The Honey Island Swamp monster, also known as the Cajun Sasquatch, Louisiana’s Bigfoot, the Bayou Beast, the Rougarou, Louisiana Wookiee, and finally The Thing. It’s an ape-like creature, similar to descriptions of Bigfoot, purported to inhabit the Honey Island Swamp in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. It has become a part of Louisiana folklore, with many swamp tour companies in the area capitalizing on its alleged existence. You’ll find alligators, turtles, snakes and raccoons here. Wild boar too! Dozens of species of birds? You betcha. And the scenery is absolutely incredible (I can guarantee you that). The creature is commonly described by alleged witnesses as a large, tall (6-8 feet) bipedal humanoid covered with gray hair and yellow or red eyes; accompanied by a putrid odor. Alleged plaster casts of footprints said to be from the creature showcase three to four toes – not natural trait found in primates who possess five.
Its arms were longer than usual, hanging down to its knees, its face was like that of an ape’s but with a very pronounced nose and lips on some occasions looked human-like when not seen in the dark but had no visible ears at all. Prior to the mid 1800s, there were stories of legends in Louisiana that spoke of a creature believed to be the local equivalent of Bigfoot or Yeti. In the early 1900s, there began increasing reports of a living, giant wild man-like creature in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. While many people have referred to this creature as other names such as “monkeyman”, “wookies”, or “the cajun sasquatch” this animal is often called “Bigfoot” by historians and other scientists trying to find and identify what has been described as – “the most famous cryptid on earth.
In 1963, local resident Harlan Ford told of seeing a large, man-like creature covered in hair crossing a road near the swamp. Harlan Ford, a retired air traffic controller who had taken up wildlife photography, after his death in 1980, a reel of Super 8 film showing the creature was found among his belongings. Another witness described it as being up to 6 feet tall (1.8 m) and weighing 400 pounds (180 kg). The creature is said to leave enormous footprints measuring 34 inches (86 cm) long and 16 inches (41 cm) wide. Sightings have been reported near the Pearl River in the heart of Cajun country.
Today, the creature is still purported to inhabit the swamp and the bayous along the Peal River. Local lore tells of a train crash that occurred near the swamp in the early 20th century in which a traveling circus lost chimpanzees who adapted to the environment and offer a potential explanation as to the creature’s origins.
Every year, hundreds of people visit the swamp to see the monster for themselves. Most who visit do not see anything out of the ordinary and leave disappointed, while others return home swearing they have seen a strange creature. The Honey Island Swamp is located in Saint Charles Parish in Southern Louisiana where it connects to Lake Pontchartrain. The area has been studied since the late 1970s by author and cryptozoologist Loren Coleman; Coleman has theorized that a species of undiscovered giant bat may inhabit Honey Island Swamp.
- The creature is typically described as being 7 feet to 8 feet tall, and having a “smell like a wet dog that hadn’t been washed in months.
- Witnesses have claimed to encounter the creature in the swamp near Honey Island, which is situated about four miles south of LaPlace.
- It comes out at night, and it’s quite large. It is dark. I don’t know if it’s a big primate or what…
- There have been hundreds of reported sightings over the years, many by people who claim to have seen the creature again and again.
- It is similar to other supposed creatures such as Loveland Frog (Loveland, Ohio) and Lizard Man of Scape Ore.
- Many folks believe the honey island monster might be very similar/related to the florida infamous skunk ape creature.
- It’s often reported as emitting a loud wail during its occasional appearances.
- The Honey Island Swamp Monster is one of the most famous examples of a Southern Bigfoot type of creature in the United States.