Cryptozoology lives at the quirky crossroads of science and folklore, and it often spawns some truly bizarre legal battles that protect—or sometimes target—mythical creatures. From Icelandic elves to Texas Bigfoot hunting, governments have taken surprising steps to legislate the fantastical.
Bizarre Legal Actions Explained
10 Iceland’s Elves
When Iceland’s Road and Coastal Administration proposed a new road to link the Alftanes peninsula with the rest of the country, environmentalists and elf‑advocates alike raised their voices. The plan threatened bird habitats, lava formations, and—most dramatically—an ancient elf church perched on a massive rock. Seer and elf‑garden owner Ragnhildur Jonsdottir claimed she could see and sense the church, warning that destroying it could trigger a chain reaction among the hidden elf community.
Surveys from 1998 showed that 54 % of Icelanders believed in elves capable of good or evil. Protests on behalf of the unseen beings are so common that the government keeps a five‑page “standard reply” for such disputes. In the 1970s a road project was halted because it allegedly crossed an elf area, and the elves were said to protect the site thereafter.
The controversy resurfaced in 2013, prompting the Icelandic Supreme Court to hear arguments about the alleged “Ofeigskirkja” elf church. After lengthy deliberations, the 70‑ton stone was finally relocated in March 2015, giving the elves a year and a half to prepare for the move. Jonsdottir reported that the elves were pleased with the outcome and often cooperate with humans when asked politely.
9 Washington State’s Bigfoot Protection Ordinance
Bigfoot—also known as Sasquatch—has haunted the Pacific Northwest since the 1840s, when missionary Elkanah Walker first wrote about a creature bearing that name. In 1969 Skamania County, Washington, enacted Ordinance 69‑01, a one‑page law that treated the legendary ape‑like being as a real, endangered animal. The ordinance made killing Bigfoot a felony punishable by a $10,000 fine and up to five years in jail, arguing that armed hunters posed a danger to both the cryptid and unsuspecting hikers.
The law was softened in 1981 to a $1,000 fine, a year of incarceration, and a misdemeanor charge after the county realized it lacked authority to declare a felony. In 1991 Whatcom County passed a similar ordinance, spurred by renewed interest following the famous footage of a Bigfoot walking along a Northern California creek and the now‑defunct Mount Baker Foothills Bigfoot Festival.
8 The Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary
The remote Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary in Bhutan, celebrated by UNESCO as a rhododendron paradise, shelters red pandas, musk deer, Himalayan serow, black bears, and 147 bird species. Yet the most endangered resident, according to local lore, is the migoi—a Himalayan yeti‑like creature.
Backed by a $700,000 grant from the MacArthur Foundation, the sanctuary was officially designated in 2003 to protect the migoi. Legends describe the migoi as an eight‑foot tall being that walks backward in its own footprints and can turn invisible, explaining its elusive nature.
The area is also home to the Brokpas, a semi‑nomadic community that maintains distinct songs, ballads, and a “yeti dance.” Their cultural heritage intertwines with the myth, making the sanctuary valuable for both biodiversity and folklore.
7 The Storsjö Lake Monster
The first recorded sighting of a monster in Sweden’s Storö sjön dates to 1635. Over the centuries, witnesses have described a creature ranging from 9 feet to 50 feet, sporting three humps, a dog‑like head with fins, and varying colors—from yellow to red, black, and gray. In 2008 underwater cameras captured a silhouette that believers hailed as the lake monster.
Swedish authorities once granted the creature protected status, but in 2005 a watchdog group revoked the 1986 law that had classified the monster as an endangered species, arguing that without proof it could not be legally protected.
Despite the repeal, enthusiasts continue to monitor the lake, especially after new video evidence surfaced, keeping the legend alive.
6 Canada’s Motion to Protect Bigfoot
In 2005 a blurry video from Manitoba sparked a viral frenzy, prompting a claim that the creature on a riverbank was Bigfoot. Later, a tuft of hair found in the Yukon—initially thought to be Bigfoot—turned out to be bison hair, but the excitement persisted.
Bigfoot enthusiast Todd Standing presented a petition to Canadian MP Mike Lake, demanding legal protection for all Bigfoot individuals. Standing asserted he possessed definitive proof but refused to reveal it until legislators guaranteed the cryptid the same safeguards afforded to other endangered species.
Lake forwarded the petition to Parliament, clarifying he was merely presenting constituents’ concerns and that the motion to protect Bigfoot had been formally tabled. To date, Standing’s alleged evidence remains undisclosed, though he sought genetic testing in 2014 and uploaded new footage in 2015, still urging Canada to extend protection.
5 Ireland’s Leprechauns Get EU Protections
Leprechauns are as Irish as Guinness and ancient stone circles. According to self‑proclaimed leprechaun‑talker Kevin Woods—known locally as McCoillte—only 236 of the mischievous sprites remain.
His claim began after discovering a set of gold coins, a tiny leprechaun suit, and some bones in a Carlingford wall in 1989. The coins vanished after the original finder died, but the suit stayed on display at a local pub.
Years later, while walking his dog, McCoillte encountered three leprechauns perched on a rock, frozen in time. The encounter inspired him to campaign for their protection. His efforts contributed to the 2009 European Habitats Directive, which now designates the area as a sanctuary for flora, fauna, and all 236 leprechauns.
4 Mermaid Ivory
The extinct Stellar’s sea cow—gone for roughly 250 years—has left behind a market for “mermaid ivory,” a term applied to carvings made from its bones. Although the species vanished before modern wildlife protections, the trade persists under the misleading label.
DNA testing revealed that many so‑called mermaid ivory pieces originated far outside the sea cow’s historic range, some dating to a thousand years ago on St. Lawrence Island. Moreover, several items marketed as mermaid ivory turned out to be bones from gray whales or endangered dolphins.
Those marine mammals are protected under the Maine Mammal Protection Act. While native islanders may hunt a limited number of these animals for subsistence, selling products derived from the hunted specimens is illegal. Researchers suggest that extending legal protection to the extinct sea cow could set a precedent that helps safeguard living, endangered species.
3 Protecting Nessie
When Scotland discovered that the 1951 Salmon and Fisheries Protection Act didn’t cover the legendary Loch Ness Monster, officials turned to the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act, which makes harming any protected species illegal, thereby extending protection to Nessie.
Sir Murdoch MacDonald, a local MP, had earlier petitioned Parliament for legal safeguards. In 1933, Scotland opened a file cataloguing Nessie’s sightings and the activities of monster hunters. Decades later, a London‑based academic sought to capture Nessie for museum display, prompting MacDonald to press for legislative protection.
Although no new law emerged, Nessie ultimately fell under the 1912 Protection of Animals Act, which prohibits any act that would cause an animal harm. This historic quirk ensures the famed lake monster enjoys legal protection despite its mythical status.
2 Protecting Champ
Lake Champlain’s monster, known as Champ, has been part of Iroquois and Abenaki lore for centuries. Early European explorer Samuel de Champlain recorded tales of a pike‑like beast with skin so tough that no weapon could pierce it. In 1819, a sighting near Bulwagga Bay cemented Champ’s reputation, and P.T. Barnum even offered $50,000 for the creature’s indestructible hide.
During the 1980s, the village of Port Henry spearheaded legislation declaring its surrounding waters a safe haven for Champ. New York and Vermont later adopted similar statutes, granting the monster official protection.
In April 2014, Port Henry humorously banned fishing from April 15 to June 29, claiming the restriction would give Champ and his companions a private mating season. Although the ban was an April Fools’ joke, the protective laws remain in force.
1 The State Where You Can Kill Bigfoot
Unlike the protective ordinances elsewhere, Texas permits the hunting of Bigfoot without restriction. An inquiry to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department yielded a response from L. David Sinclair stating that the state imposes no limits on capturing or killing the creature.
Bigfoot is classified as a non‑protected, exotic invasive species—similar to feral hogs—so hunters may pursue it on any land with landowner consent, at any time of year, and without a cap on the number taken.
The Gulf Coast Bigfoot Research Organization (GCBRO) even lists tracking and ultimately killing a Texas Bigfoot as a core objective, a mission highlighted on a 2014 Discovery Channel episode. While the effort sparked debate over the sentience of Bigfoot and the ethics of hunting a cryptid, it underscores the stark contrast between Texas’ permissive stance and the protective measures elsewhere.
These bizarre legal episodes remind us that belief, culture, and law can intertwine in the most unexpected ways.