Alaska is called the last frontier for many reasons. Its untouched beauty, breathtaking wilderness, and its incredible harsh winters. Alaska is also known to some as the Land of the Lost, and for a good reason; people go missing at extremely high rates in Alaska. Each year on average, 2,250 people will go missing in Alaska, which is twice the national average.
One large section in Alaska has been called Alaska's Bermuda Triangle. It is a place where hikers disappear, planes crash, residents and tourists just vanish into the wilderness. Some will never be seen or heard of again. It is a mystery that lingers in many locals' minds.
Some locals believe there are multiple serial killers stalking people in the wilderness waiting to pounce. With the vast open regions located within Alaska's so-called Bermuda Triangle, a serial killer could easily operate with little fear of repercussions.
But some of the Native Alaskan Tribes believe there is something even more sinister lurking in the region than a serial killer. The vast amount of missing people in this area have caused local tribes to integrate reasons into their religious cultures. They believe an evil spirit named Kushtaka, which is a cross between a man and an otter, captures people who have gotten lost in the wilderness and takes them to his realm never to be seen again.
Not all the folklore of the Kushtaka is evil. Some say the Kushtaka is friendly and helpful, and they frequently save the lost from freezing to death. Others believe the Kushtaka is a shape-shifting creature that can take the form of an otter and some claim it can take the form of anything. In some of the legends, it is believed that the Kushtaka will imitate the cries of a baby or screams of a woman to lure victims to a river. Once there, the Kushtaka will kill the person or turn them into another Kushtaka.
In the legends, the Kushtaka can be fended off with urine, dogs, copper, and fire. If you are ever planning a camping trip to Alaska, it might be wise to bring your dog and keep a fire going. A lot of the locals will claim the Kushtaka is a made-up story by mothers trying to keep their children from wandering to close to water. Whatever the case may be, Alaska still has a remarkably high amount of missing persons meaning something is happening in the Alaskan wilderness. Could it be serial killers or worse, the Kushtaka?