For centuries, stories have been told around campfires about legends and myths all around the world. Some of these include Bigfoot, the Chupacabra, and the Loch Ness Monster. Hoaxes like these have been haunting little kids’ gullible minds at Boy Scout trips and sleepovers because mythical creatures are not real. Or are they?

One of the biggest hoaxes of all time is the one and only Bigfoot. Bigfoot, also known as a Sasquatch, is a large ape-like creature who wanders around the woods leaving behind very large footprints. These footprints are what Bigfoot believers use as evidence of the existence of the mythical creature. Bigfoot is a major celebrity all around the world, although the sightings are mostly found along the Pacific Northwest. There have been many books written about Bigfoot, and it is also found in movies such as Harry and the Henderson’s. The first sighting of a sasquatch was in Pennsylvania in 2007, when the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization produced photos of a young Sasquatch. Many people devote their lives to finding Bigfoot, and the first scientific study proved that they were right. The study was by John Napier in 1973 when he wrote the book Bigfoot; The Yeti and Sasquatch in Myth and Reality, and concluded that there was no scientific evidence that Bigfoot was real.

Another mythical creature is the legendary Chupacabra. This hoax is not as common as Bigfoot, but still as crazy to believe. Chupacabra literally means “goat sucker” and got its name from the creature’s habit of eating livestock, mainly goats. The Chupacabra sightings are mainly found in Puerto Rico and the traditional parts of the Americas. The first reported attack was in March 1995 in Puerto Rico. Eight sheep were found dead, all with blood gone from their insides. A couple months later, an eyewitness reported 150 farm animals dead. Junior Mark Honeycutt said, “I think Chupacabras are real because I saw in Texas it killed a bunch of chickens. It might just be coyotes mange, though.” In October 2010, a scientist proved that the Chupacabra was not real, and it was only coyotes infected with the parasite Sarcoptes scabiei, which is also known as an itch mite.

The last mythical creature that should be included as a weird creature that does not exist is the Loch Ness Monster. The Loch Ness Monster is a very popular creature as it has had books, features in TV shows like Phineas and Ferb, and even a roller coaster is named after it at Busch Gardens Amusement Park. This creature has been spotted many times, and most scientists do believe this is real. An eyewitness in October 1871 saw an animal that looked like a log, and was wriggling and churning up the water. Stories of the Loch Ness Monster started in the sixth century, but recent studies have not been discovered.

The saying “you have to see it to believe it” is true when it comes to acknowledging that Bigfoot, Chupacabra, and the Loch Ness Monster are real. Hoaxes like these always make great stories at the campfire, and even better ones to scare your friends!