'Bat-Like' Flying Humanoid with 'an Obvious Face' Reported near Indiana's Prairie Creek Reservoir

An artist’s rendition of a similar creature seen over McCook near Chicago. (Image credit: Emily Wayland) — An artist’s rendition of a similar creature seen over McCook near Chicago. *(Image credit: Emily Wayland)*

Lon Strickler of Phantoms & Monsters spoke to a witness via telephone on January 23rd regarding the sighting of a “bat-like” flying humanoid with “an obvious face.”

The sighting took place on December 26th, 2018 between 4-4:30 p.m.

"[The witness] and his wife were traveling southbound on a county road, about a mile south of the Prairie Creek Reservoir near Muncie, Indiana," Strickler said. "The date was December 26, 2018 at dusk. A huge flying object caught [his] attention."

[The witness] is a military veteran, hunter, trapper and farmer who lives in the immediate area," he continued. "His knowledge of military flying craft, wildlife and his keen sense of observance was apparent while I talked to him. The winged being that he was observing was unlike anything he had ever seen before. The creature was flying just above treetop level and was easily visible to the witness. His reaction was to slam on his brakes in wonderment, exclaiming to his wife 'do you see that?' His wife was shaken by the sudden stop and was unable to react fast enough to see the winged being."

The creature described by the witness was very similar to other reports of winged humanoids around Lake Michigan, including the stillness of its wings in flight.

"[He] stated that the being was humanoid in shape with an obvious 'face,'" Strickler said. "The body had a length of approximately six to seven feet, with bat-like wings that were extremely wide. The being was dark-colored, and seemed to glide at a steady speed. He never noticed the flapping of wings while watching the creature."

According to the witness the creature’s wings had a leathery texture. He was unable to discern if the creature had any additional limbs beyond its wings, nor could he recognize fine detail in its face.

Also similar to other sighting reports is the profound effect the experience has had on the witness.

"[The witness'] wife states that [he] has been truly affected by the incident and has constantly mentioned it to her, in an attempt to explain what this winged being really was," Strickler said. "He had refused to mention the incident outside of his family. When [he] read about the recent sightings in Gary, Indiana, he called his wife from his job and asked her to contact me right away. He later called me when he got home. This witness was very forthcoming and anxious to find out what this creature was."

This sighting location—about a mile south of the Prairie Creek Reservoir—is around two miles southeast of Muncie, Indiana, and approximately 140 miles southeast of Lake Michigan. Less than five miles to its south is Summit Lake State Park. Gary, Indiana—a city on the southern shore of Lake Michigan—has seen a recent spate of flying creature reports, and is the same distance from this sighting location as the great lake, ~140 miles.

This is the latest in a string of flying creature sightings around Lake Michigan that ostensibly began in the spring of 2017, but more historical accounts are being reported as more people become aware of the phenomenon. Most of the sightings have taken place near the lakefront in Chicago within a few miles of Lake Michigan, although there are reports coming from the suburbs surrounding Chicago and even farther afield in every state bordering the great lake. The sightings generally take place in the evening or at night, often in or near a park, and around water. Witnesses consistently describe a large, bat or bird-like creature—although in a small number of cases the creature was described as insect-like—sometimes with glowing or reflective red, yellow, or orange eyes; and humanoid features such as arms and legs are often reported. Many of the sightings are also of something seen only briefly or are described only as a flying creature with few details, which leaves open the possibility that a large bird or bird-like being could explain some encounters.

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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