The ‘mystery alien-beast’ discovered by four teens in Panama and widely reported in the media over the past few days is likely a deformed sloth.
A week ago four teens playing near a creek in Cerro Azul, a community in the northern part of Panama City, encountered the creature, which they claim approached them. The teens threw rocks and beat the animal to death before returning to take pictures. The photos reveal a white hairless creature with clawed toes. Other than its lack of fur, the animal closely resembles a three-toed sloth, a mammal found widely in the Central American country.
 Mystery beast in Panama. Image from Telemetro.
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Nevertheless the local media has played up the story, reporting that zoologists are unable to identify the “alien-like” creature. But DNA testing should soon confirm what most are saying: the animal is a sloth.
As a consequence of a slow news cycle towards the end of summer, August and September tend to be peak months for sightings of “strange” and “unidentified” creatures including unusual marine life, malformed animals and the mythological beasts like the Chupacabra, the Mongolian Death Worm, Big Foot, and the Loch Ness Monster.
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Dragonflies migrate 14,000-18,000 km from India to S. Africa
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Will jellyfish take over the world?
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Frogs species discovered living in elephant dung
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Birds can dance, proving humans aren’t the only ones with rhythm
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Rediscovery of the solenodon, a rare venomous mammal, in Haiti
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Yeti ‘proof’ actually belongs to cliff-dwelling goral
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Bigfoot “discovery” looks to be a hoax
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To reproduce, parasite transforms ant into juicy red berry
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Chupacubra is actually a hairless coyote
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Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees
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Harpoon proves whale is 115-130 years old
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Viagra helps hamsters recover from jet lag
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World’s only blue lizard heads toward extinction
(03/07/2007) High above the forest floor on the remote Colombian island of Gorgona lives a lizard with brilliant blue skin, rivaling the color of the sky. Anolis gorgonae, or the blue anole, is a species so elusive and rare, that scientists have been unable to give even an estimate of its population. Due to the lizard&spod;s isolated habitat and reclusive habits, researchers know little about the blue anole, but are captivated by its stunning coloration.
Snake becomes poisonous by eating toxic frogs
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Unusual prehistoric shark beast captured in Japan
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China uses snake-based earthquake prediction system
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In search of Bigfoot, scientists may uncover unknown biodiversity in Malaysia
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Sex vs. Intelligence: Bigger balls mean smaller brain
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