By MATT WOLEN/Weekly World News
Discovered in a cave in Hope Falls, West Virginia, this half-bat has escaped from captivity and is currently at large. He can be identified by large, pointy ears and oversized eyes that make him profoundly sensitive to sound and light. The creature has reportedly attacked at least 3 people with his razor-sharp fangs and should be considered extremely dangerous.
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The hunt is on nationwide. Police, along with swarms of concerned citizens, have been searching night and day in an effort to capture the beast and return him to the custody of scientists at Hope Falls Research Center, where he will continue to be probed and possibly dissected.
"I saw the critter once, and I woulda caught him too if I didn't have this bad knee," admits Mitch Naylor of Hope Falls. "He sure is a weird little thing. He just don't look like us and that's bad. If he's found, he's got to be killed."
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The town sheriff also spoke with Weekly World News, cautioning, "People need to protect themselves. When we walk the streets at night, we take our lives into our own hands. Therefore, I recommend staying indoors until this ferocious creature is captured. Go to the Food Mart, stock up on canned goods. Get in your homes, lock your doors, board up your windows, and hold your children tight. Then try to rest soundly, knowing that the police force is out there, honoring our pledge to protect and serve."
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By SARAH SWANSON/Weekly World News
The Bat Boy saga began in 1992 when the 19-pound mutant--described by
scientists as half human and half bat--was captured in a cave in Virginia's
Shenandoah Mountains.
The feisty creature was taken to a secret federal laboratory near Wheeling,
W.Va., where experts from all over the world came to study him.
In 1993 and again in 1994, government officials denied rumors that Bat Boy
had escaped from the lab and was on the loose. But finally, a nationwide
search was launched in 1995 when the big eared fugitive was spotted in at
least six different states from the Deep South to the Midwest.
Bat Boy was recaptured by a posse of FBI agents in 1997 after nearly two
years on the run.
His whereabouts remained a secret until reports surfaced two weeks ago that
he had once again escaped, this time from a laboratory in Macon, Ga.
Where he was between the time of his escape and the time he showed up in Al
Gore's campaign office-- two weeks later and 1,500 miles away-- is anybody's
guess. Where he is now is also subject to speculation.
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By KATHRYN FORESTBROOK/Weekly World News
Arguably one of the most terrifying aspects of the Bat Boy phenomenon is that his genesis is unknown. Before the creature's escape, the main goal of scientists' research was to determine how he came to be.
"We were only able to perform the most basic bloodwork before the bat child broke loose from his cage and escaped into the night. Unfortunately, the results of those tests were inconclusive. About all we can say for sure is that the little bugger had a nasty cold," revealed Dr. Wayne Waxman of the Hope Falls Research Center. He also shared what the potential findings could mean for the advancement of science as a whole. "It's too darn bad we couldn't get a sample of his DNA. Not only would we have been able to tell you more about what this thing actually is, but we have some rats and pigs and such around the lab that I could have injected the DNA into. You know, just to see what would happen."
In the absence of actual facts, speculation abounds. "I'll tell you where he came from," Farmer Joe Trewell surmised, as he pointed to the sky. "Aliens. I don't think it's no coincidence that I find these big circles and squiggly marks out in my tobacco crops, and then a week later they find this weird alien screechin' in a cave twelve miles from my farm."
Still, others have different ideas. "I don't know what they'll find out about the Bat Boy, but personally, I've stopped drinking the well water," Amy Bunch, a student at Hope Falls Community College, told Weekly World News. "Don't get me wrong, I still think it's a total rip that they charge you $1.29 for a bottle of Sparkly Springs, but it's worth it for the peace of mind. I mean, what if the creature started out as a regular boy and after drinking tap water started, like, mutating or something?"
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