Mirkolotts

WV Sawmiller · May 28, 2024, 09:53:07 AM

Yesterday my 5 y/o GD called on a video call and showed me her new stuffed toy. It looked like a plush seat cushion about a foot in diameter with big eyes and large fuzzy ears and a long tail. She asked me if I knew what it was and I told her it looked like a Mirkolott to me but that I thought they were all extinct. She and her 7 y/o brother kept running back to their dad to have him look up a Mirkolott on his computer so they could learn more about them. They were very excited to learn about it. They were having trouble finding details so I told them I would research what I could find. I sent them the details below this morning and told them I found it in the Journal of Wildlife Management.

(It is going to be a shame when they outgrow this magical age when everything is new and exciting to them.)

Mirkolott – the Mirkolott is believed to be an ancient, prehistoric and possibly mythical creature. Most of what is known about the Mirkolott comes from ancient cave drawings and word of mouth legends from several ancient cultures. Mirkolott's most often appear to have been associated with unicorns, fairies and mermaids. It is believed they had magical powers because most of the ancient cave drawings of them showed a sort of "aura" around the creature The large ears and eyes indicate it had excellent hearing and was probably nocturnal. The large prehensile tail would have been used for support and balance when it climbed trees and bushes after the sweet fruits and berries that, along with sugarcane, was it's preferred diet. There is some speculation the coastal Mirkolotts associated with mermaids may have supplemented their diets with shellfish and small crustations they collected along their coastal ranges. Mirkolotts would only have been able to survive in the warmer tropical areas due to its year-round diet of such fruits and berries.

Adult Mirkolotts were approximately 12-14 inches tall and of similar girth. It is believed the Mirkolott was a Monotreme with the mother laying 1-2 eggs at a time. They mated for life and lived in small family units their entire lives. Drawings indicate the primary defense for young Mirkolotts was its ability to use camouflage to blend in with its surroundings. Older Mirkolotts developed the ability to change shapes so they could have appeared to predators to be an animal that was not appetizing or actually threatening in nature. This ability to change shapes indicates the skeletal support of the Mirkolott appears to have been more cartilage than bone which is another reason no clearly defined fossil remains have been encountered by archeologists.

Many of the legends of the Mirkolotts come from ancient societies and many are from ancient Ireland where it appears the Leprechauns raised them as pets. The presence of a Mirkolott was supposed to bring good luck, fortune, health and happiness. Ancient evil wizards feared Mirkolotts above all other creatures because one look from a Mirkolott would cancel all evil spells the wizard had made in the past or would attempt in the future.

Climate change and loss of habitat seems to have been the most likely cause for the demise of the Mirkolott. There are still occasional rumors of creatures that could be Mirkolotts still living in ancient volcanic craters in Sumatra. The terrain and fierce war like tribes living there prevent scientists from conducting further research. It is believed the Mirkolotts are worshiped by indigenous Teraclutha tribes who inhabit that mountainous area and are suicidal in their raids and battles to protect the few remaining Mirkolotts in their home range.