Creatures, Myths & Legends

Weird 'creature' in India turns out to be a hoax

By T.K. Randall
September 11, 2020

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) With four legs, a tail, an armored back and a human-like face, this bizarre looking cryptoozological 'creature' first appeared on social media around two weeks ago when farmers in the Indian state of Rajasthan were warned not to go out into the fields alone in case they came across it.

Referred to by some as 'Dipda', the peculiar beast was described as "very dangerous".

A glance back through the archives also revealed that the creature had previously been featured in a similar news story back in 2018, this time in India's Jagittala district, Telangana.So what exactly is this thing and where did it come from ?

The answer, as it turns out, is that the 'creature' is actually a silicone sculpture created by Italian artist Laira Maganuco who reportedly describes the piece as an 'armadillo hybrid'.

The photographs, it seems, had been erroneously picked up as evidence of a real creature.

It just goes to show how easily something like this can became a social media phenomenon.

Source: The Quint

Tags: Creature, India