Classification: Mythical Beasts & Cryptids

Temporal Range: 1800s to present

Geographic Range: Arkansas, USA

Diet: Carnivorous

Horde: North American

Roaming the Arkansas wilderness, the Ozark Howler is as loud as it is fast. This rapidly moving cryptid was first sighted in the 1800s, followed by a resurgence in the 1930s and then finally a burst of sightings in the 2010s. The time span of these sightings would suggest multiple generations of the beast or an incredibly long lifespan. This has not yet been determined as no specimens have ever been captured.

Descriptions of the Howler detail something the size of a bear with a grey, shaggy coat. It is often described as having curled horns and glowing red eyes. Eyewitnesses have commented on its startling speed and its size certainly doesn’t seem to hold it back. The creature’s namesake comes from its distinctive howl which has been compared to a horrifying mash-up of a wolf, an elk and a hyena. Certainly something to run in the opposite direction of, should you ever hear it cry out in the night.

Skeptics have claimed the Howler is actually a red wolf but its size and howl seem to counter this suggestion. Believers, on the other hand, have compared it to various black dogs throughout folklore, which are often seen as an omen of death. Considering the speed, size and ferocity of the Howler, we’d say that seeing the creature isn’t just an omen of death but practically a guarantee.