FT257

The Waikato area of New Zealand was gripped by monster fever between late 1886 and early 1888.

Despite the fact that there is scarcely a lizard as much as a foot long in the entire country, the 12- and 14-year-old sons of a Mr Castleton reported being chased by a large crocodile- or alligator-type reptile with the girth of a calf. [1]

“They scout [reject] the notion of it being a pig, scornfully demanding to know whether they, seeing members of the porcine species daily, could be deceived by a pig… Both boys are bright and intelligent, and there is nothing in their manner or appearance to justify a suspic­ion that they have made up a yarn… They describe the animal as having a body about 2ft long, with a thick tail about the same length, short thick legs, and a long pointed head and long jaws armed with terrible-looking teeth.