During the blizzard like conditions in Canada in the early 1850s an American Indian named White Bear set out from his Blackfoot tribe in a desperate search for food. He went to Devils Mountain, northeast of Banff, Alberta, where he hunted and killed a deer. White Bear was carrying its carcass tied to his back when suddenly a great shadow appeared overhead. He felt huge talons grab the deers body and lift it - and him - into the air! The winged creature carried him up to a cliff and dropped him into a nest with two young birds, although they were bigger than any bird White Bear had ever seen before in his life. The terrified hunter realized he had been kidnapped by the fearsome Omaxsapitau - a gigantic eagle - like Thunderbird, greatly feared by the Blackfoot Indians. To his utter horror and disgust, he noticed that among the bones in the nest were the unmistakable remains of human beings. Realizing he was the beasts next meals, he waited for the Thunderbird to fly off again. He then grabbed the two youngsters by their feet and jumped from the cliff. The birds frantic wing flapping lowered him safely to the ground. Before letting go of them, the hunter pulled a couple of feathers from the birds to show his people.
White Bears report is just one of dozens of similar reports from North America featuring huge, unidentifiable birds of prey. Reportedly, the Indians referred to them as Thunderbirds because, according to legend, their wings are associated with the sound of thunder. On July 25th, 1977, in Lawndale, Illinois, two enormous birds, described as vulture like, were sighted. They had hooked beaks, white ringed necks and a wings of over 10 feet across. One of the birds lifted 10 year old Marlon Lowe off of the ground outside of his home, and began to carry the screaming boy for about 30 to 40 feet before letting go of him. Ornithologists insist that no known bird in existense is strong enough to lift and carry a 70 pound child. Even so, more witnesses reported later seeing the same birds flying south. I personally have seen videotape of gigantic birds, of an unknown species, flying from some trees. Unfortunately as I write this report I was unable to find any stills of the footage.
About 8,000 years ago North America definitely was home to monstrous birds known as Teratorns. These prehistoric birds did indeed look like vultures, but were more active than their scavenging cousins of today. Fossils found all across the continent have shown that the most familiar species, the aptly named "incredible teratorn" had immense wingspans - as much as 16 feet. It may be more than coincidental that reports of gigantic raptors have emerged from regions that once harbored similar real - life species allegedly extinct for centuries.
