Maryland’s Goatman Is Out for Blood

Modern Farmer is celebrating Goat Week, their response to the success of Discovery Channel's Shark Week. The centerpiece of Goat Week is the GoatCam, through which you can monitor real goats in real time. And, most likely in a tribute to the fake documentary Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives, Goat Week takes a look at the legendary Goatman of Prince Georges County, Maryland.

When scared teenagers whisper about Goatman, not all agree on the form he takes. Some say he was a man who kept goats and went mad after teenagers killed his flock, driven to seek revenge against any youngster. But perhaps the most titillating version traces the origin of Goatman to the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, a sprawling USDA facility anchored by a big brick building appointed with white columns. In this version, a mad scientist is conducting experiments on a goat when something goes horribly wrong, turning him into a half man-half goat beast that is, naturally, hungry for blood.

Read the history of the Goatman tales and how this local legend became known throughout the nation, if not the world. More