It's very common in American folklore to find a reference to animals to describe a situation or an incident; "Bull in a China shop," "Elephant in the room," "All bark and no bite," just to name a few.

Explore the real-life inspirations behind legendary creatures like mermaids, Kraken, Pouakai, dragons, unicorns, and Roc. These mythical beings may have roots in actual animals like manatees, giant ...