Momo the Monster often called the Missouri Monster (Momo), is a supposedly ape-like monster that has been described as similar to Bigfoot. It is said to have been observed by multiple persons in rural Louisiana, Missouri in 1971 and 1972.
Momo did not develop into a significant tourist or commercial folklore destination, unlike other locations with comparable claims of cryptids, such as the Fouke Monster in Fouke, Arkansas, or the Moth Man in Point Pleasant, West Virginia.
What is Momo the Monster?
The alleged witnesses describe the object as a gigantic, bipedal humanoid roughly 7 feet (2.1 meters) tall, with a head the size of a pumpkin, and covered in dark hair that smells foul.
History of Momo
On July 11, 1972, two young boys played in the backyard on the rural outskirts of Louisiana, Missouri, when the most well-known claimed sighting took place. Doris, the older sister, heard her brother screaming while she was in the kitchen.
She noticed a large, dark-haired, man-like being outside the window clutching what appeared to be a dead dog when she peeked out the window. It had a “pumpkin-shaped head” and big, bright orange eyes, according to her description.
That year, there were several recorded sightings, but Richard Allan Murray, the head of the local fire department and a city council member, stands out because he claimed to have witnessed one while driving along a creek bed.
Due to these alleged encounters, a 20-person posse was assembled to pursue the creature, but something still needs to be discovered.
Over the years, there have been numerous other sightings of the Missouri Monster, with people claiming to have seen the creature in various locations throughout the state. Some have described it as being as tall as seven feet, while others have said it is smaller, about the size of a large dog.
There have been several attempts to capture or photograph the Missouri Monster, but physical evidence of the creature has yet to be found. Some people believe the Missouri Monster is a bear or other known animal that has been misidentified, while others believe it is a previously undiscovered species.
Despite the lack of concrete evidence, the legend of the Missouri Monster has persisted for decades and continues to be a topic of interest among cryptozoologists and monster hunters. Some have even organized expeditions to try and find the creature, but so far, all have been unsuccessful.
Similar Monsters from Around the World
To look for species whose existence has yet to be established, you don’t need to be a cryptozoologist; you only need a good map, a keen sense of adventure, and a reliable camera. And although you might not truly see the Yeti, Chupacabra, or other spooky spooks, you will nonetheless come across some of the most breathtaking vistas on earth.
The Yeti
The yeti, also known as the Abominable Snowman or the ape-man, is believed to roam the snow-covered Himalayan Mountains. The myth of the yeti has its roots in Nepalese folklore, but it truly took off when British explorers discovered enormous footprints while climbing Mount Everest. Brown bears are sometimes blamed for Yeti sightings.
For the most part, they can be found in the Himalayas.
The Himalayan range crosses northeastern India and extends into Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tibet. Although it contains Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, the region is environmentally diversified, with tropical temperatures at the foot.
The multitude of glaciers located at higher elevations, notably in Nepal, is your best bet for seeing a Yeti. Nepal is a haven for mountaineers since the Himalayas encircle 75% of the country. Many of its temples and monasteries have been protected as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, adding to its cultural diversity.
The Sasquatch
The Sasquatch, which is not to be confused with the Yeti, is a Western native. Native American tribes in the Pacific Northwest have a variety of stories about this creature, most of which describe a dark-haired, ape-like wild man. Bigfoot, also known as the sasquatch, is typically thought to weigh several hundred pounds and stand up to nine feet tall.
The Pacific Northwest is where you can find it.
Sasquatch sightings are most common in Washington, Oregon, California, and British Columbia. Even a music festival with the same name is held yearly in Washington at the stunning Gorge Amphitheatre.
The ideal Sasquatch habitat spans vast expanses of forested mountains, from Whistler Mountain in the north to Mount Shasta in the south (Mount St. Helens is a supposed hotbed of activity).
However, the entire Cascade Range is ideal for average-sized people who want to climb waterfalls and azure alpine lakes, ski down steep slopes, or travel back in time through dried lava fields.
Monster of Loch Ness
The Loch Ness monster, affectionately referred to as “Nessie” by locals and those who believe the creature is incorrectly named (and possibly misinterpreted), was purportedly seen for the first time by an Irish priest in 565 C.E.
It can be found in Scotland.
The largest lake in Scotland by volume is Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands, which is 700 feet deep, more than 20 miles long, and about a mile broad. Historic battlegrounds, whisky distilleries, and many castles, including Urquhart Castle on the northwest bank of Loch Ness, may be found in and around the neighboring city of Inverness.
Urquhart, once one of the biggest castles in the nation, provides spectacular views of the lake and Great Glen. Trekkers can enjoy the area’s landscape by traveling the 70+ mile Great Glen Way long-distance walking track, which connects Inverness with Fort William.
Vampires
Count Dracula remains the gold standard for this creature of the night, even though several authors have recently taken creative license with vampires. Dracula, who is supposedly based on a Romanian prince, belongs to the type of vampires that are dead people who come back to life to wreak havoc on the living.
Vampires come in various forms around the globe, but they all have one thing in common: they suck their victims’ blood.
They can be found in Romania.
A white-clad youngster must be mounted on a white horse and placed in a cemetery at noon, according to a tradition from Romania. Any grave the horse comes to will contain a vampire. Or you might just travel to Transylvania, an area of Romania noted for its medieval villages and vampire legend.
Bran Castle, one of the several citadels, is the most well-known because it served as the residence of Dracula in Bram Stocker’s book of the same name. Many of Romania’s national and natural parks, notably Retezat National Park, are located in the Carpathian Mountains, which border much of the area.
Corvin Castle, another fortification located close to Retezat. It is regarded as the best Gothic fortress in the nation.
Chupacabra
The Chupacabra, rumored to attack animals (and particularly fond of goats), first gained notoriety in the 1990s when animals around Puerto Rico were discovered dead from neck puncture wounds.
The myth that a blood-sucking hybrid of a lizard and a vampire was to blame for the deaths of animals as diverse as cats and chickens grew throughout Latin America. In the opinion of skeptics, dogs and coyotes are the true offenders.
Puerto Rico is where you can typically find one.
Beyond its more than 270 miles of turquoise-blue coastline and countless beaches, Puerto Rico is a culturally rich island with a thriving rum industry.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site protects its ancient citadels and other defenses. But if you want to find a Chupacabra, go to El Yunque National Forest, which has a lot of wildlife. The 28,000-acre tropical rainforest is home to hundreds of different species of small animals, waterfalls that flow into swimming holes after a climb, and views of the Atlantic and Caribbean.
Jackalope
The jackalope, a jackrabbit with antelope horns or deer antlers, is often regarded as a product of imaginative taxidermy. In his store in Douglas, Wyoming, Douglas Herrick is credited with mounting a rabbit and a deer horn together in the 1930s. Cowboys had long maintained that the jackalope would sing back the songs they sang to their cattle.
It can be found in Wyoming.
Although rabbits with a specific (often deadly) infection may grow horns on their heads or faces, taxidermic jackalopes and a gigantic fiberglass jackalope can be found outside the renowned Wall Drug in South Dakota, as well as bars all across the West.
Visit Thunder Basin National Grassland, the jackalope’s birthplace, to get a little outdoorsy and maybe see rabbits and deer antlers (though they won’t be together). Or travel to western Wyoming’s Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks.
Centaur
The centaur, who may be among the most enduring characters to emerge from Greek mythology, has a horse-like body with a human torso, arms, and head. Although these crafty creatures resembled humans in some ways, they weren’t pleasant toward people and acted more on their instincts from the animal kingdom.
It can be found in Greece.
Centaurs, who are thought to have roamed Thessaly’s Mount Pelion in herds, failed to make use of the ideal skiing terrain. You should visit the beaches as often as the mountains because the region is situated between the Pagasetic Gulf and the Aegean Sea.
Milopotamos, a favorite beach in the vicinity, is well-known for its golden sand and crystal-clear water. The area is dotted with dozens of villages; take the local steam train through a few of them. Nothing tops stopping at a fish restaurant for fresh seafood and tsipouro, a liquor formed from winemaking leftovers, after a long beach day.
Menehune
Although their mechanical prowess is admired, the Menehune are stereotyped as cheeky dwarfs. They are known to adore bananas and fish and hide from people in forests and valleys. Some claim the Polynesians drove them off, but others think they’re still pulling pranks on the Pacific Ocean islands.
It can be found in Kauai, Hawaii.
Although it is thought that the Menehune left Kauai for Necker Island, which is a part of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument, Kauai still has several stone shrines and artifacts that are thought to be theirs, including the Alekoko Menehune Fishpond, which is said to have been constructed by the Menehune in a single night.
Momo the Monster in Popular Culture
Momo: The Missouri Monster, a documentary horror movie, was released in 2019 and dramatizes the events of 1972. Cliff Barackman and James “Bobo” Fay, widely known for their roles as Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO) members on the Animal Planet series Finding Bigfoot, are included in the movie’s cast.
A ride with the same name ran in the American theme park Six Flags St. Louis from 1973 to 1994.
Next, read about the Terrifying Fox Hollow Farm Killer and also about Phobos 2, When Aliens Attacked a Soviet Spacecraft!