For animals that don't really exist, 2010 was a great year. In April, hunters in central China trapped what they claimed was an 'Oriental Yeti,' but what actually turned out to be a hairless cat. In May, two nurses in the small Canadian town of Kitchenuhmaykoosib spotted a dead furry thing on the lake shore, leading them to speculate that it was a chupacabra, the dreaded goat sucker of Hispanic lore. But it actually turned out to be a dead mink. And in July, a Texas animal control officer shot what he thought was a chupacabra, which actually turned out to be an Oriental Yeti, which actually turned out to be a mangy coyote.
This year also saw the requisite Bigfoot sighting, as well as the revelation that Scottish police in Inverness sought to protect the Loch Ness monster from tourists.
Not all the evidence for mythical creatures was circumstantial. In Laos villagers captured a rare Asian unicorn, which died in captivity. The number of horns on this unicorn? Two, of course.
What we learned: If these mythical creatures do exist, they have good reason to remain hidden from us.
