An unidentified creature reportedly bashed to death by scared teenagers in Panama has become the subject of intense speculation on internet forums.
The alien-looking animal was reportedly spotted by the teenagers crawling out of a cave in Cerro Azul, north of Panama City, according to the local Telemetro network.
PHOTOS: 'Gollum' and other weird creatures
The hairless creature has been described as having rubbery skin and measuring almost 150cm.
The teenagers were said to have feared for their own safety as the creature moved towards them so they picked up rocks and sticks and beat it to death.
The youths tossed the carcass into a nearby lake but later returned to take photographs, the report said.
The tale has generated great interest in online cryptozoology forums and in the media, where the mystery creature has been given several monikers including "Gollum" to the "New Montauk Monster".
One popular theory cited a hooked claw visible in one of the photographs as possible evidence the creature was a sloth that had just lost its hair.
But the identity of the animal remains speculative and the carcass has not been viewed by any scientific experts, according to reports.
The discovery has drawn comparisons with photographs taken of another mystery creature — the so-called "Montauk Monster" — which supposedly washed up in New York last year.
The photos received widespread media attention but the carcass was never found, prompting speculation the discovery was a hoax.
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