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In the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film, there's a scene where some people are skating on a frozen lake, but then a glowing light appears swimming under the ice. I don't understand that scene. What was that glowing light, and what is its significance in the story?

(screencap of the glowing light from above)

(Screencap taken from film trailer on YouTube.)

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The screenplay is unclear, but in context it's pretty clear that it's the Erumpent under the water. Note her glowing horn, the same adjective used earlier.

SCENE 49: EXT. CENTRAL PARK—NIGHT

A large frozen pond in the middle of Central Park. Children ice-skate. A boy takes a tumble. A girl comes to help him up, they link hands.

As they are about to stand, a light becomes visible underneath the ice. A deep rumbling sound echoes. The children stare as a glowing beast glides under the ice beneath them, and off into the distance.

SCENE 54: EXT. CENTRAL PARK ZOO—NIGHT

He begins to perform a “mating ritual”—a series of grunts, wiggles, rolls, and groans—to gain the Erumpent’s attention.

Finally the Erumpent turns away from the hippo—she is interested in Newt. They face each other, circle round, undulating weirdly. The Erumpent’s demeanor is puppy-like, her horn glowing orange.

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I am pretty sure it was the Erumpent. The rhino-like creature they (Newt and Tina) are searching for and find at the Central Park Zoo.

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    I do know that they find an Erumpant, chase it a bit later, and eventually get it back into Newt's trunk. I don't realize that's the same one as the light under the ice. Do Erumpants really swim under the ice and glow?
    – b_jonas
    Commented Nov 21, 2016 at 23:22
  • @b_jonas It's not quite the same scene; the one you're referring to is scene 49 in the script, and Newt and Jacob encounter the erumpent in scene 54. But both scenes occur in Central Park, so it's very likely that the two creatures are intended to be the same
    – Jason Baker
    Commented Nov 21, 2016 at 23:24
  • plus the shape is right and the beast does light up...
    – WRX
    Commented Nov 21, 2016 at 23:28
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    But why is an Erumpant -- similar to a giant rhinoceros with a glowing chin -- swimming under a lake?
    – BladorthinTheGrey
    Commented Nov 22, 2016 at 17:43
  • I assume it was because it did not want to be seen.
    – WRX
    Commented Nov 22, 2016 at 17:48
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It must be an erumpent, because as far as I know that's the only escaped creature from Newt's case with that size & the ability to glow..

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  • Good answer! Please support your answer with something from canon and/or a quote. Welcome to the site, meanwhile!
    – CHEESE
    Commented Nov 29, 2016 at 15:17
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    How do you know it's an escaped creature from Newt's case in first place? There was an Obscurus loose in the city too, plus an evil Dark Wizard who didn't appreciate the Statute of Secrecy too much.
    – b_jonas
    Commented Nov 29, 2016 at 16:05
  • Plus, there's also one or two creatures in Newt's book (Clabbert) and one in the film (Firebird) that glow to warn about danger, and there would be enough danger in that park very soon, so it's not even like you couldn't find good matches among those creatures.
    – b_jonas
    Commented Nov 29, 2016 at 16:09
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Well, if you have watched the movie you may have noticed that the Erumpent has a whale like blow hole on top of it's head and in one scene sprays out water out of it, so maybe it is like a rhino/whale plus it has got a large head like a whale

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