♪ NARRATOR: In 1987,
a writer set out to document the strange history
of an Alaskan legend, the Kushtaka,
also known as the Otterman. This half-man, half-otter
creature of Tlingit lore is reputed to steal people's souls, and it has been blamed
for two famous incidents near Thomas Bay. The first was
a massive landslide in 1750 that wiped out
a village of 500 people. The writer visited the site
as part of his research. He then hiked inland
along a river valley to the location
of an incident from 1900. A prospector searching
for a vein of gold claimed to have been run off
by a massive, otter-like beast. The writer found the spot
but would make it no further. He vanished,
leaving behind his campsite and a brief journal
of his adventure. Could his search for the
Kushtaka have proven successful? The writer hasn't been seen
since. Inside the vast frontier
of Alaska is a mysterious triangle where, each year, 5 out of
every 1,000 people go missing. [ Animal growls ] [ Animal roars ] Three investigators look
for answers -- Jax, a former police officer... Ken, a specialist
in strange phenomena... and Tommy,
an expert on Alaskan legends. Together, they uncover
mysterious sightings and ancient legends, exploring the possibilities
of those who go... --<font color="#FFFF00"> Captions by VITAC --</font><font color="#00FFFF">
www.vitac.com</font> Captioning provided by
A+E Networks ♪ So, Thomas Bay, eh?
The Bay of Death. Sounds like
my kind of place. NARRATOR: The team heads
toward the location where the missing writer began
his Otterman research, the area where
the native village was destroyed more than 250 years ago. It was a native
Tlingit fishing village, large for its time,
but the area has been desolate since its demise. TOMMY:
Thomas Bay, where we're going, it's kind of an isolated,
remote area. It's beautiful
back in there. People use it
for hunting and fishing, but as far as I know,
people don't live there. KEN: You know, the legend
of the Otterman, it sounds pretty creepy
to me. I mean, that -- I think
that would effectively keep people away. NARRATOR: The Otterman is
a staple of Tlingit folklore. This blend of otter
and human is reported by some to be up to eight feet tall,
earning it the nickname "Alaska's Other Bigfoot." But it's also believed
to be a shape-shifter that can disguise itself
as a regular-sized river otter or even as a familiar person
in order to lure victims away, where it can capture them and
turn them into other Ottermen. TOMMY: I grew up
with these Otterman stories, and it feels like
there's something to them. Once, I had a river otter look
in my window, checking me out, and it definitely seemed like
it was more than just an animal. I understand legends,
but, I mean, why would you want to live in an area where
the ground is gonna crash on top of you
at any moment? You got the Baird Glacier
over there. I mean, with all the erosion,
just at any moment, something could come down
on you, and what you've built gets
wiped out. I wouldn't want
to live here. NARRATOR: The Baird Glacier was
first surveyed by the U.S. Coast Guard
and Geodetic Survey in 1887. From then until the 1940s,
more than 2 kilometers worth of sediment escaped the glacier
into Thomas Bay, indicating an ongoing trend
of erosion and outwash. With such an unstable landscape, could an angry, powerful being
have caused a collapse that wiped out the town? Although no one lives here
anymore, many visitors have reported
glimpses of a large, hairy animal that appears to be roaming
the territory. ♪ Guys, it was pretty eerie coming
in with that low-lying fog. JAX: That came
out of nowhere. Kind of ominous, right? It has a feeling
of being isolated. That's for sure. KEN: Let's read the first entry
from his journal -- the writer
that went missing. NARRATOR: The writer's
short journal remains the only glimpse
into what he experienced on his fateful expedition
nearly 30 years ago. He writes, "A tiring day getting
to Thomas Bay, which might explain
the unease I feel despite my exhilaration
for this project. Perhaps the knowledge
of all those who perished on this unassuming land weighs
too heavily on me. I assume I'll feel
more like myself tomorrow." That's eerie. NARRATOR: The team starts
retracing the writer's path, heading toward
his final campsite. Although it's believed
that this area is uninhabited, one theory is that
the writer fell victim to people who might be hidden
in these parts. JAX:
Hey, hold up, guys. On the way,
let's just keep looking for any signs anyone's living
out here, even animals. TOMMY: Yeah. JAX: This looks
completely undisturbed. Well, what I'm
most interested in is finding signs
of river otters. You know, again, it just --
To me, I find this connection between the "Otterman"
fascinating. Could it somehow be derived
off of real otters, you know? NARRATOR: The habitat
of river otters extends throughout Southern Alaska and across most
of North America, as well. Their highly playful nature
and social interaction is very humanlike, which might have
inspired the Otterman legend. But how did the story take
such a dark turn? Perhaps the centuries
of encroaching hunters that recklessly depleted
river otter numbers led to fears
of the Otterman turning vengeful and violent against humans. ♪♪ What's this, Tommy? TOMMY: Part of an old structure
that was here. They built all the houses up on pilings to keep them
out of the water. Hey, guys,
check this out. What do you got? Oh, yeah. Whoa, a whole bunch
over there, Tommy. A bunch of mussels here
and crabs. Mussels and clams. Mussel shells,
but they're all empty. Look. There's
a whole pile right here. Could this be
otter sign? I mean, it looks like
these may have been broken across and broken open. Absolutely, yeah. They're pretty clean.
They're cleaned out. There's no meat or flesh
or anything in there. What about
the other explanation, potential people hiking
through here, or, like you said,
hunters? I mean, would humans do this --
actually eat these raw out here? It's possible, but we usually
build a fire and cook them. Yeah. Well, this potentially
could be sign of a river otter. I mean, I don't think we can
eliminate that at this point. We might -- might be
on the right track. I always appreciate Ken's
enthusiasm for his theories, but finding evidence of an otter
doesn't mean there's an Otterman. What it could mean is
there are larger predators that feed on otters,
so we need to be careful. ♪♪ NARRATOR: As night settles in,
the team continues their long hike up the river,
following their GPS tracker toward the writer's
final campsite. [ Water rushing in distance ] JAX: Hey, guys. KEN: Yeah? TOMMY: Yeah? This is it right here, guys --
right on top of it. "X" marks the spot. Well, this makes sense,
you know? Looking down there --
The river's way down there. When you're building
a camp here, you want to build a camp
on high ground so you don't get flooded out
in case of the heavy rains. JAX: Hey, real quick,
can I see the journal? Okay, and this was
the last journal entry. It's the last known spot
right here. "Day 2 of the trip, and I seem
to have filled my head with so many thoughts
of the Kushtaka my mind is incapable
of entertaining anything else. Already, I've imagined
a voice in the woods and a shadow
amongst the trees." Mm. "I'll explore
the area tomorrow when the sunlight is
much stronger and my nerve
much steadier." A voice in the woods
and a shadow in the trees -- That's pretty creepy. Have you guys noticed that, other than
the sound of the river, I mean, we haven't heard
any wildlife out here at all? You're right. Do you remember that story
about the prospector that came up here
in the year 1900? And one of the things
he talked about was the strange lack of wildlife
in this area. NARRATOR:
According to the prospector, named Charlie, he was sent
into the strange wilderness ahead of his crew to locate
a reported vein of gold. He arrived in the area
and began scouting, but instead of finding riches, he spotted a large, hairy
creature galloping toward him. It was humanoid with coarse fur
and claw-like fingers. Charlie fled the scene,
claiming the creature was right on his heels
before he lost it at the river. Natives who heard the story
immediately claimed it was the Kushtaka. I mean, I think from here,
the only thing left to do is spread out and see
what else we can find. When I hear a story about a big,
hairy animal chasing someone, I assume it's a bear. We haven't seen
any signs of bear out here yet, but the prospector's story is
well over 100 years ago. They could have been
all over the place then. NARRATOR: Bears are only
one type of dangerous animal that could be in these parts. Moose injure more people
each year than bears, and wolves have also been known
to range through these woods. Where they are now is
anyone's guess. But modern sightings suggest
there is still something active in this area. JAX: Hey, guys, come over.
I think I have something. There's a big den
over here. TOMMY:
What do you got? Hey, guys, I think
I found something. Hold on. Hold on.
Hold this for a second. [ Exhales sharply ] Yeah, look in there. KEN: Oh. Looks like hair. Yeah, I mean,
that looks like fur. I mean, this is
the first sign we've had of any kind of animal,
if this is fur. NARRATOR: The hair in the dugout
suggest a recent presence. If it's a predator,
that might explain why other wildlife is
staying hidden. [ Animal calling in distance ] Do you hear that? TOMMY: What's that? What is that? [ Calling continues ] NARRATOR: Each year,
missing-persons cases in the Alaska Triangle number
in the thousands. Wolves and bears are suspected
in at least some of these cases, but could a river otter be
partly to blame? Legends of
the shape-shifting Otterman drew a writer's interest only
to see him become a statistic when he disappeared
during his investigation. Now the team is exploring
the same location. All right, guys. [ Calling in distance ] Do you hear that? TOMMY: What's that? What is that? Where'd
it come from, guys? Shh. [ Calling continues ] Tommy, you want to get
the recorder out? Dude, I have no idea
what that was. [ Calling continues ] It sounded like
a baby crying. [ Calling continues ] It's over there. Think we can
track it down? Let's go have a look. Legend states that the Otterman
imitates other beings in order to lure
its victims to him to be captured
and assimilated. At this point, that seems
at least as valid a possibility as finding an infant in distress
out here. NARRATOR: Jax scans the woods
ahead with a thermal imager, looking for any warm bodies near the location
of the strange sound they heard. I could have sworn
we heard it right over here. ♪♪ It sounded like
it might have been a little further,
though, Ken. It was definitely
this direction. Ken, Jax,
check this out. Where you at, Tommy? Up here. What you got, buddy? Look at this. Look, a track there. Oh, yeah. Over here. Hey, Tommy, you know
what these tracks are? They look
like fox tracks to me. Hm. Let's get
some photos of this. Foxes can make
vocalizations that sound very similar
to a human baby. Yeah, but we should have
an expert listen to the audio recordings
to confirm that. NARRATOR: The team gets
back to work scouring for clues, but tonight there's
no more evidence to be found. ♪♪ NARRATOR: The next day,
after sending their samples to a lab for analysis,
Ken and Tommy travel to nearby Sitka to visit Gary,
an expert in Kushtaka lore, who also happens to be the
father of Tommy's girlfriend. [ Dog barks ] GARY: Hello, Tommy. TOMMY: Hey, Gary. How are you doing? I'm good.
How you doing? You guys want
to come on in? Sure. What's going on, guys? Is there some way
I can help you? We're investigating stories
about the Kushtaka. Maybe you have some of your
own personal stories on this. I grew up knowing
there was a Kushtaka, knowing that there was
an Otterman to be feared. Why are the Tlingit people
so fearful of the Kushtaka? What -- What is so terrifying
about this creature? Because they're afraid
that they're gonna steal their soul and their body
and turn them into a Kushtaka, and if --
when they do that, a Tlingit will
never get reincarnated as a human being again. They'll do anything to get you
away from the safety of your home
or your village. They can shape-shift
into your loved one or even a best friend. The descriptions
of -- of the shape-shifting -- To me, it's very reminiscent
of other global legends of shape-shifting types
of beings or entities. NARRATOR: Shape-shifters pervade
ancient lore and are almost always based
on animals that are local to the culture. Japanese legends describe
the kitsune, a fox with up to nine tails,
that can assume human form. The Scottish and Irish have
the selkie, a seal that can shed its skin
to become a person on land. And the Navajo re-enact stories
of skin-walkers, Natives who can transform
into any animal in their realm. Some historians believe
these legends were inspired by people with abnormalities, as if they were something
other than fully human. Could the humanlike qualities
of the otter have made it a natural fit for the Alaskan
version of this folklore? Are there any talismans
or things that you can do to -- to protect yourself? Uh, they don't like iron
or steel, because they know
that they can be weapons, and they're definitely afraid
of dogs. So, Gary, we're gonna be going
out into the woods and doing
some more investigation. Maybe we could borrow
your dog, Clyde. Oh, Clyde would be
a good dog to take with you, and they would definitely be
afraid of him. You know, I think
it might help us if we could actually speak
to someone who's experienced or seen
a Kushtaka recently. Would you know
anyone like that? I know a young man
that had seen one recently, and I can introduce you
to him. That would be
terrific. Okay. NARRATOR: As Ken and Tommy get
information about a witness, Jax visits the lab where the team left
their evidence for examination. Rick Mueller,
a biologist who's an expert on native Alaskan species,
has finished his analysis. Hey.
How we doing? Hey, Jax.
How are you? Good seeing you again. Good to see you again. Got some stuff for me? I do. Very, very cool. I've examined
your recording, and I do have
some results for you. Okay. I'm gonna play
your recording. Okay. [<i> Animal calling</i> ] And you --
Like you were saying, it -- it does sound like
a baby screaming. And here's a recording
that we have in our database. [<i> Animal crying</i> ] Wow, that does sound
a lot like what we recorded. That was a red fox. The audio
that you supplied -- in the background,
there's a faint chattering. Mm-hmm. Do you hear that? I do hear that. And that's called
gekkering. NARRATOR: Fox gekkering is
a unique sound that separates
their vocalizations from other species. While sometimes used
by kits in playtime, its most commonly employed
during aggressive encounters or uttered as a warning. The strange thing was,
up until this point, we had seen
no signs of wildlife and the forest was
eerily quiet. That's unusual. Usually, you would hear
a lot of sound from squirrels to magpies, so it --
it could be quite obvious that there's something
that's making these foxes very disturbed. So, what about the fur? The fur, I can tell you, is
a different story to me. I'd like
to just move this. DNA analysis reflects
that it's river otter. Okay. But we've never seen
a hair that long. I thought he was gonna say
the fur was from a fox, which would match the sound
and the print that we found, or maybe a bear,
which was my leading theory for what happened
to the missing writer. To hear him say "otter"
shocked me. The sample that you supplied was
three to four times longer than what you can see
right here. JAX:
Than right here, huh? And that's --
that's very abnormal. Longer hair is -- is
usually reserved for your
non-aquatic animals. So, we're dealing
with a river otter positively, but it's possibly an anomaly
or a subspecies that hasn't been
identified. It's not something
I've ever seen before. Hm. It -- It has me
mystified. ♪ NARRATOR: The river otter has
long been a staple of the Alaskan landscape. Could it also help answer
the mystery of why so many people go missing
in the Alaska Triangle? A sea otter is a second branch
of this family tree. Evolution has made it
up to four times larger than its cousin and adapted it
with paddle-like rear limbs and increased foot webbing so it can live
almost exclusively in water. Considering
such specializations, the team has to consider
the possibility of a third strain
of this creature, an otter highly suited to land that's big enough
to target humans. The Otterman,
also known as the Kushtaka, pervades the lore of the
Tlingits of Southeast Alaska, who believe
it can steal your soul. The team has discovered
some odd fur identified by DNA
as river otter but longer than normal
for the species. Could this be a validation
of the Kushtaka, or is it just a genetic quirk
on an otherwise ordinary otter? Based on a lead from Gary, Ken and Jax meet
with a witness named Alex who claims to have had
a run-in with a Kushtaka a few months ago. Heard you had
an interesting story to tell us. I was out running
on my favorite trail. And as I was running,
I saw my friend up ahead of me. And I yelled out after him, and -- and he just
kept on going. And I was yelling his name,
and nothing. So, I finally stopped. And he bolted
into the woods. And that's when I figured,
"Okay, I'm just gonna figure out where he's headed. Maybe
I'll meet him there." So, I tried to give him a call,
"And then he'll hear me." And he picks up
after the first ring, and he goes,
"Hey, Alex, how are you?" "That's what I called
to ask you. I see you're out here.
You know, where are you going? Maybe I can meet up." He says, "I'm at my house" --
not winded. It was strange. I got this weird feeling
inside -- "This is not right." And I hung up, and I got out
of there as soon as possible. ♪♪ I mean, sometimes, people are --
you know, you're running. Your adrenaline's up, you know?
You got fatigue. You know,
you might be making a mistake. Are you really sure
that was your friend? Yeah, maybe just someone
that looked like him, and you didn't get
a good look at -- This is a small town, you know?
We know everybody here. Everybody knows everybody,
and I know that was my friend. We were all raised
with the stories, and I'm
absolutely positive. It's got to be
a Kushtaka. Why don't you tell us
what you know? What is the Kushtaka --
from your experience? Well, half-otter,
half-man -- It's a shape-shifter and tries
to lead people into the woods. You know, with that,
who else could it be? That's exactly
what this person who was looking like my friend
was doing. So, Alex, approximately
where was this location where you saw your friend
take off into the woods? It was
on the Indian River Trail. ♪♪ Why do you think
it would be after you? Why do you think
it would be drawing you away? I'm not sure. [ Sighs ]
I'm not sure. ♪♪ NARRATOR: The team heads to
the location of Alex's sighting. The Indian River is located
just outside of Sitka, a mere 90 miles from Thomas Bay
and the ongoing sightings there. ♪♪ This is the jogging trail
right here the witness described,
Ken. They are hopeful there might be
some lingering clues. -Up here?
-Yeah, up there.
-Yeah, that's the way. You want to head that way?
I'll go this way, if you want
to take the middle, Ken. KEN: Okay. All right. NARRATOR: If they can find
any shoe prints, that could help them track down
anyone who ran here. Even a sliver
of a protein bar wrapper might have some DNA on it. Hey, Jax,
are you seeing anything? Nothing so far. But after two hours
of searching, they don't find a trace. JAX: It's really disappointing
not to find any evidence here. As of now with this incident,
all we have is one man's story, and eyewitnesses can be
unreliable. I've done
thousands of interviews with witnesses
who are sane, sober, and articulate adults,
and they still get items wrong. They can still get colors wrong,
descriptions wrong -- I mean, as simple as someone
having hair or not having hair. It's just how it is.
The human brain fills in facts. It's just an option
we have to really consider that he just did see somebody
he thought was his friend, and it wasn't. TOMMY: Right. Well, man, that's definitely
a possibility, but it fits the traits
of the Kushtaka. I mean, what --
what does it do? It targets individuals,
and it leads them out into the wilderness,
leads them astray. And that's exactly
what this guy is describing. We just have to be careful
that we're not sticking his statement
into that story because he knows
what a Kushtaka is. That's all I'm saying. All accounts that I've heard
of growing up here, Kushtaka will lure people
either into the woods or down to the river. This ravine is
all channeled together, and it's headed
right down towards the river. If we're gonna find
a river otter, that's where
you're gonna find him. NARRATOR: The team doesn't know
if they're dealing with a creature
or a person with bad intentions, but, either way, the river is
a prime spot. A person could dispose
of evidence there or even use it
for a quick getaway. JAX: This seems like
a lot calmer right here. You're right.
I think maybe this is a good location
to look around for any sign
of otter footprints. Sounds good. Well,
let's look around. Let's spread out. We got a nice, soft bank
for tracks, too. ♪♪ The rain's been coming down
pretty hard today, guys. Any tracks are gonna get
wiped out pretty quick in this soft mud. [ Sighs ] Hey, guys!
I think we've got something! Come check it out! JAX: What do you got,
buddy? What do you got? Check has the highest rate NARRATOR: The state of Alaska of missing people
in the country. Are there dangers here
besides the rugged terrain, harsh weather,
and known predators? The Tlingit folklore
of Southeast Alaska describes a terrifying creature called
the Kushtaka, or Otterman, that lures people into the woods and turns them
into other Kushtakas. A witness testimony
about the shape-shifting beast has led the team
to the Indian River near Sitka, where they may have unearthed
a clue. [ Sighs ] Hey, guys!
I think we've got something! Come check it out! JAX: What do you got,
buddy? What do you got? Oh, wow.
Check that out. TOMMY: Well, you see floating
in the water here some --
looks like some fur. It's like something was coming
through here and got snagged
on the stick. Doesn't look
like bear hair. I wouldn't think canine,
either. No. It's a little
too -- too dense. Too -- Yeah, pretty thick. Hm. This looks a lot like
what we found the other day. None of the river otters
that I know of have hair this long. Well, this is the anomaly
that got brought up with the technician
the other day was that everything DNA-wise met
that it was a river otter... Yeah. ...without
a shadow of a doubt, but except
for the length. Mm-hmm. This just might be
the spot where we need to focus
our attention, guys. If there are real
but abnormal otters running around out here, well,
maybe that's what inspired the Kushtaka legends, and this
is our chance to catch one. I think we should get
some gear, get back here,
and stake the area out. I think we need to. All right, man. NARRATOR: A real otter
with physical anomalies might explain the shape-shifter
part of Kushtaka lore. Could such an animal manipulate
its features to look like other animals? A real-life example
of this talent is the mimic octopus, capable
of imitating a rigid flatfish when it swims, making itself less appetizing
to passing predators. Octopi can also change
their color and texture to mimic their environment, hiding invisibly
on plants and coral. While these traits are used
as defense, similar abilities can be used
to attack prey, which is the core
of the Kushtaka legend. ♪♪ It's a possibility
that Brad Benson takes seriously after experiencing
something strange outside Juneau in 2011. A friend and I were doing
a volunteer shift cleaning up garbage
along the side of the stretch of road
just outside of town. And he had his headphones in.
He was about 20 yards from me. [ Birds chirping ] Suddenly, my friend called out to me from off among the trees,
and I looked for him. And he said, "Hey, there's
a big pile of garbage back here. We need to get it." So, I went and grabbed
another bag and opened it up. And as I did,
a jogger and her dog came running around the corner. And the dog immediately started
barking like crazy. [ Dog barking ] I looked back
to where my friend was standing, and the only thing I saw was
just this flash -- a brown creature with no tail
disappearing into the woods. And I looked back
towards the dog and the jogger, and, behind them, my friend
steps out of the woods. I thought, "There's no way
he got from point 'A' to point 'B' that quickly." But even so, I asked him if he
had called me into the woods, and he said he didn't know
what I was talking about. It wasn't even him. ♪♪ NARRATOR: The team convenes
at Gary's house to procure some small-game traps in case
it's just a regular-sized otter leaving the strange fur behind. And if it's a Kushtaka,
those are said to often appear
as regular river otters, making them vulnerable,
as well. The team will set the traps up
at the river for an overnight stakeout. Right here.
Got it? And the same thing
if something steps down. JAX: Your turn, Ken. Slams shut and traps it live
in there without hurting it. KEN: If this is actually
an otter we're dealing with, then the baited trap
should draw it out. But if it's the Otterman,
then the fact that we're all gonna be
separated should draw it out. Come on, Clyde. KEN: We'll essentially make
ourselves bait with a little protection
just in case. ♪♪ NARRATOR: With Tommy bringing
Clyde the dog, Jax toting his sidearm,
and Ken packing bear spray, the team heads
back to the river. They've identified a bridge
where Ken can set up home base. Guys, all the points lead
to right here. The fur you found,
Tommy -- about a quarter mile
downstream right there. And we're
in the same general area where that mystery jogger
was seen. I think this is
the perfect location to stage
our investigation. Ken will run
a central command post from his spot on the bridge while Jax and Tommy head
in opposite directions. JAX: Let's gear up
and go do that. Jax and Tommy will have cameras
mounted on their chests that will send a live feed
of what they see to Ken's tablet. TOMMY: Excellent. We're good? Ken, you got me? Yep.
Got it. All right. NARRATOR:
The first trap is set up near Ken's position
on the bridge. The others will be placed
farther along the river. JAX: Right here, Tommy? Right here's perfect.
Come on, Clyde. JAX: Ken, you want to grab
Tommy's pack? KEN: Yeah. [ Trap door clanks ] Lift up. Here, I'll hold them
while you put the meat in there. [ Clyde whining ] On the plate? Yep. Perfect. All right,
we're set here. [ Clyde whining, barking ] What's up with Clyde?
He's going crazy. TOMMY: Hey, Jax. Yeah? [ Clyde barking ] [ Clyde barking ] JAX: All right,
we're set here. [ Clyde whining, barking ] What's up with Clyde?
He's going crazy. TOMMY: Hey, Jax. Yeah? [ Clyde barking ] ♪♪ See anything, Tommy? Not yet. Jax. What, buddy? Yeah, I'm not seeing
any tracks, and Clyde's not picking up
anything more here. Okay. JAX: I've worked
with canines before, and their sense of smell is a good 10,000 times stronger
than ours, so I have no doubt
that Clyde sensed something. How we doing, Ken? Did you guys see anything?
What happened? Nothing. I don't know.
The dog alerted, and -- Yeah. Got worked up
over something over there. Yeah, we couldn't find out
what it was, but... Hmm. ...we need to get
those other traps set before we lose all
our light here. All right.
This one's set. Let's get back to work. Looking good.
All right. Thank you. NARRATOR:
The team members separate and head toward
their respective posts. Ken will monitor the others
from the bridge while Jax patrols
an area upriver and Tommy an area downriver. Jax sets another trap
at the river's edge. Since this one will be unmanned, he will set up a trail camera
to keep an eye on it. It's motion-sensitive with
high-definition night vision, so it will reveal anything
that comes sniffing around. ♪♪ With the team in position,
night settles in. [ Insects chirping ] TOMMY: Go, Clyde. NARRATOR: For Tommy,
it's an unsettling situation. TOMMY: I've heard stories
my whole life of the Kushtaka and how dangerous they are. And now we're here trying
to draw one in. I know this is important
for our investigation, but this goes against
every instinct I have. Hey, Ken.
I got nothing. Are you seeing movement
by the trap that we set? Hold on.
I'm checking it now. Negative -- There's
no movement near the trap. Come on, Clyde. Tommy, this is Ken.
Do you copy? Yeah, I hear you. You doing all right,
brother? Hey, I'm not seeing
anything here yet. What are you guys seeing? Yeah, it's pretty quiet
up here on the bridge, too. [ Branches crack ] Hey, Ken,
I think I hear something. I'm gonna go
check it out. Keep an eye on the camera.
Radio silence for me. All right, guys.
Radio silence. All right. ♪ [ Clyde panting ] [ Clyde whines ] [ Rustling, Clyde barks ] See something, Clyde? [ Clyde whining, panting ] [ Clyde barking ] [ Water burbling ] [ Sighs ] [ Trap door clanks ] KEN: I hear the trap get sprung
down below, and from the bridge,
it appears empty... but I need to make sure. And I can't break radio silence
to call for backup. So I need to investigate this
on my own. What the [bleep] [ Clyde barking ] [ Thud ] KEN:
What the [bleep] [ Thud ] [Bleep] TOMMY:
What was that? KEN: What
are you doing here? We're following a noise,
and then heard the trap go off from down the river. Check this out, man. The bait's gone,
and the trap was sprung. What do you got, guys?
What was that noise? Jax. Something freaking huge splashed
over there in the water, right there in the river. Well, let's go over there
and check it out. This is extremely disturbing. I mean, whatever jumped
in that water, it was probably
within 50 feet of me. TOMMY: Jax. What, buddy? Clyde's got
something here. What do we got? Check this out. KEN: What did you find,
a track? Got a funny pad
right here. Oh, yeah. Something's been
through here. Well, hold up.
Hold up. Oh, shoot. There's one
right there. Four toes, claws, deep pad --
What do you make of this, guys? Uh... What is that, a bear? I don't -- I-I don't know
what it is. You don't think it should just
be old and be spread out? I mean,
this mud's pretty gummy. See how the digits are
all in alignment there? Crazy. It's large
like a bear, though. What about
a large wolf? Man, it's hard to say
with that big feet. That's huge, man.
That -- Lookit. That's -- That's bigger
than my hand. I'm with you there,
but I'm just telling you the morphology of the track
looks like an otter track. And I'll tell you what, guys --
Whatever made this track -- I wouldn't want
to run into it. JAX:
Ken is clearly on edge. He seems convinced
a Kushtaka nearly got him. I'm sure it's something else,
but whatever it is, we need a safer approach
to the stakeout. I mean, if this is a bear
or if it's some large otter, we need -- we don't need to be
separated the rest of the night. We need to stay together,
all right? TOMMY:
Yeah, definitely. Here, hang tight.
Let me get a picture of that. TOMMY: This print is
frightening to me. It does resemble
an oversized otter, which is a scary prospect. Go, Clyde. And it does confirm
my beliefs. NARRATOR:
The team sticks together for the remainder
of the stakeout, but the rest of the night
remains quiet. ♪♪ After some wildlife experts
have had a chance to analyze the print,
the team reconvenes to discuss the findings. So, I submitted the photos
of the track that we found. Mm-hmm. Came back
completely inconclusive. The track was incomplete
and too smeared. It was kind of a dead end,
which was, to me, disappointing. Well, that is
disappointing. It is. Honestly,
I thought we had something
pretty remarkable there. It obviously was
a large-sized animal. [ Sighs ] But probably the biggest thing
out of the whole investigation, though, was the fur. Finding that
in two different locations has to make you wonder,
especially after having the lab analyze it
and it's coming back as river or land otter, but nothing
that's gonna be identifiable with that kind of length
to the fur. Yeah, it's not like any
river otter that I've ever seen. It's just too long hair. You know, guys,
I've been thinking. I mean,
last night was crazy. You guys each individually heard
a noise that distracted you and led you off right when
I heard that trap go off... Mm-hmm. ...and consequently led me off of my post on the bridge
down to the woods, as if it was trying
to lead me when I was
at my most vulnerable position alone on the bridge. If these creatures do exist,
as I believe they may, that may have been
a whole strategy that had been played out. Maybe several of these creatures
were working together in tandem to lead us
out into the wilderness and to make us Kushtakas,
too. It makes
for a nice ghost story, but it's like
the bogeyman, you know? But it's definitely hard
for me to believe that this is some sort
of man/otter. You know what I mean? I think you're just looking
for some anomaly, a new species of otter
that hasn't been found or researched before. Well, I know all my life I've --
I've heard these stories, and I --
and I have talked to people that they've experienced
these different happenings. And it --
I can't dismiss that. Mm. NARRATOR: The idea
that an evil force can take on any identity it wants might be the most frightening legend
of all. Could that be the lesson at
the heart of the Otterman lore? I grew up knowing there was
a Kushtaka to be feared. Is it simply a warning that even
the most innocent-looking being could be concealing
a sinister side? Or is it possible that evolution
has created a unique creature, one much larger
than its cousins, with different features and
an eye toward human conquest? [ Dog barking ] Either way, buried
somewhere within this legend could be one more reason that
people go missing in Alaska.
