The Strange Tale of Sinkhole Sam

Inman, Kansas has been known to be home to the state’s largest lake, but also one of the state’s most notorious creatures of paranormal interest.  Those who have heard the name Sinkhole Sam will recall the harrowing details of close encounters several residents had with the creature almost half a century ago.  The creature is thought to be one of the largest reported snakes in the American Midwest.

With dimensions that stun those hearing Sinkhole Sam’s tale and an estimated two foot thickness, no doubt the mysterious creature could consume a human if he felt it necessary.  In the 1920’s there was quite a bit of interest in the mysterious creature with hundreds of visitors pouring in with the hopes of catching a glimpse of the mysterious creature.  But unfortunately, it was only seen on a few occasions by residents and visitors alike.  And now with interest in cryptozoology at an all time high some are once again donning their hunting hats in an attempt to discover if the creature is still around, or if its remains can be found in the sinkholes in Kansas.

While Kansas is mostly a state for ghost stories and UFO encounters, there has been a considerable jump in the number of cryptid sightings in recent years.  In fact, one of the first big cat sightings with evidence left behind and analyzed happened in the state of endless fields and Wizard of Oz fame.  When a cougar was identified positively by DNA evidence from its droppings, authorities finally verified that a big cat could indeed be in the region.  So if evidence of Big Cats abroad can come out from Kansas, is there a possibility for more?  UFOs are a major point of interest in the state as well, with the population to UFO report ratio skyrocketing more each year after a brief slowdown in the middle of the nineties.

The last genuine sighting of Inman’s mysterious monster is hard to track down as legends around it are recirculated and recycled several times.  With no way of knowing which ones are the originals and which ones are simply a retelling of an old classic revamped for the new era of cryptozoology, names become more important than ever when investigating the big snake.  As with Nessie and Bigfoot it is important to gather photographic evidence when possible to verify not only that the creature exists, but general information about its real size without endangering the creature itself.

Although many cryptids have a paranormal slant, Sinkhole Sam could simply be a larger than normal creature that has been around for quite some time that underwent a massive growth spurt.  Still, the width of the creature leads many to speculate that it could be nothing more than a normal python whose size was exaggerated by those spinning tall tales.  Until a specimen (or its remains) are discovered, however, it will be hard to tell just how much of this story is real and how much is a scaly tall tale.