Close to Cincinnati, Ohio, lies the house to one of many strangest city legends of creature sightings.
by Ellie Zed, November 2021
Loveland, Ohio, about 20 miles northeast of Cincinnati, is thought for its lovely river and scenic trails however what many guests don’t know is the native city legend of the Loveland Frogman. Whereas this cryptid will not be as well-known because the Mothman, Loch Ness, or the Chupacabra—the Loveland Frog—has lurked within the minds of locals for the reason that Nineteen Fifties.
The Loveland Frog (often known as the Loveland frogman or Loveland Lizard) is a mysterious humanoid amphibian that’s stated to face roughly 4 toes tall. It shares extra generally with Lizard Males than with a conventional frog due to its supposed peak and upright stance. There have solely been a handful of claimed sightings, together with one as just lately as 2016.
The primary sighting of the Loveland Frog occurred in Might 1955. A salesman named Robert Hunnicutt, driving alone at night time close to Loveland, Ohio, got here throughout three creatures he described as humanoid frog-like creatures looming within the shadows of the roadside.
From what he may inform, the creatures had frog-like huge skinny lips, bulging eyes, and as an alternative of hair, they’d deep grooves. He stood by and watched the anomalies, unnoticed, for a number of minutes. He noticed they’d web-like toes and fingers, pores and skin with a form of leather-based texture, and an estimated peak of virtually three and a half toes.
Hunnicutt was found by one of many creatures, so he took off as quick as he may to the Police Chief, turning into the primary to report the Loveland Frog. In July 1955, one other sighting befell close to a bridge with a really comparable description.
No extra sightings of the Loveland Frog occurred for seventeen years. This time, two cops had sightings of the ominous creature on two separate events in March 1972. Ray Shockey, an officer of the Loveland Police Division, was driving close to the Little Miami River simply alongside Riverside Drive when a creature abruptly appeared in entrance of his automobile.
The officer stopped when he thought a canine had crossed his path. He shortly appeared again and noticed the creature was most positively not a canine. Completely bewildered, Ray abruptly remembered the story of the salesperson’s description of the frog-like creature. It appeared alongside that very same highway because it additionally stood on the peak of three to 4 toes. He famous its leather-like pores and skin because it jumped over the guardrail earlier than lastly vanishing into the river. When different officers got here to examine the realm, they seen scratch marks on the metallic a part of the guardrail that was left by the creature.
A number of weeks had passed by when one other officer Mark Matthews referred to as in a report about an unidentified animal crouching close to the aspect of the highway. He shot and killed the animal and returned to the station with the physique. Based on officer Matthews, this was seemingly the identical creature reported by officer Shockey. It turned out to be a “massive iguana about 3 or 3.5 toes lengthy” that was lacking a tail. The story of the Loveland may have ended there, however just like the Chupacabra, this regional folktale has solely grown stronger.
After his discovery, Officer Matthews went as far as to contact an city legends creator concerning the claims. Nonetheless, the creator “omitted the half that confirmed that the creature was an iguana reasonably than a Frogman.”
The latest sighting was in 2016 when two youngsters claimed to be taking part in Pokémon Go once they noticed the elusive creature. Based on reporters, Sam Jacobs and his girlfriend stated, “We noticed an enormous frog close to the water. Not within the sport—this was an precise large frog. I took a few footage and a video trigger I’d by no means seen one which large. Then the factor stood up and walked on its hind legs.” Jacobs swore on his grandmother’s grave to help his claims. However, it was later revealed to be a hoax.
It appears the Loveland Frogman is only a loving native legend however subsequent time you take a look at the bike trails and pure surroundings surrounding Loveland, be careful for any uncommon amphibians within the space.
