Loch Ness Monster Might Be ... An Elephant?

When I was a kid, I was COMPLETELY fascinated by the Loch Ness Monster.  The thought that a real-live brontosaurus might still be swimming around in an inky Scottish lake consumed me.  And if I'm honest, there's a part of the legend that moves me, still.

So, talk about my bubble bursting:  National Geographic's website is featuring a possible explanation to what the photographer behind that famous 1934 photograph of Loch Ness might have actually seen -- and it's disappointing, to say the least.  According to paleontologist Neil Clark, the photographer may have seen ... an elephant.

Clark, who's also a painter, graphically shows how an elephant swimming in Loch Ness might have reasonably been mistaken for a monster.  As for why a pachyderm might have found his way to take a dip in the chilly waters, Clark told CBS news:  "The reason why we see elephants in Loch Ness is that circuses used to go along the road to Inverness and have a little rest at the side of the loch and allow the animals to go and have a little swim around." 

Whatever, man.  I still say Nessie's down there.  Somewhere.

Filed under: Learning, Photos, Stories, United Kingdom