illinois. (opens the full-size plate in a new tab)
The Enfield Horror illustration by Tavo Montañez.

The Enfield Horror

Extraterrestrial / Mutant

A Western Illinois University study read the episode as social contagion, and a conservation officer suggested an escaped kangaroo.

An aggressive, tripedal anomaly capable of extraordinary twenty-five-foot leaps and identified by its flashlight-like pink eyes.

Etymology. Named for its terrifying 1973 manifestation in Enfield, Illinois.

Anatomy. It is a grayish, 4.5-foot-tall entity possessing a short body, two small arms, and notably exactly three legs. Its face features two massive pink eyes that project light like flashlights. It leaves physical tracks resembling dog prints, but bearing six distinct toe pads.

Ecology. Briefly inhabited the terrestrial railroad embankments and brush of southern Illinois.

Behavior. Highly athletic and aggressive, it traverses terrain by executing fifty-foot distances in mere three-jump bounds. When shot by a firearm, it hisses sharply like a wildcat. It aggressively invades properties, scratching at doors and tearing the shoes of witnesses.

Mythology. Initially encountered by Henry McDaniel in 1973, the sightings provoked a massive influx of heavily armed, beer-drinking monster hunters into the town. A Western Illinois University study concluded the incident was a textbook case of social contagion and mass hysteria, while others suggested it was simply an escaped pet kangaroo or wild ape.