Of course it makes sense that Kentucky would have their own roster of Cryptids (as well as the ever-famous regional ones like Bigfoot and Mothman), but one of the unique locals that stand out is the Pope Lick Monster. With its unfortunate name, the creature is better known by another name, Goatman. He’s been harassing lower Louisville for the longest time, though there is no certain date of the first sightings, or indeed documentation of much sighting as at all. The Goatman, as the name suggests, is part man, part goat (or part sheep).

Like most goatmen, the Pope Lick Monster has a bridge, and he doesn’t like when people mess with it. In fact, his name comes from the bridge and surrounding area itself: “Pope Lick Trestle Bridge.” Doing more research on the bridge itself, led to a deeper understanding of this cryptid. The Washington Post wrote an article on him in early 2016. The article itself focused on the death of Roquel Bain, a young woman from Ohio who was looking for the beast.

Photo illustration of the Goatman of Pope Lick Bridge. (Contributed/skeptoid.com)

This article also provides one line of origin from “The Sierra Club”, which noted that he had been a member of a traveling circus in the 19th century. Others say he was the result of a deal with the devil. Hopefully that fiddle of gold sold well.

WHAS 11, a local news station, had more to say about the creature. The article mentions a movie that was in the works as of 2019 (when the article was published), but before the movie was finished, two people died in the same year.

Whether or not the Goatman has been seen, or even exists, one thing is certain: The Goatman Bridge of Louisville has claimed many victims. One can only hope the Goatman is appeased.

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