| ing Meadows Park has a long and unusual history. | | | | was something so disturbing that I still have |
| It is located ten miles east of Manhattan on Long | | | | trouble grasping the enormity of what happened. |
| Island in the Borough of Queens, New York City, | | | | After seeing me on a local television news |
| between the towns of Flushing and Corona. The | | | | broadcast talking about a major UFO sighting and |
| park started out as swampy land situated along | | | | landing in nearby Kissena Park, several employees |
| Flushing Creek. The area skirted ancient Native | | | | of the zoo called my UFO hotline and asked to |
| American trails that were later developed into | | | | meet with me. After a phone conversation with |
| Rodman Street (today it’s called College | | | | one of them, I met them at Flushing Meadows |
| Point Boulevard), Roosevelt Avenue and other | | | | Park and we talked about what happened at the |
| paved roadways. | | | | zoo. It began with two nights of UFO sightings in |
| Because of its location and inability to be used for | | | | 1987. Green and white balls of light that formed |
| much else, the swampy land became a dumping | | | | into all sorts of shapes hovered directly above the |
| area for ashes. By the 1920’s, it was | | | | zoo and caused the animals to become greatly |
| known as the Corona Ash Dumps. F. Scott | | | | disturbed. |
| Fitzgerald called the place “a valley of | | | | Due to budget cuts and because there were |
| ashes” in The Great Gatsby, his famous | | | | police in the park all night long, caretakers and |
| 1925 novel about Long Island Society. However, | | | | other zoo employees were no longer present at |
| the once worthless area was about to be | | | | the zoo all night. The last one would leave around |
| transformed into a marvelous showplace thanks | | | | 11pm and show up again around 7:30am to open |
| to a grand event known as the World’s | | | | up the zoo for the other employees. On the |
| Fair. | | | | morning after the two nights of UFO sightings in |
| Because it was one of the few large blocks of | | | | 1987, the caretaker and several other employees |
| land still available for development in the New | | | | opened up the zoo and were horrified to find |
| York City area, Parks Commissioner Robert | | | | every animal in the zoo dead. Not just dead, but |
| Moses and city planners devised a plan to clear | | | | strangely mutilated. |
| and fill the land for use as the site of the | | | | The caretaker and other employees told me that |
| 1939-1940 New York World’s Fair. Most | | | | all of the animals were still locked or secured in |
| of the ashes and refuse were incorporated into | | | | their pens and exhibits with no sign of forced or |
| the bases of new highways that were being built | | | | keyed entry. Although they were unable to |
| around and through that area. These later | | | | photograph any of the animals, they said all of |
| became the Grand Central Parkway, Van Wyck | | | | them looked as though they had been surgically |
| Expressway, Interboro Parkway and Long Island | | | | autopsied or examined. Despite the deaths and |
| Expressway. | | | | apparent mutilation, little or no blood was present. |
| After the 1939-1940 World’s Fair ended in | | | | Needless to say, the zoo was closed without |
| 1940, many of the structures from the fair were | | | | explanation and “No Trespassing” |
| leveled and the area became known as Flushing | | | | signs were placed near the entrance and on |
| Meadows-Corona Park. A few of the buildings that | | | | fences surrounding it. |
| remained included the New York State Pavilion | | | | Parks Department personnel and police were |
| that was used as the first home to the United | | | | summoned. The zoo was closed and within hours, |
| Nations from 1946 until 1951 when that | | | | all of the dead animal carcasses were removed. |
| organization moved into their permanent location | | | | At that point, plans were made for the zoo to be |
| in Manhattan. That building still exists today and | | | | leveled. Officially, the deaths never happened at |
| has become the Queens Museum of Art. | | | | that point and the press showed no interest in |
| Flushing Meadows Park again became the home | | | | the matter if it was even reported to them at all. |
| to an international exposition after it was chosen | | | | With plans already in the works to refurbish the |
| as the location for the 1964-1965 New York | | | | zoo buildings, it was not that hard to arrange for |
| World’s Fair. After the fair closed, the | | | | the entire zoo property to be rebuilt from the |
| area again was left with a few prominent buildings | | | | ground up with new ground. |
| from the event including the Unisphere, the | | | | All of the old buildings and enclosures were |
| Heliport (which became a catering establishment) | | | | destroyed and several inches of dirt were |
| and the Observation Towers (featured in the Men | | | | removed from the area of the zoo. During this |
| in Black film with Will Smith and Tommy Lee | | | | time, none of the employees that spoke to me |
| Jones). The area also became home to Shea | | | | were allowed near the place. Most were assigned |
| Stadium (used by the NY Mets Baseball Team), | | | | to other temporary duties in the park. When it |
| the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center | | | | officially reopened in 1988, the zoo had all already |
| (where the U.S. Open is held), a zoo and other | | | | undergone a $16 million rebuilding. All new buildings, |
| facilities used for swimming, aquatic and boating | | | | exhibits and animals were now available to the |
| events. | | | | public. |
| During the 1964-1965 World’s Fair, there | | | | The zoo employees that spoke to me said that |
| were several UFO sightings that made the news. | | | | the animal deaths and mutilations were eventually |
| Most were described as lights in the sky and | | | | explained away as the work of vandals or |
| were explained away as aircraft taking off or | | | | ritualistic killers in an internal report. However, they |
| landing at nearby LaGuardia Airport. However, it | | | | point out that vandals would have made all kinds |
| should be noted that people in that area are used | | | | of noise trying to kill the animals, had to break |
| to seeing all kinds of aircraft and aircraft lights | | | | into most of the pens and exhibits and would |
| associated with landings and takeoffs from | | | | have left a significant amount of blood and other |
| LaGuardia and JFK Airports. They know when | | | | evidence behind. None of those things were |
| they see something different in the day or night | | | | present, no alarms went off and park police and |
| sky. | | | | other employees working in nearby areas on the |
| The sightings of strange lights above the old | | | | night in question heard nothing. |
| fairgrounds continued after the World’s | | | | The only reason that the caretaker and |
| Fair ended and in 1966, one of the most startling | | | | employees contacted me with their stories was |
| occurred. Hundreds of motorists driving on the | | | | because they felt that the possibility existed that |
| Grand Central Parkway side of Flushing Meadows | | | | the same thing could happen again and found the |
| Park reported seeing a large luminescent | | | | previous explanation for the deaths and |
| blue-green object, which looked “like a | | | | mutilations to be ridiculous. In fact, UFOs were |
| glowing dirigible that came into view and then | | | | seen over the zoo again in 1991. At that time |
| descended into the lake,” at about 7:40 in | | | | there were no deaths or mutilations, but the |
| the evening. A press report from those days | | | | same employees told me that several animals |
| stated: | | | | were found to be missing from the zoo. They |
| “A number of observers said that the | | | | were not specific about which animals were |
| object appeared to correspond to the descriptions | | | | missing and, by that time, were in fear of losing |
| of UFOs reported in Michigan the previous week, | | | | their jobs. Again, the zoo was closed without |
| which Air Force experts had attributed to swamp | | | | explanation with “No Trespassing” |
| gas discharged from lake bottoms in springtime. | | | | signs were placed near the entrance and all |
| This explanation did not satisfy everyone in | | | | around the area. |
| Queens. Some thought that “maybe the | | | | During the unannounced and temporarily closure, |
| Martians wanted to visit the World’s Fair, | | | | yet another expensive zoo upgrade took place. |
| and didn’t know it was over.” | | | | This one not only involved some new exhibits and |
| More recently, a number of reports came in | | | | rebuilds, but the installation of sophisticated |
| about white and green lights in a triangular | | | | security devices. A dew local papers noticed the |
| formation seen moving back and forth over | | | | closure and asked questions, but officials merely |
| Flushing Meadows Park during July 2-5, 2008. | | | | said that funds had suddenly become available for |
| Some of the witnesses said that the lights | | | | an upgrade and that it needed to be completely |
| suddenly appeared, disappeared and reappeared | | | | before the money ran out. The zoo reopened to |
| again between 10pm and 3am on those dates. | | | | the public in June of 1992. No further incidents |
| However, strange lights are not the only bizarre | | | | have occurred that I am aware of, but all of the |
| phenomena associated with UFOs that has | | | | employees that first contacted me in 1989 have |
| occurred in the park. | | | | retired. UFO sightings continue over Flushing |
| In 1968, the Flushing Meadows Zoo opened in | | | | Meadow Park. |
| Flushing Meadows Park on the grounds of the | | | | It’s important to understand that a |
| 1964-1965 World’s Fair. Although small in | | | | number of animal disappearances and mutilations |
| scale, the zoo had a number of exhibits and | | | | associated with UFO sightings have occurred for |
| plenty of animals including sea lions, black bears, | | | | many years throughout the world. Cows, horses |
| sheep, bison, mountain lions, coyotes, bald eagles, | | | | and other farm animals have especially been |
| birds and wolves. Since its opening, the Zoo has | | | | targets of this type of activity. As with the zoo |
| been associated with several disturbing UFO | | | | animals, little blood is found nearby when mutilation |
| events. The first may have occurred in 1977. | | | | occur. Animals are found missing from locked |
| After several nights of UFO sightings above the | | | | barns and secured pens. Farmers and ranchers |
| park, wolves managed to escape from the zoo | | | | have reported these kinds of incidents, while law |
| on November 30, 1977. Official reports said that | | | | enforcement officers and veterinary practitioners |
| twelve wolves clawed their way through a chain | | | | have been at a loss to explain them. |
| link fence surrounding their pen and killed several | | | | A few human mutilations associated with UFO |
| other animals until they were recaptured by parks | | | | events have also been reported. Fortunately, |
| department personnel and police. However, a | | | | these incidents are rare. After a B-52 crash in |
| caretaker working there at the time said that | | | | Laos during the Vietnam War, a Special Forces |
| while making his rounds he found several animals | | | | team sent in to retrieve the crew found them all |
| missing, not just the wolves, and others dead. | | | | dead, still strapped into their seats and strangely |
| The dead animals did not look like they had been | | | | mutilated. No blood was present. The photos and |
| killed by predators. He also said that none of the | | | | information collected at the site were later placed |
| animal pens or enclosures had been unlocked, | | | | in a secret report known as Blue Book Report 13. |
| damaged or tampered with. | | | | That indicates that the U.S. Government |
| There have been a number of odd instances | | | | somehow associated that incident with UFOs. |
| where UFO sightings are associated with the | | | | There have been a number of unexplained animal |
| sudden appearance or disappearance of animals. | | | | deaths, disappearances and mutilations throughout |
| Animals found to be missing from zoos turn up | | | | Long Island over the years. These include the |
| elsewhere without explanation. Wild animals not | | | | discovery of a Saint Bernard dog that was found |
| native to an area suddenly appear in that area | | | | in another Queens park turned inside out in the |
| also without explanation. All this tends to occur | | | | 1980s, a number of missing dogs and cats that |
| during times when UFOs are observed nearby. | | | | mysteriously vanished from Suffolk County |
| The caretaker present during the 1977 event first | | | | neighborhoods in the 1990s, wild game missing |
| contacted me in 1989 about another and far | | | | from a lodge where hunting was permitted in the |
| more disturbing occurrence at the Zoo. He and | | | | Montauk area during the 1970s-1980s, and a few |
| several others that worked there met me near | | | | cattle mutilations in both Nassau and Suffolk |
| the area of the zoo. It was being rebuilt at the | | | | Counties during the 1980s to the present. |
| time and they claimed that the reason for that | | | | |