The Monster of Scheggia

CHRONOLOGY

End of April, 1997 – A shepherd is attacked by a creature with “glowing eyes” that came out of the woods just outside Scheggia, a small town in the middle of the National Park of Mount Cucco, Italy. He survives only because his Maremma Sheepdog leaps on against the creature to protect his owner, getting killed in the process.

April/May 1997 – A local hunter was in the woods with his dogs when he sees a bipedal creature far away in the distance, walking like an ape. His dogs run away in terror and hide inside the hunter’s Jeep.

April/May 1997 – Forty sheep are found dead with their skull crushed.

May 7/8 approx, 1997 – Mr. Oddo Brunamonti was collecting lumber in the woods when he notices a herd of horses running away in fright. From the distance a weird scream is heard. Mr. Brunamonti thinks about a wolf roaming around, and thinks about warning the farming houses nearby.

May 11, 1997 – Oddo Brunamonti is collecting lumber again, when he sees a strange creature watching him from the woods. Shortly after he will be attacked by it. The creature will leap out of the trees and stand few yards away from his car. Back home, Mr. Brunamonti calls the police and the Park Rangers. Both corps take immediate action.

May 12, 1997 – Some “experts” from Perugia and Florence arrive to track down the creature. A footprint is found, a cast is made out of it. A tuft of hair is collected from the bark of a tree. When the sound of breaking bushes hints that something big may be approaching, the “experts” take a quick leave, jump on their cars and run away, leaving their equipment on the spot. Later on, they will come back to retrieve it.

May 13 (approx.), 1997 – A man visits Mr. Brunamonti’s house, advising him to tell that what he saw in the woods was just a bear. Mr. Brunamonti refuses to lie.

May 14/15, 1997 – From this moment on and for a month, a police helicopter flies over the woods constantly.

[About the same period] May, 1997 – The man who had “suggested” Mr. Brunamonti to lie is seen in town paying drinks to everyone. He is heard to say that “it’s not my money.”

May 15/20 (approx.), 1997 – Six little bears appear in the woods. The word spread that what Mr. Brunamonti had seen was just a bear.

May 1997 – A man carrying a bag with food is chased by one of the bears. Panicking, the man throws the bag away before realizing that the animal was just looking for food.

[About the same time and the following days] May, 1997 – Scholars, researchers and other people come to Scheggia and question the local people, especially the shepherds, asking about their work routines.

May/June, 1997 – A shepherd gets suspicious about so many questions he is asked, and pretends to leave the area. In fact he hides in the woods and waits. Some activity in a ruined stone house catches his attention. He watches two men dressed like doctors, presumably vets. Suddenly a helicopter arrives and stops above the roofless house. A metal cage is sent down, then is pulled up again, and the helicopter leaves. Some witnesses, other that the shepherd, claim to have seen the helicopter carrying something under the cockpit.

May/June, 1997 – Two days later the facts about the bears are disproved. No such animals will be ever seen again in the area.

[From that moment on, nothing unusual will ever be reported in Scheggia]