I agree with the analogy, but not in your conclusion. Those were often animals that were misidentified. Even in your analogy you cite something observed that deserves research. Should we have ignored tales of mermaids and folk creatures that lead to the identification and study of new animals? I think it’s absurd to say that you should ignore something because you view it as a tall tale. I’m simply saying to let people speculate and let science determine what truth is.