Debunked: Shadow Person over Zambia Mall

The crack staff of paranormal "experts" over at Coast to Coast AM are up to it again. Last week they posted grainy video footage of a "goblin" in Argentina that led us to conclude that it was the least spectacular monster ever caught on video, and now they're touting the alleged sighting of an anomalous figure over a mall in Zambia as being that of a "shadow person" (or perhaps a weird-looking cloud).

Coast to Coast writes:

Shoppers at a mall in the African nation of Zambia were taken aback when they spotted a strange anomaly in the sky that bore a striking resemblance to a shadow person.

The eerie figure, which sports a distinct head and body along with wispy arms and legs, is believed to have measured more than 300 feet long, based on a comparison to the shops below it.

According to witnesses, the haunting sight lingered over the shopping center for about a half hour before disappearing.

Although the oddity was likely just a vivid cloud formation, some observers were not as easy to dismiss the event and purportedly began praying to the spirit.

Others opted for a different reaction and decided to flee the area out of fear that the 'figure' was an ominous sign.

Unfortunately, news of this "shadow person" appeared on countless websites over the weekend, from the UK's moderately credible Daily Mail to a slew of well-known paranormal websites.

The truth, however, is that the shadow person in question is neither supernatural like a shadow person nor natural like a cloud formation. And it most certainly isn't a sign from God. What the picture shows is a kite.

A "spirit man" kite, to be exact.

While many kitemakers sell this particular style of kite, one of the leading manufacturers is Martin Lester Kites, which provides the following product description:

Floating like a friendly ghost, the Spirit’s legs swim as if it’s propelling itself aloft. A soft kite with nothing to assemble or break, it stuffs into a 8" x 10" sack. Crafted of nylon sailcloth by Martin Lester himself this 20-ft long figure soars gracefully in surprisingly light winds. Great for night flying when its spookiness really comes alive. 2-ft. spinning drogue tail included. Wind range 4 to 24 mph. Use 100-lb. Dacron line.

Run for cover, it's the Apocalypse!

Even a person without any knowledge of kites should have been able to tell that this "shadow person" story was full of wind (pun intended). It's difficult to believe that an apparition appearing over a busy shopping center, making itself visible to numerous witnesses, was only captured by one unnamed witness. Nobody else had a phone handy? Nobody bothered to interview one of the many Zambian locals who (as the Daily Mail put it) "ran away in terror when they saw a strange human-like figure appear in the clouds"?

Unfortunately, the most amazing aspect of this story is just how gullible certain "paranormal researchers" are. We've seen this particular story peddled by several popular, well-known paranormal outlets that claim to be an authority on all things supernatural. We've said it before and we'll say it again-- you haven't earned the right to label yourself as a researcher until you do some actual, well, research.

The Hunt for the Osage River Monster

It's spring of 1844 in St. Clair County, Missouri. A mile or so from the banks of the muddy Osage River a pioneer settler named Matthew Arbuckle is plowing his field when he hears a banshee-like wail in the distance, coming from the direction of the river. Shrill and unearthly, the demonic howl fills the farmer with terror. Wasting no time, he unhitches his plow, jumps on the back of his horse and heads for the hills.

One hour later Arbuckle arrives in Papinville, a town fifteen miles from his farm. The exhausted horse is white with foam; its rider white with terror. In a gasping voice he tells of making an escape from an awful monster. Although he had not seen the beast, he had heard its voice, from which he could tell that it was a monster of immense proportions.

Those who heard Arbuckle's story were bewildered, and those who did not know the pioneer personally could tell, just by the bloodless pallor of his trembling skin, that the man was not telling a lie. Whatever terrify…

The Ticking Tombstone of Landenberg

If you look closely at a map of Pennsylvania, you'll see an anomalous semi-circular border at the extreme southeastern part of the state. This circle, known officially as the "Twelve Mile Circle", serves as the border between the Keystone State and Delaware. Much of the strange circle is surrounded by Chester County, one of the three original Pennsylvania counties created by William Penn in 1682. While there are many historical points of interest in Chester County, few are strange or as steeped in legend as the Ticking Tombstone.

Near the London Tract Meeting House in Landenberg is an old graveyard which contains a tombstone which is said to make eerie ticking noises, much like the ticking of a pocketwatch. Landenberg locals claim that the ticking is the result of two very famous surveyors who arrived in town during the 1760s- Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon. A young child supposedly swallowed a valuable pocketwatch owned by Mason and later died, and the boy's head…

The Incest Capital of the World?

At the far eastern edge of Kentucky, nestled in Appalachia, resides Letcher County. In spite of its isolation and poverty (approximately 30% of the county's population lives below the poverty line), Letcher County has managed to grow at an impressive rate, from a population of just 9,172 in 1900 to a present-day population of nearly 25,000. However, even if Letcher County tripled or quadrupled its present population, there's still a pretty good chance that virtually all of the county's inhabitants would be related to each other-- thanks to one particularly fertile family whose astounding rate of reproduction can put even the friskiest rabbit to shame.

Around the year 1900, Letcher County was the home of a man by the name of Jason L. Webb, who made national headlines for having the one of the largest families in the world. According to newspaper reports of the era, Jason had 19 children, 175 grandchildren, and 100 great-grandchildren. Perhaps even more impressive was his b…

Journal of the Bizarre

Search This Blog