A tall, slender and menacing-looking canine peers around a corner in a disturbing photo making the rounds on the internet. CNN Greece and The Mirror describe reports of a "dogzilla" and a "half-human, half-animal."
However, the image is not of a hybrid human and a canine, which is impossible, nor is it any sort of monstrous or mutant dog or wolf.
Instead, the latest fake news headline spooking people across the globe most likely just reflects a photo manipulation of a drawing of a werewolf. The image appears to come from the Harry Potter fan site Pottermore, Snopes reported. A little photo-editing software, a little rumor about it "terrorizing" people and dogs, and BOOM! A hoax is born.
The image has spread through conspiracy, UFO and zoology websites. It's hard to say where it originated, but the Argentine tabloid newspaper Perfil reported the story on April 11, 2018. They wrote that the creature was causing terror and had killed a pit bull and a German shepherd in the small town of Totoras, Santa Fe, Argentina.
The photo was posted on the YouTube channel "UFOmania – The Truth Is Out There," and got more than 2 million clicks with the warning: "The creature's shape is striking, as it has not been connected with any known animal. Residents of Totoras in the province of Santa Fe report that a creature is wandering the streets and has even slain two dogs." "It blew my mind because it looked at us and turned and began moving just like a kangaroo would and cleared the concrete bridge wall easily and dropped at least 15 to 20 feet," one commenter claimed.
PeoplePets wrote in jest about the viral hoax: "It's an alien! It's an aswang! It's el chupacabra!" The New York Post wrote about the animal under the headline: "Photo appears to show mysterious 'beast' on the prowl."
Doctored images have tricked the internet before. And in this case, the image appears to be the exact pose and shape of a digital drawing of a Harry Potter werewolf, just with different color and resolution.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Kristin is a science journalist in New York who has lived in DC, Boston, LA, and the SF Bay Area. ... Read more
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