Skunk Ape

The Skunk Ape, Stink Ape, or Swamp Monkey is a cryptic hominid said to dwell in the Southeastern United States, from places such as Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Arkansas, although reports from the Florida Everglades are particularly frequent (Florida skunk ape). Skunk ape sightings, while rare, have been reported all through Florida for more than six decades but by no means have been verified scientifically. Local Native American groups, the Seminoles and the Miccosukee tribe, have known and told stories about the skunk ape for hundred of years.

There was a large wave of sightings in the 70s, all consistently describing the creature as reaching about seven feet tall, weighing 300 pounds plus, and being strongly foul-smelling. Since then the popularity of the Skunk Ape in southern Florida has continued to increase, along with the number of alleged sightings. The Skunk Ape is described as a big, hairy, stinky, swamp-dwelling creature similar to the well-known elusive mysterious Bigfoot or a big chimp as the name suggests. There are many in the Bigfoot research fields that believe Skunk apes to be a variety of the infamous Bigfoot of the northwest.

Skunk ape sightings largely happened in Florida, an area that was once swampland but has been developed into farms and housing developments since then. Few sightings have been made outside Florida and fewer reported since the 1970s with more recent reports dating from the 1980s. Reports of the skunk ape were particularly common in the 1960s and 1970s. No physical evidence of skin or hair remains has ever been found or tested for DNA samples as far as mainstream scientists are concerned.

Many reports also depict the Skunk Ape as having glowing red or green eyes; however, this is in general attributed to the reflection of a flashlight or automobile headlights when the creature is spotted at nighttime. It has been reported that both males and females are covered with reddish-black fur and also have an outstanding hearing as well as the skill to climb trees and swim rapidly in order to evade detection or capture. Hence, causing great problems in photographing or capturing one.

It is named for its appearance and for the repulsive skunk like odor that is said to go along with it. According to the United States National Park Service, the skunk ape exists only as local lore and myth. Skunk Ape sightings were most prominent in the 1960s and 1970s; nevertheless many still claim to have seen it and try to track the elusive beast to this day. Some cryptozoologists believe the Skunk Ape is a relative of the North American Bigfoot due to its geographical location, appearance, and habitat. The name is said to derive from the creature’s horrible odor or its habit of using musk to mark territory, which causes many Florida residents who encounter it for the first time to retch or even vomit. The odor is said to become more powerful as the animal becomes angered or feels threatened. Other names are reported for it, including “Myakka ape” (after a region in Florida) and “Ozark skunk ape.” Skunk Apes are said to kill livestock and be particularly hostile to cats and dogs. Skunk Apes are believed to be rather strong and tough, with one actual report stating that a skunk ape did not even flinch when attacked by a tracking dog. However, there has never been a recorded case of any person ever being physically attacked by a Skunk Ape. No one has yet been able to track down and capture this creature alive, so it remains controversial in cryptozoology.

The creature has a powerful, disagreeable odor that leaves those who encounter it with a pungent memory of its scent. Reports of the creature’s size and description vary, but it is allegedly between five feet tall and seven to eight feet tall.

• The skunk ape has been widely adopted across South and Central Florida as a mascot for the Florida wilderness and rural culture.
• The cryptid has appeared in various roadside businesses and attractions, television commercials, and signs.
• Whether the skunk ape exists as an actual animal or has been driven into extinction by human encroachment, there are many who believe they have encountered it.
• Sightings often describe a large hominid with hair that ranges in color from dark brown to black.
• Different names for the creature include swamp cabbage man, swamp ape, stink ape, Florida Bigfoot, Louisiana Bigfoot, myakka ape, swampsquatch, Swampfoot, and myakka skunk ape.
• They are nocturnal and live in very deep swampland areas; therefore it is quite difficult for a human to locate one.