In 1934, Balkin, a Swiss photographer, claimed to have caught the Tatzelwurm on camera. He took the image when he was in Meiringen, Switzerland, and claimed he thought it was a log but when the camera flashed, the log moved. When the image was published, it created a lot of public interest. So much so that the Berliner Illustrirte Zeitung, a German magazine, sponsored an expedition. The expedition did not turn up anything and it is widely believed that Balkin hoaxed the image.

The Tatzelwurm was seen in numerous areas of Europe, including Austria, Bavaria, Germany, Italy and the Swiss Alps. The creature is said to have the upper body, head and front legs of a cat and back end of a snake. Though, some witnesses describe something more dragon like or serpent like. The Tatzelwurm is said to measure in at 2 to 6 feet long.

Legends of the creature differ depending on the area. The Austrian and German stories of this creature claim that it is deadly. The Tatzelwurm in these areas is said to have extremely poisonous breath, enough to be lethal to a human. The Swiss version of this legend is also said to be poisonous, but not specifically its breath.