Witness Reports Sighting of "Giant Bat" in Rosemont, Illinois

Manuel Navarette of UFO Clearinghouse received a report last week from a witness who said he saw a “giant-sized bat” fly overhead as he was smoking a cigarette outside of a wedding reception in Rosemont, Illinois.

According to the report published by Navarette, the witness’ sighting took place at approximately 10 pm on October 19th.

We were staying at the Edward Hotel in Rosemont, Illinois for a wedding we were attending that was being held at the hotel. During the reception and dance, I stepped outside to smoke a cigarette and get away from all the noise for a few minutes. I took a walk toward the parking lot smoking and checking my phone when I heard a loud scream. It sounded like a woman screaming so I looked up in the direction of where the scream was coming from hoping it wasn’t really a woman in danger. Next to the parking lot is a large field with some trees but mostly a large, vacant lot. I used my cell phone’s flashlight to light the way and saw nothing except darkness. I walked over to the gravel path between the parking lot and the field, toward where my car was parked. That is when I heard something like wings flapping and something flew right over the top of me, about maybe seven to ten feet above me. I could have easily thrown a rock and hit it as it flew over me and away.
This thing was at least six feet tall and was solid black with large wings, it looked like a giant-sized bat flew over the top of me. It was all black and kind of stuck out against the lights of the parking lot and the lights from around the area including the gas station across the street. Three other people saw it as well, including a couple who were walking across the parking lot as I heard them exclaiming about it. It flew toward the expressway and the BP gas station, this whole time it was screeching loud and flapping its wings hard like it was trying to gain height. When I lost sight of it, it was about the height of the billboard across the street still shrieking away.
Now I know I had been drinking during the wedding and was a little buzzed when I walked outside, but I was as sober as a judge after seeing this thing. It was unnatural and was pretty much the scariest thing I ever did see, but I know for a fact that I saw it and those other people saw it.

Navarette was able to interview the witness over the telephone after receiving the report.

"The witness stated that he and his girlfriend were attending a mutual friend’s wedding reception when he decided to step outside and smoke a cigarette," he said. "When he first heard the screaming, it sounded almost like a woman in distress which made him look around to see if anyone needed help. He walked along the gravel path, smoking and looking around and that is where he heard the sound of flapping. The witness said it sounded like when geese flap their wings only louder and deeper. It was then that he saw the entity fly over at a height of about seven feet above his head. He said the creature was solid black, but still reflected light from the street lamps in the parking lot and the surrounding area. He stated that it looked like a giant bat, stating that there was no other way to describe what it looked like. When asked if he saw any red eyes or other distinguishing features, the witness stated that he did not."

"The witness stated that it was moving too fast for him to pick out any features other than the general description he gave," Navarette continued. "He did [say] that there are at least three other witnesses who saw the entity when it overflew the parking lot but he did not talk to them. The witness did state that he had been drinking alcohol during the reception, but that he was not impaired in any way, and that he could not have misidentified anything else that might have been in the area. The witness stated that he has heard geese and the sound the entity was making was completely different than the honking made by geese. I asked him to please describe the sound and he said it was a cross between a woman screaming and an animal growling. When asked what kind of animal, he stated it sounded like a mountain lion. "

"The witness [also said] that the creature [gained] altitude very quickly, and when it faded out of sight, it was over the nearby expressway and about the height of the billboard it had passed," he added. "The entity was still making the screeching noise and could still be heard as it went out of sight. When asked about flight characteristics, the witness [added] that the creature had two short legs that it kept straight behind him as he was in flight, therefore making it look like a bat. When asked what he did after the sighting, he said he went back inside and told his girlfriend who dismissed it as him seeing a crane or other large bird. They rejoined the reception and the rest of the night was uneventful. When asked if he had tried to take video or a picture, the witness said that he was in shock and that he did not reach for his phone.”

This is the second such report this month out of Rosemont, Illinois, following an October 5th sighting of a "tall creature" with "bright red eyes" and "large wings” near Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. The Edward Hotel is approximately three miles north of O’Hare.

This is the latest news in a string of ‘Mothman’ sightings from within a few hundred mile radius surrounding Lake Michigan, including every state bordering the great lake. These sightings ostensibly began in the spring of 2017, but more historical accounts are being reported as more people become aware of the phenomenon. Sightings of weird winged beings around Lake Michigan have been reported at all hours, often in or near a park, and around water. Witnesses consistently describe a large, gray or black 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 avian being could explain some encounters. Sightings of anomalous avians, including thunderbirds and pterosaurs, are often reported in or near the same locations as those where witnesses have reported winged humanoids.

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

To report your own encounter with the impossible, reach out to us directly at the Singular Fortean Society through our contact page.

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