'Man-bat' with the Face of a 'Gargoyle' Reported in Chicago's West Lakeview

Lon Strickler of Phantoms and Monsters received a call on Tuesday, September 26th, from a Chicago nightclub performer who claimed to have seen an "unknown being" crouched on top of a light pole.  

"He had just gotten off of work and was driving home, westbound on W. Belmont Ave," said Strickler

At 1:15 AM CT, he had stopped for the red light at the intersection of W. Belmont Ave and N. Damen Ave in the West Lakeview area. He was the only driver and person at the location. As he waited for the red light to change, he noticed to his left something large was perched on the streetlight pole that extended over N. Damon Ave. As the witnessed looked closer, he recognized an unknown being crouched down on top of the pole. The streetlight above the pole illuminated the being, giving the witness a brief opportunity to obtain an excellent observation.

The witness states that the entity was crouched for about 5-10 seconds, then stood up on two distinct legs. As it stood, it unfurled it's wings and quickly ascended into the night sky.

The witness told me that it looked like a 'man-bat' and was at least 6 ft tall. It had human-like arms and legs, though very slender. The body and head were slender, but proportionate. The wing span was approximately 12 ft. and leather-like. The body was very dark in color.

The face of the being was quite interesting. The witness states that it had a short, canine-like snout...similar to that of a French Bulldog. But the overall face structure resembled that of a Gothic gargoyle. The eyes did not glow or show color. He doesn't know if the being reacted to his presence.

When the being unfurled its wings and ascended, the witness could hear the loud flapping of the wings, even though his windows were closed. The witness stated that the overall shape of the winged being reminded him of the 'Man-Bat' character in Batman, though it was more slender and less intimating.

The witness had not heard of the previous sightings. He later contacted a friend, who told him about the rash of sightings in the Chicago area and where to report his encounter. The witness had no emotion or physical reaction to this sighting, but was initially shocked and confused by what he was looking at.

According to Strickler, this sighting may provide valuable clues as to the creature's identity.

"This is the best facial description received by us," he said. "Though, I believe that there are several winged beings with varied descriptions." 

"Because of the 3 previous sightings / encounters in the Little Village neighborhood, the Task Force now has a 'working' theory as to why some of these entities may be manifesting,” Strickler continued. “Combined with the other incidents that are reported to us, it's hopeful that we can explain the reason for the influx of these entities with a greater position of certainty."

This sighting took place approximately eight miles north of Little Village, and two miles west of Lake Michigan.  The last reported sighting in the Little Village area was on the night of September 16th, just ten days prior.

This is the latest in a string of flying humanoid sightings reported in the Chicago area.  Most of the sightings have taken place near the lakefront within a few miles of Lake Michigan, although there are some reports coming from the suburbs surrounding Chicago.  The sightings generally take place in the evening or at night, often in or near a park and around water, and witnesses consistently describe a large, bat or bird-like creature with humanoid features; although in one case the creature was reportedly "insect-like." 

To report a sighting, reach out to us directly at The Singular Fortean Society through our contact page.

You can view a timeline of the sightings so far here, and an interactive map here.

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