Gnome sightings in Argentina
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The Gnome sightings in Argentina is a reported wave of sightings of Gnomes, a traditional mythical creature, in General Güemes, Salta, Argentina that came to its climax in 2007. The craze is similar to that of the chupacabra, which had happened in Latin America. Some reports claim that a survey showed that 90% of locals believed in the creature with over a hundred claiming to have actually seen one of the creatures, however contrasting reports claim that very few locals actually believe in it. [1]
Locals had reported seeing gnomes (or duendes) for several decades, however reports increased in 2007 after railway workers reported seeing one run around the tracks. They reported seeing a knee height humanoid creature wearing a pointy hood who ran sideways.
The story was reported by El Tribuno in Argentina, and then The Sun in the UK. It was then picked up by Fox News in the USA, before becoming somewhat of an urban legend. Since then, many skeptics have declared the story to be true, claiming that the video used as the main evidence is a valid video and that reports of the beliefs were underexagerated.
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[edit] Recorded sighting
In March 2008, a video was caught of the creature by a local teenager on their mobile phone, Jose Alvarez, who commented on how he and some friends had encountered it one night.
- "We were chatting about our last fishing trip. It was one in the morning. I began to film a bit with my mobile phone while the others were chatting and joking. Suddenly we heard something — a weird noise as if someone was throwing stones... We looked to one side and saw that the grass was moving. To begin with we thought it was a dog but when we saw this gnome-like figure begin to emerge we were really afraid... This is no joke. We are still afraid to go out — just like everyone else in the neighbourhood now... One of my friends was so scared after seeing that thing that we had to take him to the hospital."[2]
The video quality is fairly blurred and dark. It goes from showing the teenagers chatting, to zooming in on something rustling about in some long grass several metres away. The creature then dashes across a field, running sideways, and this is filmed for a brief few seconds.
[edit] Government Reaction
Due to the heavy public reaction and panic, and the number of reports the Mayor's office received, the mayor launched a police inquiry into the sightings. He commented:
- "I am a little sceptical because I have never personally seen these gnomes - but it’s definitely possible that they exist... People here believe in them and we have to respect that... I do not think that it is completely impossible. Gnomes are part of our culture here".
The leader of the police investigation, José Luis Núñez, however, believed in the creature, saying
- "I personally believe in gnomes as I saw one when I was a child. The scary thing was, I had just played a gnome that came to life in a school play. That night, I saw it standing in front of my house."
[edit] Skepticism
There has been skepticism by some, who believe that the sightings may be due to simply a little person playing a prank. Others have viewed it as a hoax set up by the local newspaper, El Tribuno, claiming a similarity between the dwarf and their logo.
Website Snopes claimed that the video false due to the suspicious nature of there being two separate takes of the video, as well as no real reports of gnome sightings, declaring them to be merely stories created by the newspapers.
