Mexico: An Investigation Into Strange Winged Beings

 

 An Investigation into Strange Winged Beings

By Ing. Marco Antonio Reynoso Ballesteros

President, FUNDACIÓN COSMOS A.C.(*)

Monterrey, Mexico

During the last two weeks of July 1994, a strange winged creature—half-human, half-bird—was spotted prowling near a cemetery close to the "Los Sabinos" ranch (owned by a member of Fundación Cosmos A.C.) on the Allende–Atongo highway. The sighting was immediately reported to us, prompting an urgent investigation.

The incident took place on July 20, 1994. A ranch worker was heading home for a meal around 11:00 a.m., taking his usual route that passed near the cemetery, unaware of what fate had in store for him further along the path. He was walking calmly when, at first paying it little mind, he glimpsed a figure emerging from a converging trail about 50 meters away. Initially, he thought it was another person, but as he drew closer, he was astonished to see a half-human, half-bird being; the creature showed neither surprise nor agitation at the worker's presence. The strange being continued walking along the same path, and upon reaching an intersection, it seemed to puff itself up, spread its enormous wings, and turn. By the time the worker reached the intersection, the being was already about a kilometer away, walking on until it disappeared from sight around the bends of the desolate landscape.

On July 25, 1994, the being was spotted again, this time by a woman wandering through the cemetery. We received a report of this new sighting and decided to take immediate action, organizing an expedition to investigate the strange winged being. On July 29, 1994, we headed to that ranch, the researchers equipped with necessary gear such as two-way radios, video and still cameras, binoculars, flashlights, and so on. We arrived around 8:00 PM and set up our equipment. We began walking the paths where the creature had been sighted, yet found no trace of that mysterious figure. Around 11:30 PM, we entered the cemetery. It was a clear, full-moon night; everything was perfectly visible without the need for flashlights. An indescribable sense of peace and tranquility filled the cemetery, accompanied by a pleasant breeze. We split up to cover the entire grounds but found nothing unusual, so we eventually retired for the night.

The next day, we headed to Mireles Creek and spent the morning exploring it, finding only the skeleton of an animal the size of a medium-sized dog. The vegetation reminded us of the jungle setting from the movie *Predator*. We continued searching the creek in hopes of finding some trace or footprint, but luck was not on our side; we found nothing—neither the creature nor any sign of it.

That afternoon, we were able to interview the worker and record his testimony on video. According to his description, the creature had gray plumage; the upper half of its body—from the waist up—was human, while the lower half was covered in feathers and featured chicken-like legs and two enormous wings on its back. He told us he made no attempt to approach it for fear of attack, noting that this was not the first time he had seen it.

This incident brought back memories of past experiences for several of us—experiences I will recount below. According to Mr. Héctor Urdiales—another dedicated researcher from the Cosmos Foundation (Fundación Cosmos A.C.)—during Holy Week in 1984, he decided to investigate an area behind Cerro de La Silla (Saddle Mountain). This area forms a rather desolate, horseshoe-shaped canyon, and he chose to explore it following reports of a winged being roaming the region. The route there follows the road to San Ronque; where that road ends, a trail continues toward Ojo Azul. Further along, past a stream lined with *sabino* trees, he would—unknowingly—stumble upon something that would astonish anyone.

Héctor was accompanied by a friend, and together they headed toward a small roadside stall run by a disabled man. This man had provided the testimony regarding the strange creature—the very account that had prompted Héctor to launch the expedition, given his familiarity with the area. The man told them he had seen the creature's shadow pass over his modest shop and had even glimpsed its silhouette from his seated position. He pointed out a spot for them to camp, and they set up their site in the indicated area. They spent the day and night without incident; however, the next morning, while combing the banks of the stream, they noticed a swarm of flies hovering over some vegetation beside a large *sabino* tree. Upon closer inspection, they found the decomposing entrails of an animal. They then noticed blood dripping from the trunk of a *sabino* tree and followed the trail with their eyes until it led them to a tree limb high above......at a height of 8 to 9 meters, where they saw a wild boar—gutted and split open—draped over a tree branch.

The scene horrified them; what kind of animal could have done that and hoisted the carcass to such a height? It was unlikely to be a human—the tree had no low branches for climbing—and no feline in that region was large or strong enough to butcher and haul up an animal weighing at least 100 kilograms. Only a winged predator of enormous proportions could have accomplished such a feat. They estimated that the boar had met its tragic end a day or two prior. Unfortunately, they had no cameras—let alone video equipment—at the time to provide solid proof of the existence of a massive, carnivorous flying creature.

Another terrifying experience befell me— Marco A. Reynoso—in the autumn of 1979. I recall that I was in the final semester of my degree program, carrying a heavy course load and beginning work on my thesis, so I usually arrived home late at night. On this particular occasion, for reasons I no longer recall, I left the university early and arrived at my parents' house around 8:00 PM. It is a large, old house with high ceilings; the kitchen is located at the back but is easily visible from the entrance. I never imagined what I was about to encounter inside. Upon opening the door, I realized the house was empty. The kitchen light—a white light—was on, clearly illuminating the table situated next to a window, though at that moment the table was obscured by the window curtain.

I headed straight for the kitchen without turning on the hallway lights, as I was hungry. When I was about three meters away, the curtain moved; I wasn't surprised, as I assumed it was simply being stirred by a draft. But immediately afterward, the table was partially revealed, and a figure in profile emerged, standing atop it.

 It was a figure roughly 30 cm tall with a human-like body covered in glossy black fur and a spread-out, bat-like wing. I couldn't make out the head, as it was obscured by the curtain. It all happened in seconds. My immediate impulse was to lunge at this peculiar winged being and try to trap it with the curtain; I felt no fear at that moment. As I took another step to carry out my plan, the curtain suddenly snapped back against the window, knocking over bottles and other items on the table, while the creature vanished without a trace. It all happened in seconds. I went out into the yard—where the window faced—hoping to get a better look at the strange creature, but there was nothing left. Later, I analyzed the experience more closely and was terrified, convinced it was neither an optical illusion nor any known animal. The colors of the kitchen setting—the table and the curtain—were distinct, as was the contrast between the white lighting and the black figure. There was no doubt; I was absolutely certain of what I had seen.

That event completely changed my life, as it cemented the passion for the unknown that had been growing in me since the age of eight. It led me to join the *Ovni Club Internacional A.C.* in 1980 in search of more information regarding my experiences. There, among the case files, I found reports of a being identical to the one I had seen in my yard.

Years later, in 1986, sightings of this strange being increased, and I even met a Belgian biologist named Sergio Leguyon. He mentioned that he was conducting doctoral research in zoology on certain species of winged beings—possibly pterodactyls or "Mothmen." He claimed to possess evidence of these creatures' existence—such as photographs and bones—and even knew the locations of their nesting grounds. He recounted that caves inhabited by these strange beings existed behind Cerro de La Silla in the state of Nuevo León, as well as in the municipality of China within the same state. He also pointed to a remote location in Communist China—in the Far East—that served as a prime sanctuary for these living fossils.

I never had the chance to see this evidence, and I do not believe he ever showed it to anyone else; he was extremely protective of the information. I also learned that he had commissioned the construction of cages to transport live specimens back to Belgium. He claimed that throughout history, these creatures had been mistaken for witches, vampires, and even *La Llorona*. They emitted a wail and a strange screech, walked on two legs, were grayish-brown or black with red eyes, and stood at least three meters tall.

We have since lost touch with him and are currently trying to track down his whereabouts; we hope to learn the results of the research he was conducting on this strange winged being.

(*) Fundación Cosmos A.C. became defunct in the early '00s. Mr. Reynoso withdrew from active research.