http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2326474

Fact is a source of great inspiration for fiction! The critical mass
of
the populous has always been fascinated by the unknown. The articles
about this fascinating 'hybrid' creature only proves that. Vampire
lores originating in and around Italy long ago have whipped up such a
frenzy of fear that people were afraid to venture out of their
homes... A shark on a silver screen once also had the same effect not
that long ago(JAWS). Think about a pack of dogs doing just that but
10x the effect...

A threat to a city, a kingdom, its' populous gripped by fear of these
mysterious creatures who targets humans but unknown why and who the
next victim will be... A mystery whose answer has eluded the best
minds except for one man... The World's Greatest Detective.

Newslink...

Expert: 'Mystery Beast' Story Has Legs

Friday, August 18, 2006
TURNER, Maine - Whether or not tests prove that a "mystery beast" is
a dog or something else, the story that has captured headlines from
coast to coast won't go away any time soon, according to an expert in
human behavior.

The Sun Journal newspaper obtained samples of the creature and
shipped them to a University of Maine professor and to HealthGene in
Toronto for genetic tests to determine the type of animal, said
Judith Meyer, managing editor.

But the test results may not matter because people tend to be
enthralled with the idea of something that defies categorization.

"Having scientific evidence is not going to kill this story. It's
like an unslayable monster that will keep coming back," predicted
Elizabeth Eames, chairwoman of the anthropology department at Bates
College.

The newspaper first reported in Wednesday's editions about the
creature that was hit by a car while chasing a cat. The story quickly
began making the rounds on the Internet.

The beast created interest well beyond a typical news story, and the
newspaper's Web server strained and cracked under the pressure. The
servers continued to crash Friday as people around the world tried to
read about Turner's version of Bigfoot.

The number of unique visitors to the newspaper Web site jumped from a
couple of thousand a day to 12,000 to 15,000 a day, and the number
would've been higher if there was greater bandwith capacity, said
Eric Kaiser, Web editor.

"It's been a blessing and a curse for us," Kaiser said Friday. "It's
great to have the traffic, but only if your server can handle it."

Loren Coleman, a Portland author and cryptozoologist, examined the
creature's remnants on Wednesday and concluded it was likely a feral
dog. Scott Lindway, a state wildlife biologist, agreed with that
assessment after looking at the photos.

The newspaper decided to have tests conducted to provide conclusive
evidence after the Maine Warden Service declined requests to examine
the creature, Meyer said.

The Maine Warden Service has been deluged with calls from people,
many of them critical of its decision not to examine the remains.

Deputy Chief Gregg Sanborn defended the warden who declined to check
it out when called last Sunday. The warden service is a law
enforcement agency, and wardens are too busy on summer weekends to
look at dead animals, Sanborn said.

As for Eames, she said people seem to enjoy a little brush with the
unusual. People tend to want to categorize things, and they're
unsettled when they can't. At the same time, people are drawn toward
that which they fear.

"People approach this thing with trepidation, but they want to
approach it," Eames said. "Fear is exciting."



... indeed.