American Manticore DATE: 02/09/86 TIME: 1 PM LOCATION: Nevada, USA ID: 587 STATEMENT: 499 The remains of a hiker were found out in the Nevada desert and transported to Boulder City General Hospital for an autopsy. It was thought to be some kind of animal attack due to the state of the body, however, when the toxicology report came back with an extremely concentrated unknown venom in the man's bloodstream, we were notified. The official story released was that he had been bitten by a rattlesnake and then consumed by coyotes, but after we acquired the victim's body we surmised that he had been attacked by an American Manticore. They are rare and usually stay clear from any human settlements, however, hikers and backpackers occasionally cross their paths. Working from where the victim was discovered we tracked the Manticore to a canyon along the Colorado River. It was discovered living in a cave with three cubs. Because of the mother's venom and ability to fling her barbs at great velocity, we decided to use long-range snipers to tranquilize her and move in to contain the young by hand. ------------------------------------------ ASSET ANALYSIS: American Manticore THREAT LEVEL: 4 (DANGEROUS) In the late 1800s, a number of them were brought over from Iraq (once Persia) at the height of the Circus craze. Due to an accident, they escaped and began to breed in the wild. They are incredibly venomous; the spines on their tail along with the stinger contain a neurotoxin that kills in a matter of hours. Each specimen has a unique venom, meaning anti-venom can only be made from the creature that stung the victim. They have the ability to fling the barbs on their tail, taking down prey from a distance. They have also been called ‘Cactus Cats’ in the American Southwest due to the spines coving their entire bodies and their young having a green coloration. Manticore Kittens have been seen slashing open cacti exposing the sap and consuming it, having a slightly intoxicating effect.