Man Grabs A Mysterious Creature Without Realizing What It Is

Huge Discovery

When going out on an adventure one is not aware of what they might encounter. This could be all fun and the adventure could also lead to something dangerous.

Well, what happens when you are out on an adventure and stumble upon a new species. Sounds scary, right? This is what happened to Mark when he was out in nature enjoying his adventurous trip.

His eyes got wide, and he muttered, “Don’t move.” Then, he backed away from this terrifying scene. Mark didn’t know what was going on and then noticed legs and claws. The man’s legs froze, and his pulse quickened.

Meet Mark Pierrot

For Mark, it was an ordinary day. Nothing special. The 32-year-old decided to take a walk with his friend to their secret location in Christmas Island National Park. Mark loved the outdoors, but he didn’t realize that this trip had some turns and twists.

Secret Christmas Island

Even though this island is named Christmas Island but it is in reality a tropical place that is located between Indonesia and Australia.

This small island has only 1400 residents. Mark found his home on this small but beautiful island 3 years ago, originally when he first visited the place on a vacation and then decided to call it his home forever.

A adventure awaiting Mark

On that particular day, Mark wanted to have some adventure and so he proposed a new route to his friend David who was equally excited. 

They quickly got done with their errands and packed up to leave with no idea about what is waiting for them. 

A secret route

The two friends opted to go towards a hidden hot spring. They were told stories about this place by the locals and so wanted to visit it. 

Path blocked

As walking towards their secret destination, the duo had their path blocked by thick vegetation. And there was absolutely no way around it. Initially, he thought it was from a boulder, but then it ran away, so it definitely couldn’t be a rock!

Mysterious things happening

Mark couldn't believe his eyes what he saw. But his curiosity got the better of his mind and so he decide to follow the mysterious creature. 

Speechless

As Mark followed the creature, they were shocked to see what they discovered. It had striking colors and was similar to a crab but also different. Driven more by curiosity, Mark approached it, even if it wasn’t the best idea ever.

Mesmerizing creature

The red, orange and blue colors of this unknown creature were mesmerizingly beautiful. It had thick legs to hold its body. 

Amazed, Mark inched closer to see the spines growing out of its shell and heard the clicking noise. Then, he almost fell back when he figured out what he had found!

Trying to connect the puzzle

Reportedly what Mark encountered was a prehistoric crab marked back to 95 million years ago. 

In fact, Mark remembered reading about them becoming extinct. He looked again and noted the bent claws, huge size, and big eyes while his heart started pounding.

Prehistoric crabs dating back to 95 million years ago

Rperosly back in 2019, scientists found a fossil of the prehistoric crab. They named it Callichimaera perplexa because of the beautiful colors and unique appearance. 

Mark captured a picture with his phone to make sure of what he saw. 

Shocked and surprised

When clicking pictures, Mark bent down and called his friend. When David moved from the bushes, he noticed the beast moving and so Mark immediately tossed his phone toward David and asked him to click a picture.

Grabbed a crab

Mark picked one of the crabs and posed for the picture. But he was not aware of the mistake he was committing. 

He also called the National Park, feeling sure that he’d found this lost species. Interest in the beast then built fast.

Expert search

Max Orchard was a crab expert with 22 years on the island. He worked with world researchers on the crab varieties found there. In a sense, the location was an anomaly for the various species that lived there, so finding a new species wasn’t far-fetched.

Coming back from extinction?

Orchard was well aware that it is possible for specie to come back from extinction. This is called species revivalism, and it’s where scientists generate an organism of the same type. If that wasn’t it, Mark might have found a rare and endangered species.

A new surprise awaiting them

After informing the National park about his finding, Mark hung up and posted the picture online. 

David called out to him while he was doing it, telling him not to move. Confused, Mark searched around and saw a 3-meter claw swinging by his leg.

The deadly scare

This near encounter left Mark shaking with fear and he dropped his phone. He stepped back to find two more. 

He believed that these creatures were friendly and stayed with them until the crab expert arrived. Was this truly a long-forgotten creature?

Coconut crabs

When Max Orchard got there, Mark showed him the creatures. With a smile, Orchard told him that they were coconut crabs.

This special species lived there for decades, however, what Mark wondered was if these beautiful creatures were dangerous?

Measuring the size

Orchard said he’d seen one that was 1 meter across and 4.5kg in weight. They weren’t sure how old they were. Then, he instructed Mark to put out his hands.

Friendly creatures but with a warning

Even though these giants are friendly creatures and Orchard ensured that Mark had no cuts on his hands. If he had, he’d require a tetanus shot. However, Orchard did have a warning.

Habit of stealing

Orchard told Mark that these beautiful creatures have a habit of stealing. He pointed at the phone that was in the claws of one of these coconut crabs. Gently, Max grabbed the phone and explained that they have an odd behavior of stealing and breaking whatever locals leave behind.

Threat reports received

Orchard has received multiple threat reports over the years. One time, the Army trained on the island and had rifles. The commanding officer called to say that one had been stolen. Who was the culprit?

Thieves caught

Apparently, the thieves turned out to be these coconut crabs. They ended up finding the rifle later, and it was crushed. Many reports indicate that the crabs steal cameras and shoes from tourists who carelessly leave them lying around.

Long lifespans

Coconut crabs are the biggest land-based crabs with long lifespans. They might live 120 years, so Mark probably handled one that was older than him. And even though they are friendly crabs and not much harmful but one should be careful with their claws as they can be harmful.

Searching and discovering on his own

Mark left the place with no harm done and wondered why locals never made him aware of these creatures.

When asked, they said he needed to find more about the island on his own. However, his post from earlier started gaining attention!

Viral pictures

Mark's pictures went viral online and many people were left stunned after seeing these mighty beasts. Just like Mark, many believed that he found a new species.