In July 2008, the carcass of an animal washed up on the beach at Montauk Point Long Island. Local beachcombers are used to seeing dead animals. Seagulls, fish, crabs, even the occasional whale. But they had never seen anything like this.
Animal experts were brought in to identify it. They were stumped. It looked like part dog, part reptile and part rodent - with the beak of a bird. This animal, whatever it was, became known as the Montauk Monster.