WELCOME TO ISSUE 19 of isle of wéired news – bringing you the weirdest news from around the world.
In this issue: Cornell University denies performing DNA tests on sasquatch remains; a village in Scotland attempts to solve a very strange puzzle; a haunted village bans content creators; “sex-crazed goblins” harass female staff and students at a school in Zimbabwe; a Donegal man sees two Loch Ness monsters; a vampire is detained under the Mental Health Act; and an Indian politician takes legal action over “occult rituals” allegations.
Cornell University Deny Performing Bigfoot DNA Tests
In July, Charles Stuart – aka “Snake the Bigfoot Hunter” – announced that Cornell University had carried out DNA tests on the remains of a sasquatch that he claimed to have found in New York’s Adirondack mountains (see issue 16).
Stuart said he had submitted blood, hair and faecal samples to a friend who works at Cornell. The friend – named as Misty Pichard – performed DNA tests on the samples.
Stuart published the results of these tests along with supporting documentation on his website. According to the tests, the sasquatch remains are 58.5% Neanderthal and 41.5% human.
However, a spokesperson for Cornell said these tests were not carried out by the university.
“Cornell is flat out lying – I will not be silenced,” said Stuart.
“This isn’t a dispute over the facts of the report – it’s panic over control. I bypassed the machine and went straight to the public. I was warned from day one not to share this report.
“I released the unreacted DNA report anyway because I believe in transparency and the intelligence of the public.”
Source(s): The Daily Telegraph, 4 August 2026
The “Money Sprinkler” Mystery
Over the last few months, shredded bank notes have been found in the streets and green spaces of Longniddry, a coastal village in East Lothian, Scotland.
The unknown shredder has been nicknamed the “money sprinkler.”
Some residents have been attempting to paste the shredded notes back together and have been posting their efforts on Facebook.
One resident says the serial numbers on the notes appear to be genuine – but believes the “sprinkler” may have sliced through the numbers deliberately.
Longniddry Community Council say they have been aware of the phenomenon for some time, but don’t know who is behind it.
“We are aware it happens sporadically, occurring over a number of months,” said a spokesperson for the council. “We do not know if it is real money but, if it is, we wish that whoever is is would give it to a worthwhile charity rather than chopping it up.”
Shredded bank notes have been found in other towns in East Lothian.
“I thought the council mower had gone over them,” said one North Berwick resident. “I collected it all and the only bits missing was the serial number. There were at least five new notes all sliced up. How strange.”
Source(s): Edinburgh News, 5 August 2026
Haunted Village Bans Content Creators
The residents of Swala, in the Champawat district of Uttarakhand, India, have banned journalists and content creators from entering their village.
“Media persons, vloggers and YouTubers visit our village and describe it as a ghost or haunted village in a bid to increase views,” said village head Lalita Bhatt. “Continuous negative reporting has maligned the image of our village and its residents.”
About 40 years ago, according to local legend, a vehicle carrying personnel of the Provincial Armed Constabulary fell into a gorge near the village, killing several of those on board.
Following the incident, residents reported hearing strange sounds, screaming, knocking on their doors at night, and other supernatural phenomena.
In the subsequent years, the village experienced a steady decline in its population, which was blamed on the supernatural activity associated with the village.
However, according to activist Ishwari Datt Bhatt, there is nothing supernatural about the village’s decline.
“There is nothing like that. Our villagers continued cultivating crops and vegetables after the fatal incident,” he said.
“The lack of irrigation and other basic facilities led to people shifting to another place.”
Source(s): Hindustaan Times (Lucknow), 30 July 2026
“Sex-Crazed Goblins” in Zimbabwe
Female teachers and students at Siyaphambili Secondary School in Bulilima district, Matabeleland South province, Zimbabwe, say that “sex-crazed goblins” have been sexually harassing them.
Victims say they wake up feeling as though a “tireless being” was having “frantic sex” with them.
“Sometimes I would wake up without my underwear, even after wearing tights and skinny jeans that are hard to remove,” said one victim. “On other days, I would feel as if something had been sucking on my breasts, leaving them sore. I heard other teachers and learners saying they would wake up very tired, as if they had engaged in a sex marathon.”
Some of the students claim that the goblins attacked them during the day – which caused mass fainting at the school.
“My friend was among those who collapsed recently,” said a student. “She said she felt as if invisible hands were caressing and pinching her all over before she lost consciousness.”
Reportedly, these incidents have been going on since 2025.
Some of the students at the school have stopped attending classes, while others have requested transfers.
Seemingly, events at the school only became public after parents demanded answers from the authorities.
“This led to the school development committee and village heads to mobilise churches to pray at the school in a bid to cast out the evil spirits and restore confidence among fearful learners,” said a source.
“We are waiting to see if the prayers worked.”
Source(s): The Sunday Mail (Zimbabwe), 2 August 2026
Nessie Webcam Sighting
On 9 July, Eoin Fagan saw two massive objects on Loch Ness.
Eoin made this sighting from his home in Donegal via the Visit Inverness Loch Ness webcam.
“The sighting took place at 3:29pm of two moving targets the size of a small cabin cruiser, that can range in size from 23 feet to 33 feet in length,” Eoin reported.
“I also took a photo later that day of a cabin cruiser in the same area of the loch where the two targets were moving through. They are easily the size of the cabin cruiser photographed.
“In the video clip the more northerly object submerges first, followed by the object behind it 15 seconds later. They gradually submerge, not just gone in the blink of an eye, but gradually.”
Eoin believes the objects were too big to be ordinary wildlife.
“The targets are huge in regard to the size of normal aquatic species that frequent Loch Ness such as seals that can grow up to eight feet long,” he said.
“It is mind boggling to think there are creatures the length of a cabin cruiser swimming in the peaty depths of Loch Ness, evading detection for so long.”
Source(s): Daily Star, 2 August 2026
Vampire Detained under the Mental Health Act
Benjamin Lewis, a 48-year-old man from Totton, Southampton, England, has been detained under the UK’s Mental Health Act for placing slaughtered lambs, deer heads and inverted crosses at churches across the New Forest in Hampshire, England.
The animal remains and inverted crosses began appearing outside and inside churches in February 2025, creating real fear in the area – with some residents too afraid to go to church.
Police quickly saw a pattern. They constructed “satanic calendars” – and posted officers at churches on significant days.
Lewis was arrested after traces of his DNA were found on the remains of a lamb.
PC Jessica Surman of Hampshire police said it was the most unusual case she has worked on. “It’s one where you think you have reached the end of the bizarreness and then something else happens and throws a curveball into the mix.”
According to PC Surman, Lewis drank blood in the belief it would prolong his life.
“And if he drinks it enough he won’t go to hell, he won’t die and he will become a vampire,” she said.
Source(s): The Guardian, 3 August 2026; The Scotsman, 4 August 2026
Politician Takes Legal Action Over “Occult Rituals” Accusation
In Telangana, southern India, T. Harish Rao of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi political party has taken legal action against two senior members of the Indian National Congress party over their allegations that he performed “occult rituals” at temples to prevent rainfall in Telangana.
Addanki Dayakar and Sama Ram Mohan Reddy allege that Harish Rao was trying to cause a drought in the region.
Harish Rao has demanded an apology. He says their claims not only tarnish his reputation, but that they also “insult the sanctity of temples and hurt the sentiments of devotees by politicising religious practices.”
Source(s): Deccan Chronicle, 4 August 2026
Unless otherwise attributed, all images were created by the author using Microsoft Copilot (AI)