Scotland has Nessie, the Himalayas have the Abominable Snowman (Yeti), Australia has the Yowie, and America has the Bigfoot (Sasquatch)…but that’s not all! There is yet another mysterious life form stalking within the borders of the U.S. And that would be…..(insert drum roll)…the Jackalope! This undocumented species is, in fact, a jack rabbit, but with antlers protruding from its head resembling those of an antelope (only proportionately smaller to accommodate the head of a rabbit). Most sightings of this oddball member of the family of terrestrial life comes from the western half of the U.S., and to date, none of these sightings have actually been verified. This little critter is every bit as skilled as any of the above mentioned creatures at evading the prying eyes of curious humans (many of which are brandishing firearms).

But just how does a Jackalope come into existence? Thanks to the miracle of breeding, there are many new variations of the same animals that have walked the earth since before anyone can remember. There are even hybrids. But a cross between a jack rabbit and an antelope?? Such questions call to mind thoughts of Centaurs, Mermaids and Minotaurs, but unlike these which are all partly human, the Jackalope is not capable of violent acts. Think about it—when was the last time anyone’s ever reported having been attacked by one? And given man’s tendency to wreak absolute destruction on anything he doesn’t understand, the Jackalope’s staunch refusal to come out into the open suggests an intelligence level far exceeding that of your typical garden variety rabbit.

Some people have been known to mount the head of a Jackalope on their den wall, but any simpleton can see that they merely attached the antlers of a white-tailed deer to the scalp of their deceased pet rabbit (after visiting a taxidermist). Even supposedly authentic photographs of Jackalopes in their natural habitat (forested areas west of Kansas) are proven to be hoaxes. If you want to find a real honest-to-goodness Jackalope, you’re going to have to go trudging out into the deep woods out west with absolutely no intention of seeing one. The only encounters between man and Jackalope are those that are unintentional.

One might ask why Jackalope sightings only date back to the early to mid 20th century. Surely white settlers migrating west would have heard stories told by the natives of an elusive creature that’s 90% jack rabbit and 10% antelope. Ask yourself this: If a colony of foreigners were moving into your neighborhood, would you tell them such a story (at least with a straight face)? And if you did share it with them in a jovial, happy-go-lucky fashion, would they bother passing it on to their descendants?

Maybe the Jackalope is a near-extinct species that dates back to the dawn of man himself. But more likely it’s a legend borne of that not-so-rare combination of alcohol and boredom. You decide for yourself…