By now everyone has heard the name Bigfoot or Sasquatch. This creature is depicted as a very tall, hairy, bipedal ape that is known to be very elusive and is located deep in the forested mountains of North America. Across the globe, in the mountains of the Himalayas, is Bigfoot's cousin, the Yeti - also known as the Abominable Snowman. Both these creatures are popular within folklore have been talked about for many generations. Although, there is another variant of this creature, perhaps a cousin, that resides in the everglades of Florida. This is of course the Skunk Ape, also known as the Myakka Ape. The Skunk Ape is depicted as a large ape; some stories claiming that it resembled an orangutan while others described it as a tall, hairy humanoid. Some stories have claimed that the fur has been more orange in color, hence why some compared it to an orangutan. Others claim that is has brown and gray fur. One of its most distinct features is it's terrible odor, comparable to a skunk. Sightings of the creature can be traced back to the 1960's but there are stories told by Native Americans that describe a similar creature by the name of Tsul Kalu or the Cherokee Devil. One of the most famous pictures of the Skunk Ape was taken in the 1980's. The picture - attached below - was sent in anonymously to a police station and is believed by some to be of the Skunk Ape.
Whether the Skunk Ape actually exists or is a hoax used to gain publicity is up for debate. One speculation of what the sightings could be are a black bears. Black bears are native to the Everglades and can have fur that can be more orange or cinnamon in color. Another speculation is that an orangutan that escaped from a local zoo was what had been seen in some sightings. Some still believe what they saw was an new and unidentified species of ape. That is assuming the sightings weren't made up. Despite sightings and supposed footprints, there is not too much evidence to support the existence of this creature. Although the possibility remains, there very well may exist a stinky hairy ape-like beast in the everglades. We may never truly know.
Hey Alex, I like your post! I have never heard about the Skunk Ape before reading this. However, I have always been highly skeptical of legends such as Bigfoot, the Yeti, or the Loch Ness Monster. The photos and videos I have seen of these beasts have always been poor quality or appeared altered in some way, which is very suspicious to me. It's the year 2024, how could there still not be any concrete evidence that these monsters exist?!
ReplyDeleteHi Alex, surprised I've never heard of the Skunk Ape before, thank you for the interesting post. I will say that if I had to throw my guess in on what the Skunk Ape is.....a random Florida man running through the Everglades. I mean it's the most Florida man thing i can think of!
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