The Shunka Warakin is a canine cryptid that is said to live in the mountains and plains of Montana and the surrounding areas. It can also be spelled as Shunka Warak’in.
Cryptid Name: | Shunka Warakin / Shunka Warak’in |
Location: | Montana and surrounding states. |
Category: | Canine Cryptid |
Description: | Often described as a dog-like or wolf-like creature with unusual features like a sloping back, a hump, or a mane of hair along its back. Some reports suggest a dog-like or hyena-like face. |
Size: | Roughly the size of a coyote or wolf. |
Behavior/Characteristics: | Solitary and elusive, primarily active at night. |
Diet: | Reports suggest it preys on livestock and dogs. |
Habitat/Environment: | Plains of Montana |
Evidence: | Photographs, Taxidermy. |
Sightings and Encounters: | Occasional sightings and encounters. |
Skepticism/Explanations: | Various theories proposed, including misidentification of known animals (e.g., wolves with deformities), genetic anomalies, or even a surviving population of an extinct animal. Skepticism exists due to the lack of scientific verification. |
How is Shunka Warakin Pronounced?
Shunka Warakin is pronounced as “Shun-kah war-uh-kin”.
What Does Shunka Warakin Mean?
Shunka Warakin means “carries off dogs”. It is said that it was given this name because it was known to go into people’s camps at night and steal their dogs.
What Does the Shunka Warakin Look Like?
The Shunka Warakin is most often described as looking like a cross between a wolf and a hyena and it is about the size of a coyote.
It has a dog-like or wolf-like body shape with a sloping back similar to a hyena’s back. It is also said to have a mane of hair running down its back which isn’t typical of known canine species. Its fur has a shaggy appearance and some describe its face as dog-like while others describe it as more like the face of a hyena.
Shunka Warakin Sightings & History
Stories about the Shunka Warakin have featured in both Native American folklore and tales told by settlers who made the Great Plains of Montana their homes.
However, it wasn’t until 1886 when a rancher by the name of Israel Ammon Hutchinson shot the first documented animal on his ranch. He traded the beast’s carcass with a taxidermist named Joseph Sherwood who called it “ringdocus” and mounted it in his store until the 1980s when it disappeared.
It was later tracked down to the Idaho Museum of Natural History and was moved to the Madison Valley History Museum in Montana where you can still see it today.
Recent Sightings
In 2015 a beast that resembles descriptions of the Shunka Warakin was shot dead on a ranch in Montana and according to news reports, experts aren’t sure what it is. This is a video of the news report which came out at that time.
The carcass of the animal was sent in for DNA testing but it was discovered that it was a Grey Wolf. What do you think?
Similar Canine Cryptids
- Amarok Wolf (Amaroq) – Arctic Regions
- The Black Shuck – England
- Akhlut – Arctic Regions
- Waheela – Canada
Resources
- Madison Valley History Association
- Cryptozoology A to Z by Loren Coleman & Jerome Clark