“Lake Monster” Reportedly Photographed in Mexico’s Madín Dam Basin

Earlier this month, a photograph featuring an unidentified object in the Madín Dam reservoir of Atizapán de Zaragoza in Mexico was shared to the municipality’s Facebook page.

The photo was shared on March 19th, along with the following caption:

Neighbors from the area surrounding the [Madín Dam] reported the sighting of a large silhouette in the depths of the aquatic body. This fact adds to comments from [Atizapenses] who claim that a dinosaur dedicated to protecting the place lives at the bottom of the dam. At the request of the citizens, the Government of Atizapán from Zaragoza will patrol the surrounding area of the place to clear up the mystery.

The post has since been removed.

Many neighbors view the “lake monster” as a joke and have speculated that a crocodile, or even a “popodrilo,” could be responsible for what has been reported, according to El Universal.

A popodrilo is a humorous creature from folklore that is said to be composed of fecal matter. It stalks its prey while floating in pools, rivers, or seas, after having been deposited there by an inconsiderate person who needed to relieve themselves.

Some residents of Atizapán have accused government officials of using the “lake monster” to distract from more serious issues.

The Madín Dam reservoir, which provides drinking water to local communities along with recreational activities like boating and fishing, has long suffered from pollution and mismanagement, and in 2021, thousands of fish were found dead in it due to environmental causes.

As for the “lake monster” photo shared by local government, the reservoir is a relatively new man-made lake, having undergone construction from 1974 to 1977, and although it has an average depth of over 160 feet, it is unlikely to host an undiscovered or ancient remnant species, and the object pictured could be debris caught in a drainage pipe used to control the water level.