The world is full of amazing and fantastic animals, with about 18,000 new species discovered every year – most of which are insects and many more being on the small side of the animal spectrum.
There are other strange and wonderful creatures that science hasn’t been able to officially categorize and account for in a modern context that many believe still exist from the distant past – like the giant beaver – or ones that seem to defy scientific verification despite repeated sightings over decades and centuries – like Sasquatch/Bigfoot or Loch Ness Monster-type animals.
One such fellow is Manitoba author John Warms from the Interlake community of Fairford, who has been exploring the topic for more than 30 years.
Last month, Warms was making his rounds touring across Manitoba in public libraries and community spaces to spread the word about his book Strange Creatures Seldom Seen: Giant Beavers, Sasquatch, Manipogos, and Other Mystery Animals in Manitoba and Beyond.
Warms’s book was published first in the United States in 2015 before he printed some versions for promotion in Canada about two years ago. Warms found that public libraries welcomed the promotion of his book, and the stop in Swan River on March 27 was a last minute addition to his month-long tour, where not only did he bring copies of his book and open himself up to conversation, but he also set up an extensive display that showcased the contents of his book, such as various drawings, artifacts and replicas for the weird and wild creatures and legends that he loves to research.
“Everything (in my displays) is also in the book,” said Warms, while he was set up in the Northwest Regional Library in Swan River. “It’s all about the creatures that I have never heard of 40-50 years ago.”
Warms explained that the first unusual and unexplained creature he had heard of was a giant snake in Manitoba.
He noted some Indigenous people had encountered and told stories about it and one fellow even told him what kind of bullet to use if he ever encounters one.
“‘If there’s one, there’s more’,” said Warms, quoting his friend. “It was kind of an interesting perspective for me to take all these years, and it made a lot of sense.
“When I realized that science wasn’t familiar or didn’t acknowledge all these other creatures that the Indigenous people were telling me about, I knew that there was something that didn’t quite match. So, I assumed with a lot of corroborating stories that the people of the land where they lived that they had the truth that their elders passed down and were experiencing themselves.”
Warms noted that every creature that is represented in his displays he believes to be extant, or rather not extinct. Creatures like the giant beaver or plesiosaurs – a water-based animal that draws parallels to the legends of lake monsters – are acknowledged by the scientific community to have existed once upon a time, whether it was thousands or millions of years ago. However, Warms and those he has talked to over many decades believes that these animals and many others are still out there living today.
“I wouldn’t be doing this if there was anything questionable,” he said, noting that everything in his book had enough corroborating stories about them that it was worth including.
“I may have very easily missed some creatures where I haven’t found the right people yet to clue me in on their existence.”
One such story he shared was that of Archie Motkaluk, who believes he spotted a Sasquatch near Renwer on Dec. 29, 1960, while visiting his parents’ farm.
Motkaluk recounted the story in 2011 with the Winnipeg Sun, and explained that he was out collecting wood about three miles into the bush when he saw this ‘man’ and realized that it was a Sasquatch when he got within a couple hundred yards.
Motkaluk only told his mother and made a sketch of what he saw, but only came out more publicly about his encounter 50 years later when he was watching a television program that featured someone that said there’s no such thing as a Sasquatch.
“I realized that the academic community is not aware of (these creatures) or does not want to acknowledge them,” said Warms. “There are so many land-based people that are very aware of them.
“I just feel like we are losing out if we are not given the opportunity to learn more about these creatures like the underwater moose (for instance).”
Warms’ book is available to purchase at 83 North Amazing Emporium in Swan River or on Amazon.ca.
Warms also has a Facebook page to keep up with what he’s up to and a YouTube channel that features some other videos on his endeavors.
Warms also encourages people to keep their eyes and minds open out in the wilderness of Manitoba to see if even more corroborating stories can emerge and get even closer to confirming the presence of these seldom seen animals.