We thought the news only came to a halt in August in non-election years. The mystery of the gnarled animal corpse known as the "Montauk Monster" is lighting up the cable networks this week. The speculation that the dog-raptor-dragon-gargoyle may be the work of one of the agencies who specialize is surreptitious marketing weirdness was debunked on Wednesday by New York mag's Daily Intel yet the debate continues.

Venom Energy Drink quickly slapped a press release together offering an award for anyone who catches a live Monty which is only cool because they took the trouble of soliciting expert opinion:

As a consultant to this quest, Loren Coleman, director of the International Cryptozoology Musuem and Cryptomundo blogger (cryptomundo.com) said, "I would advise Montauk Monster hunters to use great caution getting close to this cryptid, and to wear thick gloves."

[animal expert Jeff Corwin Fox and Venom press release via Gawker]