The clouds part to reveal a full Moon. The unmistakable howl of a werewolf fills the night sky. When there’s a full Moon, some people are said to transform into these hairy beasts, which are a cross between human and wolf. It’s a scene you might be familiar with from stories or films, but legends of these shapeshifting creatures have existed for thousands of years.
Werewolves are often shown as walking upright, but hunt and howl as wolves, and run on all fours. Cave paintings from 10,000 years ago show beings that appear to be a mix of human and animal, while drawings from 17th-century Sweden show giant men with the strength to carry multiple victims at once. However, how does someone become a werewolf? Why do full Moons trigger transformation? And – most importantly – could these monsters actually exist?
Terrifying transformations
This story is from the Issue 67 edition of The Week Junior Science+Nature UK.
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This story is from the Issue 67 edition of The Week Junior Science+Nature UK.
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