When a woman only identified as “Sarah” produced a photo of a purported “lizard man” in South Carolina, social media users were quick to weigh in on the image.
Lizard Man Photo
In August 2015, a woman leaving a Bishopville, South Carolina church snapped a photo of what she claimed was the area’s fabled “Lizard Man” running along a line of trees.
In an email to ABC News 4, she wrote, “We saw Lizard Man come out of the woods and run along the tree line. My hand to God, I am not making this up. So excited!” It was the first reported sighting of the creature in more than a decade.
The local ABC affiliate ran with the story without presenting much skepticism.
Video Surfaces
After the ubiquitus photo surfaced, another area man came forward with a 20-second video which he claims shows Lizard man at a swamp in Bishopville. He claims to have kept the video to himself until the Lizard Man photo gained national exposure. It is difficult to decipher what is moving in the distance in the video.
Lizard Man
This local cryptid gained notoriety from a 1988 sighting by a teenage local named Christopher Davis who claimed to have encountered the 7-foot tall, red-eyed creature on that summer night. Earlier sightings were reported, but that appears to be the catalyst for legend’s popularity. In the years since, other sightings and anomalies attributed to Lizard Man have occurred. This has led to a surge in local merchandising of the mysterious creatures, including shirts, a Lizard Man 5K run, and even an appearance in television spots for the South Carolina Education Lottery. In 2008, a couple found bite marks on the front of their vehicle, but tests performed on blood found on the car revealed that it was a dog. Lee County Sheriff Daniel Simons pointed out that the community benefits from the legend. “You are talking about a small town getting national attention for it. It’s unusual for a small farming town to gain that attention. I wouldn’t say there is anything to be proud about, but it put Lee County and Bishopville on the map.”
Reaction
Although ABC News 4 seems to have presented the photo with little skepticism, it has been generally met with ridicule on social media. Many readers refer to the creature as a “costume.” Even those who expressed belief in Lizard Man were not convinced by this photo. The photo’s resemblance to the 1960s Star Trek character Gorn has also been widely mentioned. 
Even CNN noted, “It’s hard not to look at the picture and see Guy In a Lizard Suit Man.” A tweet later referred to it as resembling “a promo for a bad B-movie.”
A woman says she took a picture of local legend “Lizard Man” outside a South Carolina church. But many have doubts: http://t.co/GemoVdWmXs
— CNN (@CNN) August 5, 2015
Bottom Line
In August 2015, a photo of South Carolina’s “Lizard Man” was sent into a local ABC affiliate. The image has been widely ridiculed and referred to as a costume by the majority of readers. The consensus appears to be that it is a person in a costume, or possibly a toy or figurine of some sort.
What do you think of the photo, and of Lizard Man?
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