UN ÉTRANGE VOLATILE
Il mesure environ 80 cm et a été photographié en Argentine par un photographe amateur, Fabian Romano. L’homme a envoyé les photos prises au CEUFO (Centre Etude Ovnis) d’Argentine. Après plusieurs tests, l’organisation a déclaré être face à une image de « haute étrangeté » et d’une « entité » volante. Le curateur du Musée Provincial, Gustavo Siegentale, a émis l’hypothèse d’être face à un « mammifère carnivore avec des ailes, une espèce inconnue ». Le CEUFO a indiqué avoir reçu d’autres témoignages sur l’observation de cet étrange animal. Les investigations se poursuivent actuellement.

Translation from Yahoo Babel Fish:

A STRANGE BIRD It measures approximately 80 cm and was photographed in Argentina by a photo hobbyist, Fabian Romano. The man sent the photographs taken to the CEUFO (Center Study UFOs) of Argentina. After several tests, the organization stated to be vis-a-vis an image of “high strangeness” and a flying “entity”. The curator of the Provincial Museum, Gustavo Siegentale, put forth the assumption to be vis-a-vis a “carnivorous mammal with wings, an unknown species”. The CEUFO indicated to have received other testimonys on the observation of this strange animal. The investigations currently continue.

Source. Photo credit, Fabian Romano.

^^^

Of course, I must be realistic about this. How can anyone tell this is a “carnivorous mammal with wings, an unknown species” any more than they can tell this is a children’s toy thrown into the air and photographed? Or a known species of bird? Or an insect?

An image like this does not give any indication that it is “carnivorous,” does it? Or a “mammal”? Or just because it is blurry, that it is an “unknown species.”

But mark my words, this is going to make the rounds among some English speaking blogs, just as it is already doing among Spanish and some French “paranormal” blogs. This moved from Argentinan cyberspace to English anomalist sites last month, but received little initial play (e.g. Phantoms and Monsters, Dec. 10, 2008; Profiling the Unexplained, Dec. 11, 2008). Get ready for the second wave.

I figured you should all, at least, get a sane skeptical headstart at Cryptomundo!

Come on, now, certainly there is, well, nothing concrete here, is there?

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Update:

Kentaro Mori in Brazil, creator of the excellent blog Forgetomori, emails me reinforcing my sense that this is something mundane, an insect.

He passes along this photo of a mosquito:

And the link to his blog that talks of these “insect-angels”:

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Another update:

David Pescovitz over at Boing Boing picked up the story from us, and the UK’s Daily Telegraph has published an article based on the Boing Boing posting. And so it goes.