Is Mothman Real?

The image to the left is from a local Point Pleasant man taken in 2016, fifty years after the first Mothman sightings, demonstrating the town's still firm fascination with the Mothman.

But is the Mothman real? Cryptozoology is the "science of hidden animals" (Rossi, 2016, pg. 575). Observing the patterns of cryptids, which is the name for one of these hidden animal species, we find that they are mostly benevolent, non-violent creatures unlike the monsters of old such as vampires and werewolves (Burton, 2020, pg. 70). This could indicate that they are a human creation, inhabiting the space of the mischievous but mostly benevolent faeries and gnomes of old.

Other skeptics argue that if these cryptids exist, we should have discovered them long ago. The fact that we haven't been able to scientifically study them, and they are often sighted in largely human populated areas, leads to great doubt of their plausibility. It is also argued that all of the features described of these cryptids are present in non-cryptid animals. Therefore, making it more likely that these creatures are, in fact, species that have already been discovered - but possibly unknown to your average person - rather than a brand new terrifying unknown species (Rossi, 2016, pgs. 577-578).

The legend of the Mothman has me shrugging my shoulders in regards to his existence. The accounts we have are nothing short of compelling, and he has really significantly impacted the lives of those who have witnessed him. I think that time will ultimately tell as we gather more evidence. Will he fade into history, or will he keep showing himself?

As we see to the left, the Mothman - or a creature that looks very similar to him - has been spotted in Chicago (Telfer, 2019). If these sightings are actually him, or others of his species, then he will be discovered.