Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Crownpoint Howler

Crownpoint is a quite little town located in the Navajo Nation of Northwest New Mexico. The population, a little under three thousand, has been plagued by an eerie sound, echoing at night, between the hours of midnight and two AM.

The residents of this area are familiar with the song of coyotes and the various sounds of other area wildlife.
This however, is something very different.

“It starts out as a very low, raspy growl and ends up like a big man yelling” said one witness to the sound. “It sounds like something in pain. There’s something human about it, but not quite” she continued.

The unearthly sound was first reported in July of 2011. It continued throughout most of the year, but reports have become more sporadic.
NatGeo recorded the strange sound when it was on the reservation filming the television show, “Navajo Cops”.
The show, which follows Navajo tribal police on their rounds, filmed six episodes on the reservation during the summer and fall months.
One episode followed several police officers including Captain Steve Nelson and a Lt. Begay as they sat up a listening post to try to capture the weird noise.
After a first failed attempt, a second investigation was launched during daylight hours. The officers, along with the NatGeo film crew, investigated the area around a horseshoe shaped canyon. The area is believed by many residents to be the home of the strange creature issuing the sounds.
Despite the daylight hours, the police officers and NatGeo film crew did indeed hear the strange moan being reported by local residents.
No signs of any unusual animal were found and the Crowpoint Howler’s identity remains a mystery.
NatGeo’s Navajo Cops airs in the spring of 2012 and the Howler will be featured in one of the episodes.