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Skunk Ape also known as the Swamp ape and Florida Bigfoot is a purported ape-like creature said to inhabit the forests and swamps of some southeastern United States, notably in Florida.
The Skunk ape is sometimes compared to, synonymous with, or called the "cousin" of Bigfoot, a prominent subject within North American popular culture. Articles have been presented in an attempt to prove the Skunk ape's existence, including anecdotal sightings, disputed photographs, audio and video recordings, and footprints. The majority of mainstream scientists have historically discounted the existence of the Skunk ape, considering it to be the result of a combination of folklore, misidentification, and hoax, rather than a living animal.[8] The Skunk ape has permeated into the popular culture of the southern United States, especially in Florida.
Appearance[]
The Skunk ape is commonly described as a bipedal ape-like creature, approximately 1.5–2.1 m (5–7 feet) tall, and covered in mottled reddish-brown hair. The Skunk ape is often reported to be smaller in stature compared to traditional descriptions of Bigfoot from the northern U.S. and Canada. It is named for its foul odor, often described as being similar to a skunk.
Sightings[]
Reports of the Skunk ape were particularly common in the 1950s and into the 1970s. The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization has archived hundreds of alleged sightings across almost every county of Florida, from 1955 to the present day.
In the 1970s, two Palm Beach County sheriff's deputies named Marvin Lewis and Ernie Milner reported that an ape-like creature stalked them through a grove before they shot at it with their firearms. They reported following a trail of footprints where they recovered hair snagged on a barbed wire fence line that had been pushed down. In 1971 to 1975, a rash of sightings occurred in Broward County, Florida and surrounding areas. Multiple eyewitnesses reported nocturnal encounters with a 5 to 7 foot (1.5-2.1 meter) ape creature with dark red to black fur. These events were heavily covered in newspapers, both local and in other Florida cities such as Miami, and were some of the earliest instances popularizing the term "Skunk Ape" in the state lexicon. The Skunk Ape was reported as invading houses, stalking pedestrians, and killing several of a farmer's livestock such as a horse and bull. The local police department got involved after one Deputy reported striking the Skunk Ape with his car, with said car suffering heavily damage allegedly in retaliation. Posses were created and hunted wilderness on multiple nights, but despite several witnesses reportedly firing upon the creature, no body or evidence was found.
In 1977, a failed-to-pass bill was proposed to the Florida state legislature to make it illegal to "take, possess, harm or molest anthropoids or humanoid animals".
Several Everglades wildlife tour bus operators and their guests have reported alleged sightings. In July 1997, one such operator, David Shealy, reported wildlife bait stands laden with lima bean had been raided and he noticed strange tracks surrounding them. He baited several locations with more lima beans and multiple witnesses reported Skunk ape sightings soon after. Shealy and others attributed this instance to high seasonal flooding having driven numerous animals into tighter ranges around higher ground.[25] One such sighting was by Everglades tour operators Steve Goodbread and Dow Rowland; some of their guests reported Skunk ape sightings as well. Both operators claimed that 38 °C (100 °F) weather, high humidity, and the rural location would make a hoax unlikely.
In 1997, a photograph of a dark upright figure in the swamp was taken by Ochopee Fire Control District Chief Vince Doerr that he claims depicts a Skunk ape. He reported observing the creature cross the road, and stopped his car to capture a photograph. Within two weeks, over fifty people reported alleged sightings of a hairy creature within the Big Cypress National Preserve.
In the year 2000, the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office received two anonymous photos depicting a large, hairy, ape-like creature. The author of the letter claimed to be an elderly woman who reported the creature had been stealing apples from her back porch near I-75, and upon surprising it with a camera she was afraid it was an escaped orangutan that might harm her family. The scrutinized photos, dubbed the "Myakka Skunk ape," remain a polarizing topic and their authenticity remains debated. One critique indicating the photographs to be a hoax is the subject does heavily resemble a bigfoot statue known from a Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum with photo-editing to change the features.
Sightings continue to the present day, with forty-eight out of sixty-seven counties in Florida reporting sightings since 2010.