Monster?

A similar carcass sparked an online and media frenzy last July after appearing at a popular surfing spot near Montauk, N.Y.

Nicky Papers, who runs a Web site dedicated to the mystery, says he was contacted by a couple on May 5 who "think they’ve found what appears to be the Montauk Monster" on the North Fork of Long Island.

Papers wrote that he traveled to Southold, N.Y., to view the remains.

"The beast smelled like a mix of low-tide and rotten garbage," Papers wrote. "It really smelled horrific. I couldn’t help but take numerous pictures of it and video clips."

He said the carcass was being kept in a "cooler full of ice."

'Race against the clock'
Papers suggested there might be a link between the creature and the nearby Plum Island Animal Disease Center.

"If this is a genetic mishap from Plum Island, we’d like to sell the remains to an independent lab for study," he wrote on www.montauk-monster.com. "It has become a race against the clock as the couple who originally found 'Beastie' are diligently putting more ice into the cooler to keep the carcass fresh."

Papers says he's "dedicated quite a bit of time to debunking all theories presented regarding the Montauk Monster" since establishing his Web site last summer.

"I haven't ruled out biological warfare on this yet," Papers added. "A diseased carcass floating in waterways around Long Island could be infecting the water."

Some bloggers speculated that the original "Montauk Monster" may have been a viral marketing ploy for an indie movie while others suggested it may actually be a decomposing dog, pig or raccoon.