Item#: 9360
Level2
Containment Class:
keter
Secondary Class:
none
Disruption Class:
none
Risk Class:
none
Special Containment Procedures:
Weather conditions above 6,500 m (21,325 ft) in the Himalayan region are to be continuously monitored by the Foundation’s astronomical and meteorological forecasting offices. If visibility levels are deemed too low, all hiking exceeding said height is to be prohibited to the public through the use of fake weather warnings. To avoid SCP-9360 nesting areas, the Foundation has designed climbing routes for civilian climbers to minimise public contact with the anomaly. If any climber survives an encounter with an instance or witnesses an instance, they are to be administered Class B amnestics.
Current attempts to contain SCP-9360 instances are ongoing and to be performed by MTF-Epsilon-99 ("The Cold Eagles"). All captured SCP-9360 instances are to be contained at Site-36 in separate standard biological cells, which are modified to have temperatures of -35°C (-31°F) during the winter months and -15°C (5°F) during the spring/summer months. Transitions to different temperatures must be gradual over the span of several months to simulate realistic conditions and keep instances content. If an SCP-9360 instance lays eggs, a specially designed drone (Drone-9360-079) is to be used to extract all eggs, where samples of Substance-9360 are extracted, and the eggs are destroyed. Any handling of Substance-9360 requires Level 3 biohazard protection. Currently, there are five (5) live instances contained. If at any point an instance of SCP-9360 is to die whilst in containment, the corpse is to be transported to Site-12 for research purposes.
Description:
SCP-9360 is a species of predatory bird that resides at altitudes of 6,500 m (21,325 ft) strictly in the Himalayas. Adults range in wingspans from 6 to 7 m (20 to 23 ft), vertical heights from 2 to 3 m (7 to 10 ft) and weigh 50 to 80 kg (110 to 176 lbs).
An SCP-9360 instance possesses wings covered in light grey feathers resembling the down feathers of an owl. Along the trailing edge of each wing are significantly sharper feathers, which function as cutting structures. Because the species lacks teeth, these feathers are used to slice prey into consumable pieces. When not in flight, the sharp feathers fold inward into the wing to prevent self-injury. Along the whole leading edge of each wing is a single appendage that is identical in shape to the forelimb of a praying mantis, which acts as an SCP-9360 instance's arm for tearing open prey and for building nests. These appendages are a much darker grey than an entity's feathers. An SCP-9360 instance's legs are a similar colour to their appendages and account for an average of 50% of its height.
The head of an SCP-9360 instance is the same shape as a praying mantis but proportioned to an instance's body size, with a head length of 40 to 60cm (15.7 to 23.6 inches). Each instance's eyes are a light blue, positioned similarly to a praying mantis's compound eyes, and are insect-like in appearance, but anatomically bird-like, with a panoramic vision capability. These eyes briefly flash when it detects potential prey to alert hunting partners. The cranial cavity is similar in size to that of a chimpanzee, with a brain size of 395 to 490 cc, which is consistent with the species' observed intelligence during hunting, nest construction, and maintenance of clear social structures.
SCP-9360 instances have beaks that are 20 to 25 cm (7.8 to 9.8 inches) in length and have a shape similar to that of an eagle, being a darker grey than their legs and appendages. SCP-9360 instances' necks contain fourteen vertebrae, allowing them to rotate their heads up to 270° in any direction, with the motion visually resembling an unnatural twitch. These head rotations are believed to be performed to hide their glowing eyes from prey they are approaching. Despite numerous biological adaptations, the mechanism allowing SCP-9360 to remain active at extreme altitudes with minimal oxygen availability remains unknown.
SCP-9360 instances are capable of reaching speeds of 220 to 240 km/h (137 to 150 mph) when gliding and 50 to 65 km/h (30 to 40 mph) when soaring or cruising. When soaring or cruising, instances appear not to produce any detectable noises to human ears, but when gliding, detectable sounds are minimal. SCP-9360 instances primarily hunt during low visibility conditions, with it believed that this allows them to approach prey unnoticed, as they are believed to be able to see more clearly in these conditions, but this is unconfirmed. Hunting is mainly performed by two males who prefer opportunistic hunting, targeting exposed and vulnerable animals, which are commonly human hikers, but they have been observed to hunt other native animals of the Himalayas.
An instance detects prey through highly acute directional hearing, with estimates suggesting it can hear a large majority of sounds within a 2 km (1.2 miles) radius, but exact numbers are unclear. SCP-9360 instances appear to preferentially investigate irregular or artificial sound sources such as metallic impacts, electronic signals, or animal vocalisations/other sounds.
Once a hunting pair find a target, one instance will approach from in front of the target and distract using a 100 to 120 db screech that has been compared to a blend of human screams and radio static, with the other instance approaching from behind. Using their wings' sharp edges and appendages, they consume prey live but leave small portions that they sometimes take back to their nests to feed female entities and juvenile entities. Alongside using its wings and appendages, SCP-9360 instances have been observed to regurgitate an acidic digestive slurry, which partially digests their prey before eating. Prey that is not transported back to nests is typically buried beneath layers of snow by the hunting pair.
Nests of SCP-9360 instances are usually found on cliff edges across the Himalayan region in altitudes higher than 6,500 m (21,325 ft) and usually house two dominant males, three to four females and five to six juveniles. The nests are built with snow, ice and native metamorphic rocks by the females, who also care for juveniles, whilst males hunt and return food to the nest. Juveniles stay within their parent's nest for around five years before they leave, where males build their own nests whilst females search for a male's nest. When in nests, instances exhibit intermittent jerking motions similar to mantid pre-strike behaviour. As well as this, instances possess natural camouflage amongst surrounding rock formations, allowing them to avoid detection by animals they don't see as prey.
The lifespan of an SCP-9360 instance is believed to be 20 to 30 years. Near the end of an instance's life, it appears to be able to sense it as it flies to higher altitudes to bury itself prior to death. All mature female instances will begin laying eggs at around eight to twelve years old and will usually lay one to three eggs in their lifetime. Incubation lasts approximately seven months, with females not leaving their nest at any point during incubation until the egg hatches. All SCP-9360 eggs are visually indistinguishable from surrounding metamorphic rock formations when coated in snow or frost. These eggs are covered in a substance known as Substance-9360.
Substance-9360 is a transparent, viscous substance. Whilst the freezing point of this substance is unknown, the substance rapidly sublimates at temperatures above 0°C (32°F). Contact with this substance can cause a necrotising infection with primary symptoms being vomiting, diarrhoea and paralysis. This can cause death within one to two weeks of exposure, with the only known treatment being amputation of the affected tissue within 24 hours of initial exposure. All SCP-9360 instances have an immunity to this substance and its effects, with the substance being found in the female reproductive tract. It is believed that there are 500 to 600 live instances in the wild at any point; however, exact numbers are unconfirmed.
Discovery:
Encounters with SCP-9360 instances may date back to 29 May 1953, when Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay completed the first confirmed ascent of Mount Everest. During their summit attempt, they reported observing flashing pale blue dots and very faint gliding noises while they were approaching the "death zone". The anomaly's existence was confirmed after Foundation personnel recovered recording equipment from a deceased hiker near the summit of K2 on ██/██/20██. The following audio log is a transcription recovered from the device.
Audio log-9360-20██
Date: ██/██/20██
Device Owner: Barry Lyman
Subjects: Oliver Smith, Alfie Thomas, Aaron Davies, Richard Taylor, Homer Tranchard, Barry Lyman
Estimated elevation at start of recording: 6,800 m (22,310 ft)
Recovery location: Northeast Ridge, K2, approx. 7,300 m (23,950 ft)
Recovery status: Recording equipment damaged due to temperatures, four subjects found and two subjects missing.
[BEGIN LOG]
The camera is attached to Barry Lyman’s helmet. Conditions are clear with minimal wind. Oliver Smith can be seen ahead of Barry, while the rest of the group follows behind.
Barry: Alright… It's 09:46. We're about three hours from the summit. Oxygen levels look good. I'll keep recording as we go.
Homer: Mate… who the fuck are you talking to?
Barry: Got the camera going. Video diary, you know?
Homer: For when we're found frozen.
Richard: Wait—what?
Aaron: Ignore him, Rich. He's being a cunt.
Homer: Yeah! In your mum's cunt.
Light laughter.
Aaron: Fuck off, you knobhead.
Oliver: Language, Aaron.
Aaron: Mate, why are you getting involved?
Oliver: Funny.
Barry: Alright, enough. We're a team. Keep morale up for the final stretch.
Alfie: And you idiots are wasting oxygen.
Homer: Fuck me, the experts are here.
Richard: Maybe we should listen to them, Homer mate.
Homer: Relax, Rich. I've got a spare tank in my bag anyway.
Oliver: Wait—where'd you get an extra tank?
Homer: Found it by my bag back at camp.
Oliver: You bitch, that was mine!
Homer: Finders keepers.
Barry: Homer, mate, give it back.
Homer: Aw… really?
Oliver: I'd quite like it back, you dick!
Homer: (sighs) Fine. Hold on while I grab it.
The group stops. Barry turns the camera as Homer searches through his bag.
Alfie: What else have you taken that was near your stuff?
Homer: Your mum near my house, mate.
Richard and Aaron laugh.
Alfie: Brilliant. Just hurry the fuck up.
Homer: Hang on… can't see it. Let me sit down a sec.
Barry: Where exactly?
Homer: That rock there.
Barry shifts left with the group.
The moment Homer sits, he yelps in pain.
The camera jerks back as Homer jumps up, clutching his backside.
Homer: The fuck was that?!
Barry: Why would you sit down here? Everything's sharp.
Homer: That wasn't a pissing rock!
Barry: Then what was it?
Homer: I don't know, but it bloody hurts.
Barry walks over. Alfie is already kneeling in the snow, brushing a sharp white object.
Alfie: Yeah… not a rock.
Richard: So what is it?
Alfie: Bones. Animal bones.
Oliver: What kind of bones?
Alfie: That horn Homer sat on… looks like a Yak skull.
Richard: What's a Yak doing up here?
Alfie: Good question.
Homer: Why was it buried?
Alfie: Could be snowfall… or something buried it.
Homer: Something? Fuck, you mean something?
Aaron: Hang on—what are those marks?
Barry moves closer. Thin slice marks are visible along the bone.
Richard: Scratches?
Alfie: No… more like cuts.
Alfie clears more snow away.
Several horns and skulls emerge, arranged in a rough semicircle, all facing the same direction.
Alfie: That's not natural… they're arranged.
Homer: What the fuck?
Aaron: A whole herd got killed up here.
Alfie: Yaks don't climb this high.
Richard: Maybe they got lost? Wolves killed a few?
Alfie: But wolves don't arrange skulls, Rich mate.
Barry: Alright, lads. Leave the bones. You're wasting oxygen.
Barry turns the camera forward as the group resumes climbing.
Homer: Still don't get how Yaks got up here.
Aaron: There are old stories about things living—
Alfie: Folklore isn't real dumbass.
Aaron: I know, but what if it was a Yeti—
Richard: I thought Yetis weren't real?
Aaron: But they could be. Would explain why the cuts and arrangements.
Alfie: I assure you, it wasn't a Yeti.
Aaron: Well, what was it, genius? Are those things even Yaks?
Alfie: I'm no archaeologist, but those were definitely Yak horns.
Homer: My ass can confirm that.
Barry turns the camera back briefly.
Barry: Let's drop the skull talk and keep moving.
Richard: Works for me.
Aaron: Same.
Homer: Come on, theorising is fun.
A horn protruding from the snow can briefly be seen to the side of the trail. Subjects don't notice.
Oliver: Homer bro, did you even get my tank?
Homer: Yeah, right here. Alfie, pass it down.
The wind begins to pick up. Visibility lowers slightly.
Barry reaches back, takes the tank, and hands it to Oliver.
Oliver: Stick it in there for us.
Barry: Yeah, alright.
Barry opens Oliver's bag.
Aaron: Anyone notice the wind picking up?
Homer: Thought Alfie farted.
Alfie: What are you, twelve?
Richard: Barry… should it be this windy?
Barry: Forecast said it might pick up.
Homer: Cheers for the warning.
Barry zips the bag.
Suddenly, the wind begins to surge violently, as visibility begins to drop.
Homer: Fucking hell!
Barry: It's fine—it should pass.
Richard: (shouting) BETTER BE QUICK!
The wind weakens slightly, but visibility remains extremely poor.
Richard: (shouting) STILL CAN'T SEE!
Barry: Just keep moving!
Homer: Rich mate, wanna hear a joke?
Richard: Go on then.
Homer: What do you call a deer with no eyes?
Richard: What?
Homer: No-eye deer.
Silence.
Alfie: I hope you end up like that Yak for saying that.
Homer: Just trying to lighten the mood.
Aaron: Well, you ruined the mood instead.
Richard: I liked—
Aaron: No, you didn't!
Barry suddenly turns around.
Barry: CAN YOU LOT SHUT UP?!
The group falls silent.
Barry turns forward again.
In the distance, two faint blue lights briefly flash.
Oliver: Barry mate… did you see that?
Barry: See what?
Oliver: Two blue lights. Just flashed.
Barry: That's odd.
Alfie: If it happened after the shout… maybe something heard us.
Richard: First skulls, now lights.
Barry: Probably nothing. Keep moving.
Several minutes pass.
Visibility worsens.
Richard: I can't see shit.
Alfie: Yeah… this fog's bad.
Barry: It wasn't supposed to be this foggy.
Richard: Maybe it's a sign to turn back.
Homer: Stop being a pussy.
Richard: (shouting) I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO SEE TWO CENTIMETRES AHEAD!
Homer: It's K2, not the Shropshire Way!
As Richard shouts, four blue lights flash in the distance that appear closer than the previous two.
Oliver: Barry… there are four now.
Barry: They react when we shout.
Homer: So shut the fuck up, then, Rich.
Alfie: What could they be?
Aaron: Maybe… eyes?
Homer: What kind of eyes flash like that?
Aaron: Apparently, those ones.
Richard: We should go back.
Barry: Everyone, calm down. It's probably nothing.
Oliver: Doesn't look like helicopter lights.
Homer: How would you know? You live in a council flat.
Oliver turns around.
Oliver: Yeah, well, believe it or—
Oliver trips over a rock.
His oxygen tank clangs loudly against the same rock.
At that exact moment, the four lights flash again, much closer than previously.
Barry runs to him.
Barry: Olly! You alright?
Oliver: Yeah… yeah. One tank might be damaged, though.
Barry appears to inspect the tank. A visible dent mark is seen.
Barry: Just dented. It should still work.
Alfie: Barry.
Barry turns towards the others.
Their silhouettes stand in the fog.
Alfie: (shouting) We need to go. NOW.
Barry: Why?
Alfie: Those lights moved when Olly hit that rock.
Brief silence.
Alfie: Those are eyes.
Homer: Or maybe two very close… helicopters.
Richard: I told you we should've gone down.
Aaron: I don't think they're Yetis anymore.
Homer: No shit.
Barry: Alright… if you want to head back… we head back.
Oliver Smith: Give me a second—my leg hurts.
Richard: We don't have a second!
Homer: Gonna have to walk it off, Olly mate.
Barry helps Oliver stand.
A faint gliding sound can be heard.
Barry: Olly… you hear that?
Oliver: Hear what?
Barry: That… gliding sound.
The noise grows louder.
Oliver: Yeah… what is it?
Barry: Probably wind.
They begin walking back down K2.
The sound continues to grow louder.
Barry: Is it getting louder?
Homer: Hurry up!
Oliver: Yeah… I think—
Oliver: Wait, what the fu—
An SCP-9360 instance suddenly enters the frame, striking Oliver with its appendages and sharp-edged wings.
Oliver screams as the creature tears into him.
Barry throws a rock at the instance, which has no effect.
Oliver: (yelling) HELP M—
A wet choking sound interrupts him.
Barry runs away from the instance and Oliver.
He eventually reaches other subjects who are already fleeing.
Richard: Fuckfuckfuck—
A second SCP-9360 instance lands on Richard, which screeches before attacking.
Homer: (yelling) WHAT THE FUCK ARE THESE THINGS?!
Alfie: We need to get down this mountain.
Homer: (yelling) No shit!
Aaron: Barry—any ideas?!
Barry: Get around them, and then hide in that cavern we saw earlier.
Silence except for wind, tearing flesh, and choking sounds.
Homer: Alright, what about this?
Homer removes his oxygen tank.
Homer: Follow me. I'll hit the thing with this. Then hopefully… we can get past it into that cave.
Barry: Alright, give us a signal.
Homer raises his hand in the air.
After a moment, Homer lowers his hand.
Homer: (shouting) NOW!
The group begin to run.
Running stops at the same time as a heavy impact sound.
Homer starts screaming.
Homer's screams quickly fade into echoes.
Aaron: (shouting) WHAT DO WE DO—
Another instance lunges, slicing Aaron open.
Barry turns towards Alfie.
Alfie: Do you have that flare gun?
Barry stutters and doesn't respond.
Alfie: (shouting) DO YOU HAVE THAT FUCKING FLARE GUN?!
Barry: Yes… in my bag.
Alfie: Good. We'll use it to shoot one.
Barry turns to face the cliff edge as Alfie can be heard rummaging through Barry's bag.
Barry: Are you… Are you sure it will work?
Alfie: (shouting) GOT ANY BETTER IDEAS?!
Barry doesn't respond as a zipping sound can be heard. Barry turns around where Alfie is aiming the flare gun at instance attacking Aaron.
Alfie appears to hesitate before firing.
Alfie fires as the camera follows the flare until it strikes the instance.
The entity recoils slightly but continues feeding.
Alfie: Shit.
The camera suddenly falls to the ground.
An SCP-9360 instance descends into view and screeches as it begins slicing Barry open.
Barry: Get… off—
Log ends as acid regurgitation covers the lens.
[END LOG]
Notes: Upon discovery of the transcript, the bodies of Barry Lyman, Richard Taylor, and Oliver Smith were recovered in close proximity to one another. All three bodies showed extensive traumatic injuries consistent with the behaviour described in the audio log. The body of Homer Tranchard has not yet been located and is currently presumed missing. Aaron Davies is believed to have been taken to the nest of the two SCP-9360 instances. The body of Alfie Thomas was recovered approximately 50 m (164 ft) further down K2 than the other bodies. It remains unclear how the subject reached this position based on the events described in the transcript. Soil analysis around the recovery site revealed several recently disturbed burial pits consistent with nesting behaviour previously documented for SCP-9360 instances.
Addendum
Fossils of SCP-9360 have been discovered across multiple altitudes of the Himalayas, ranging from 1,500 to 6,500 m (4,921 to 21,325 ft). These fossils' ages range from within the past few years to three million years ago. Across these three million years, various physical changes have occurred in SCP-9360 instances that are believed to allow them to adapt to higher altitudes of the Himalayas. The key difference in old fossils compared to modern instances is the size, with the oldest fossils showing a wingspan of 2 to 3 m (7 to 10 ft) and a vertical height of 1 to 1.5 m (3 to 5 ft). The diets of ancient instances of SCP-9360 are unknown; it is believed they were similar to their current diets.
It is unknown which species SCP-9360 evolved from, as its DNA doesn't match any known animal genus. The closest living relatives to SCP-9360 are the Himalayan Griffon Vulture and praying mantis; however, they aren't considered close enough to be a part of the same genus. Research into SCP-9360's evolutionary history is currently ongoing as various Foundation-employed archaeologists are deployed and working to find more SCP-9360 fossils within and around the Himalayan region; however, no fossils have been discovered outside of the Himalayan region. Traces of Substance-9360 have been found on fossils dating back to 1.5 million years ago, suggesting instances didn't always produce the substance, with it being unclear why they began doing so.
Update - 2024-3-24
A recent incident involving SCP-9360 resulted in the deaths of seven civilian climbers during an ascent of Mount Everest at an altitude of 5,300 m (17,388 ft). Foundation personnel were able to recover five bodies, with the other two believed to have been brought to the instances' nest. This is the first known instance of an SCP-9360 attack below an altitude of 6,500 m (21,325 ft), with it currently unclear whether this was an isolated event or a sign of SCP-9360 evolving to hunt at lower and unmonitored altitudes. Furthermore, the nest of the instances believed to have performed the assault was located at an altitude of 5,600 m (18,373 ft) and was removed by MTF-Epsilon-99.
Personnel recovered a bone tool carved from a human radius; however, what it was used for is unknown. No records of tool usage by SCP-9360 instances have been recorded prior to this discovery. Additionally, personnel documented a triangular arrangement of various animal skulls near the nest perimeter. Several skulls displayed precise scoring marks inconsistent with feeding behaviour. Monitoring of SCP-9360 nesting habits is now considered the highest priority for the SCP-9360 research team personnel.