| Wolfie | |
|---|---|
 An artist's depiction | |
| Background | |
| Type | Cryptid |
| Continent | Europe |
| Country | England |
| One-Time? | Yes |
| Theories | · Cryptid · Extraterrestrial · Hoax |
Wolfie was the nickname given to one of the weirdest cryptids ever encountered in Britain. The Lawson family lived in Abbey House, Cambridgeshire, from 1904 to 1910, during which time Wolfie was spied on many occasions by the children, and once at close range by their father as it sped down a corridor.
Appearance[]
One depiction of Wolfie superficially resembled a large, brown-furred, short-eared hare but with some notable additional attributes: always running on its hind legs, sporting a pair of flipper-like front paws, and equipped with a long bird-like beak. This depiction was possibly influenced by artistic license, with most original reports referencing primarily canine features.
Wolfie was mostly seen on the ground floor at twilight, or in the drawing room when lit by lamplight, but even unseen its presence was readily evinced by the distinctive pattering sound of its footsteps.
Possible Explanations[]
There are several explanations as to what the creature could be. Theories include:
- An undiscovered species (a Cryptid)
- An extraterrestrial
- A ghost
- A hoax
Trivia[]
- In 1947 a mysterious “tiny doggie” was reported in the kitchen by Christopher, the young son of Celia Schofield, in referring to Wolfie.
- In 1920, a 2-year-old girl named Charmian, living at Abbey House with her parents after the Lawsons had moved out, was once found crying in the doorway of the dining room. When asked by her mother what had frightened her, she replied "an animal". Charmian thereafter refused to enter the dining room alone, but continued to report sightings of the creature.
- The first reported sighting of Wolfie was in 1904, when John, the Lawson's young son, was 3 years of age. His mother (Dorothy Lawson) had come up to his nursery to bring the child downstairs, and found her son staring "strangely" at the window curtains. He then asked her where "the little brown thing" had gone, claiming that just before his mother had entered the room, an animal had come in and stared at him before vanishing behind the curtains. Dorothy checked, but found nothing. Some time later, her little daughter Jane reported that a similar animal had come into her nursery, and asked her mother if there were wolves in the house. Both sightings - along with many other odd incidents - were recorded in detail by Dorothy in a diary she kept throughout their stay in the house.
- A lawyer named Jacob Butler, who had owned Abbey House in the 18th century, was a noted eccentric who was said to have trained his dog to walk on its hind legs. Damien O'Dell, author of Paranormal Cambridgeshire , speculates that Wolfie may have been the ghost of this dog.
- Author Leecy Davis wrote a cryptozoology-themed children's book about Wolfie. She added bird-like characteristics to her description of the creature, although the original source material describes it (in much vaguer terms) as having only dog- or rabbit-like features.
Gallery[]
Photo Gallery[]
