Stunned fishermen have had a close encounter with what they described as a ‘Sand Slug’.
Once thought to be a tale of folklore, the mythical creature rose to public awareness after a Sand Slug was reported to have caused the blocking of the Barmah Choke.
Little is known about the elusive creature; Streamologists and the basin authorities theorised that early settlers’ gold mining activity in the upper reaches of the catchment re-leased the Sand Slug, and over the past century it has gradually moved its way downstream.
Could there be more than one Sand Slug?
Could communities along the Murray be sitting on a discovery of a whole new species?
When we talk of mythical water dwelling creatures it is hard to go past the Loch Ness Monster, though many cultures around the globe have reported sightings of water dwelling creatures, for example:
• Lake Utopia, New Brunswick, Canada – Name: Old Ned. Description: Approximately 20 feet in length, having a large head, being reddish-brown or dark red in colour, eel-like.
• Elizabeth Lake, California, USA
– Name: The Monster of Elizabeth Lake. Description: Bat wings, the neck of a giraffe, the head of a bulldog, six legs, a length of at least 50 feet, and emits a horrible nauseating stench.
Even other parts of Australia have documented creatures:
• Lake Alexandrina, South Australia – Name: Muldjewangk. Description: Sometimes portrayed as evil merfolk (half man, half fish), or at times as a gargantuan monster. It is also inconsistent whether there are many of the creatures, or a single ‘The Muldjewangk’.
• Hawkesbury River, New South Wales – Name: Hawkesbury River Monster, Moolyewonk, Mirreeular. Description: 25 to 30-foot greyish-black plesiosaur with a snake-like head.
The fishermen both wished to remain anonymous, stating: “They don’t bloody believe us about the cod we catch, we’ve got no bloody hope here!”
Whether this is a case of home brew induced hallucinations or the real deal remains to be seen.
A government spokesperson said all questions would be answered by the Minister for Mythical Creatures at a press conference at 11.59am on April 1, 2021.
This article appeared in The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper, 1 April 2021.
