The Beast of Bladenboro
In a small North Carolina town in 1953, dogs were found dead, and people said a 'vampire beast' was loose. Hundreds of armed hunters poured in.
What was reported
Over a few weeks around the turn of 1954, dogs and other animals in and around Bladenboro, North Carolina, were found dead, with wounds that led some to say their blood had been drained. Witnesses described a large, cat-like creature with a high-pitched scream. Newspapers called it the 'vampire beast'.
As the story spread, hundreds of hunters, some from out of state, came to hunt the beast, and the small town was overrun. The police chief eventually asked them to stop.
Explanations offered
The scare ended after a large bobcat was trapped and killed, and displayed as the beast. Some thought the real culprit was a cougar or more than one animal. The town now holds an annual festival named after it.
- When
- December 1953 – January 1954
- Where
- Bladenboro, North Carolina, USA
- Witnesses
- Residents, the police chief and hundreds of hunters
- Status
- Probably a large cat
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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