Cerro Azul, Panama is a beautiful slice of paradise that, in 2009, made world-wide headlines after a group of young boys saw, claimed they were attacked by, accidentally killed, and snapped a creepy phone photo of what appeared to be a hairless, pale monster. About three feet in length with sharp looking talons, the boys felt quite threatened.
Cerro Azul locals believed this creature to have come from the Chagres National Park, nearby. The native Embera people say that it is a creature that has been around quite a while and seen a lot.
Cerro Azul is deep in the rainforest with narrow caves along the river that extend into the national park. This is a land full of undiscovered species as it is the place where North and South America splits apart, where creatures either went north or south as they evolved.
While this creature was determined to be a hairless (and deceased) sloth, there’s no telling what other wild creatures may be around– or how many hairless sloths there may be that would explain the beliefs of the Enbera. If nothing else, this has given a boost to local tourism.
More Info:
ScienceBlogs
Panama Notes (1)
Panama Notes (2)
Mongabay
Panama Tourism
