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At exactly 4:36 am CT (Sunday January 28, 2018 local time) I was sitting on my step and I, of course, was looking up at the sky, when suddenly my eyes were immediately drawn to what appeared to be a weird hybrid mix of an owl and a bat. To me the size was approximately that of a large raccoon...I even would go as far as saying it was a bit larger. For some reason, I was frozen solid with my eyes locked on this thing. I found it weird that even with how dark it was outside it seemed close enough for me to notice details of it to the point of realizing that it appeared brownish/greyish in color and the wings had a bat like feel to them.
So, there is a possibility that these are not hoaxes as they continue to be reported.
Lived in Chicago for 49 years and never even heard of this. This city has enough issues so its a shame people feel the need to create more
The Great Horned Owl lives in ILL and does have many of the features of a "man-bat": great horned owl. If you look at one perched, at just the right angle, it could fit the bill (except for the size).
Of course the size is always relative. When I was young and was walking in a field that had many young pine trees; I had a vulture pass just feet over my head. The sun was just right where I saw a huge shadow split seconds before it surprised me. I forget if the 1961 film 'Mothra' had come out (I think my sighting was before the movie). Between the shadow and the close proximity of the vulture and the wind from it's wings; I thought it could be the end of the world or a great wall mount! Distance is sometimes hard to determine when you only have one perspective. But these large birds like the Horned Owl and Vultures can really look big up close.
The Great Horned Owl lives in ILL and does have many of the features of a "man-bat": great horned owl. If you look at one perched, at just the right angle, it could fit the bill (except for the size).
Of course the size is always relative. When I was young and was walking in a field that had many young pine trees; I had a vulture pass just feet over my head. The sun was just right where I saw a huge shadow split seconds before it surprised me. I forget if the 1961 film 'Mothra' had come out (I think my sighting was before the movie). Between the shadow and the close proximity of the vulture and the wind from it's wings; I thought it could be the end of the world or a great wall mount! Distance is sometimes hard to determine when you only have one perspective. But these large birds like the Horned Owl and Vultures can really look big up close.
Both of you had a scare and then realised it was something normal so you did not report it as something abnormal. Thats what normal people do with normal occurrances in life. So, Yes, there will be people seeking attention. Yes, there will be drama-queens who embellish a story to make it more dramatic - for whatever reason. And..there will always be people who want to see something so much they 'see' it at every turn.
However, this area has had a spate of a few strange things happening which could be more than just drama-queens, attention-seekers, and mistaken identities.
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