Bizarre naked 'creature' on Google Street View sprouts conspiracy theories. Reality is...

The naked, floppy-armed entity was, in fact, a statue placed as a scarecrow. (Image: screengrab from Google Earth)

A Google Street View image depicting an eerie, almost ethereal, creature with elongated limbs sprinting across a field from the town of Buff, Utah in US has sparked a wave of online speculation. Social media sleuths were quick to share the image as conspiracy theories flourished and online commentators dubbed the figure "scary" and "insane," the truth behind this sighting turned out to be far from extraterrestrial.

The naked, floppy-armed entity was, in fact, a peculiar statue strategically placed as a scarecrow. Buff, it appears, boasts a collection of these unconventional figures designed to deter both animals and unwanted visitors.

While the initial shock of the Google Street View image left many onlookers bewildered, it underscores the town's penchant for employing quirky scarecrows as guardians.

This peculiar encounter with scarecrows on Google Street View is not an isolated incident. The online mapping service has become a canvas for an array of unusual sightings.

In a field in Finland, for instance, an unsettling congregation of about 1,000 scarecrows, known as "The Silent People," creates an eerie spectacle. Crafted by artist Reijo Kela, this peculiar installation has drawn comparisons to a cultish gathering reminiscent of "Children of the Corn."

Earlier this year, a GSV image circulated on social media, capturing what seemed to be a man transporting a dead body on a bicycle in Akron, Ohio. True crime enthusiasts were intrigued, but locals offered an alternative explanation, saying the suspicious item might be a tent, given the presence of homeless encampments in the area.

Google Street View has also captured giant "lips" in the Sudan desert to a "phantom" island off the coast of Australia and a "Romanian UFO.”