What creature left its footprints in Shrewsbury snow?
Are these strange footprints around a Shropshire landmark an elaborate prank - or evidence of something more sinister?
Are these strange footprints around a Shropshire landmark an elaborate prank - or evidence of something more sinister?
The intriguing prints were discovered in the snow around the Quantum Leap statue in Shrewsbury this week.
Charles Darwin, in whose memory Quantum Leap was built, would struggle to identify the origin of the strange beast that left the prints.
The Shropshire Star reader who sent the pictures in asked: "Are they the work of a predator or a prankster?
The reader, who did not wish to be named, said he saw them on Sunday.
He said: "People were looking into the Quantum Leap garden. I grabbed my camera from the car.
"I saw big footprints all over the place about 14 inches long by eight inches wide.
"It looked like a robot or that predator creature from the movie's prints. They go around the garden and under the sculpture. The footprints ended up 'jumping over the wall' - maybe it's loose in town!"
He said people were laughing and pointing at the prints and he believes it is more likely to be a prank.
He said: "It was nice to see someone being creative and arty in the snow" but said, as it had snowed again since, the tracks were probably buried by now.
"The mystery of what left them may never be solved."
Have you spotted any strange sights out and about in the snow? Send your pictures to newsroom@shropshirestar.co.uk
Comments for: "What creature left its footprints in Shrewsbury snow?"
monkey
They could be otter prints if they go back toward the river...
Molly New
Bloomin' big otter!
Rob, Telford
"big footprints all over the place about 14 inches long by eight inches wide"
If they are otter prints that would mean the otter was about 30 foot long - might explain why the fishermen are complaining about poor catches.....
monkey
Did I say foot, its more like a prank
buckster
How has this made "news" have i been asleep and its now April the 1st?
Pete
I've seen a few big otters drinking across the road at the Shrewsbury Hotel
Peter
Looks like the UFOs much-loved by the Shropshire Star have finally landed somewhere...
Andrew Owen
Yes, I know how much you like reading those UFO stories.
Darren
Looks like Peter is gearing up for another winge about UFOs...
It was students that did this we watched them do it, quite amusing really.
john smith
I would say this is a prank...they look like Roboraptor prints or something similar. Definitely a remote controlled toy of some sort. Certainly not anything living caused those! lol.
Good joke though.
Davey
Well, after all the UFO activity in Shropshire over the past year.....
(I jest, of course)
Andy H
Aha! Oh ho! tracks in the snow. Whose are these tracks and where do they go? Its a Gruffalo. Obviously.
Steve Woods
This has the paw prints of a slow news day all over it...
adam
go and look on Google image search for crampons (mountain climbing snow shoe thingies) they look awfully similar to these prints
which is a shame, because i love the sound of a 30 foot otter . . . .
Rob, Telford
"i love the sound of a 30 foot otter "
Not when you hear its mighty roar and smell its fishy breath at 3am on a lonely river bank.....
DarwinDoddy
Perhaps if you all look to Darwinism you will find the answer there. I believe it's the footprints of the troll that lives under the Welsh Bridge. It's well known it's been a troll bridge for years!
henry moore
Is it an amorous white elephant come to mate?
Krampus
I'm sure I posted earlier that it was I, the travelling companion of Saint Nick who punishes the naughty boys and girls, who left those prints with my cloven hooves. I was travelling through Shropshire to compile my list. Now, the fact that my comments have been 'lost' means that I have some additions to make!
HM
Perhaps it was an alien searching for other intelligent life in the galaxy.
If this hideous lump of concrete (that cost over £300,000) was his first port of call - he would have zoomed off again pretty sharpish.
Upper Wummer
Just look at that picture again and tell me that's not a beautiful example of public art.
Darren
errr.... has the cold effected your eye sight, "beautiful piece of art" ????
More like complete waste of time effort and our money.
Wait for it.... here we go again.
henry mawkish
It's not as big as we were promised, it's not the shape we were promised, it's not of the material we were promised, it didn't arrive at the time we were promised, we haven't got the garden we were promised and the lot has all cost much much more than we were promised. So please tell us on what aspect of the project did these operators actually deliver what they promised?
Jeff Leppard
Perhaps Stephen Hawking got some bionic legs for Christmas?
Stephen?!
Ima Gonk
I believe that Nick Clegg was in Shrewsbury during the week. He may have got lost after making yet another u-turn!
eva land
Henry Mawkish.....
1) It is as big as promised.
2) It is made of concrete as originally planned and uses aggregates from Shropshire.
3) There is a garden and seating area as promised.
4)It cost more than planned but so did the Mardol Gate which was not pushing boundaries and a technical achievement as is Quantum Leap. A lot of the cost was borne by the aggregates industry and funding for the Darwin celebrations.
It has obvously been admired by aliens judging by the footprints so stop moaning you philistine!