Reports from the Void: ‘There Was No Way It Was Human’
The Singular Fortean Society received the following email with “Mysterious bipedal animal/beast” in the subject line on January 20th, 2024.
I had an induction for a new job at 10 pm just around the corner from Port Lympne Zoo. I had to ride a bike to Dover station to Westenhanger station and then ride to my destination. However, due to having no internet or credit, I wrote my directions down on a piece of paper and was riding with my arms over the handlebars, paper in one hand and my phone in the other having the flash on so I could see the names of roads.
Anyway, it turns out I went the wrong way and continued down these dark unlit country roads. To top it off a thick fog/mist appeared from nowhere, [and there was] no traffic/no sound other than the sound of the tires rolling. I ended up hitting this long stretch of road and now the fog is coming and going hitting thick patches to no fog at all. [There was a] wooded area to my right and a line of trees to my left which I think was a farmer’s field on the other side.
As I was riding, I had my phone lit on this piece of paper and I’m trying to figure out the names of these roads I dotted down, [when] all of a sudden there was something big, heavy footed and I mean heavy footed because it was loud and was rushing, running straight at me from the wooded side. My entire body told me to get out of there ASAP; all the hairs on my body shot out. I must’ve made it, I don’t know, around 30-50 feet, then I stupidly looked back to see if I could see anything but it was just too dark. [There was] no moonlight [and] no stars to see anything and by the time I looked back around to peddle out of there, I hit the embankment and came off the bike and hit the ground hard. I got up as quick as I could and literally prayed my bike was still in one piece. It wouldn’t change gears, but it got me out of there until I hit a small village where there was a fire station, and they took me to where I needed to go.
I don’t scare easy and whatever it was was on two legs, heavy footed and there is no way it was human. I tried looking at escaped animals near the area but [found] nothing to what it could have been. Gives me chills to this day and the hairs still stick up at every thought of it. I’m not great at storytelling, but like I said, that’s the only time I’ve ever truly been terrified
Investigator Tobias Wayland did have limited communication with this witness following their report but stopped receiving any response prior to when an interview could be scheduled.
Port Lympne is a wild animal park in Kent, England, which is presumably why this witness checked for escaped animals in the area of their encounter.
Although not as common as in the United States, there are bigfoot sightings reported in the United Kingdom, often in Scotland and Wales. One Welsh legend tells of Brenin Llwyd, a large, silent figure who dwells in the mountains and preys on children and unwary travelers. There are those who link this and similar legends of giants and trolls throughout northern and western Europe to the modern bigfoot phenomenon.
Other bipedal creatures are also sometimes reported in the UK. In 2022, a witness reportedly saw “a large man-goat on hind legs, but really stocky ones” while driving in rural England.
