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The Skunk ape, in American folklore, is an ape-like creature that is purported to inhabit the forests and swamps of some southeastern United States, most commonly in Florida. Supposed evidence of the creature's existence is based on a number of anecdotal sightings as well as disputed photographs, audio and video recordings, and footprints, etc. 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.

Description

The Skunk ape is said to resemble Bigfoot of the Pacific Northwest, often reported as a bipedal ape-like creature, approximately 1.5–2.1 metres (5–7 ft) tall, and covered in mottled reddish-brown hair. It is named for its foul odor, often described as being similar to a skunk.

History

The Skunk ape has been a part of Florida, Georgia, and Alabama folklore since the settler period. Seminole myth speaks of a similar foul-smelling, physically powerful, and secretive creature called Esti Capcaki, a name which roughly translates as "cannibal giant". One of the first reports of a large simian creature in Florida came from 1818, when a report from what is now Apalachicola, Florida, spoke of a man-sized monkey or ape raiding food stores and stalking fishermen.

Reports of the skunk ape were particularly common in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1974, sightings of a large, foul-smelling, hairy, ape-like creature, which ran upright on two legs were reported in suburban neighborhoods of Dade County, Florida. In 1977, after a rash of sightings by dozens of eyewitnesses across several Florida counties, a failed-to-pass bill was proposed to the state legislature to make it illegal to "take, possess, harm or molest anthropoids or humanoid animals".

Skeptical investigator Joe Nickell has written that some of the reports may represent sightings of the black bear (Ursus americanus) and it is likely that other sightings are hoaxes or misidentification of wildlife. The United States National Park Service considers the skunk ape to be a hoax.

Names

Other names for the creature include swamp cabbage man, swamp ape, stink ape, Florida Bigfoot, Louisiana Bigfoot, myakka ape, swampsquatch, Swampfoot and myakka skunk ape.

In folklore and popular culture

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 numerous roadside businesses and attractions, television commercials, and signs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, several Florida businesses have used the Skunk Ape's reported foul smell giving incentive to remain at a distance and evasive nature to promote social distancing.

See also

• Fouke Monster
• Honey Island Swamp monster

References

1. Lennon, Vince (2003-10-22). "Is a Skunk Ape Loose in Campbell County?". WATE 6 News. WorldNow and WATE. Archived from the original on 2007-01-01. Retrieved 2006-12-23.
2. "'In The Everglades, Anything Is Possible': Legend Of Florida's Skunk Ape Lives On". miami.cbslocal.com. WFOR-TV. 17 June 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
3. Capozzi, Joe (27 June 2019). "South Florida's elusive Bigfoot: Does the Skunk Ape really exist?". palmbeachpost.com. The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
4. Carey, Nick (2 March 2007). "Skunk ape tracker seeks to protect the creature". reuters.com. Reuters. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
5. Montgomery, Madeline (8 January 2021). "The legend of skunk ape creeps up the East Coast". cbs12.com. WPEC. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
6. Stromberg, Joseph. "On the Trail of Florida's Bigfoot—the Skunk Ape". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
7. Childress, David (2018). Bigfoot nation : the history of sasquatch in North America. Adventures Unlimited Press. p. 208. ISBN 9781939149961.
8. Robinson, Robert (2016). Legend Tripping (1st ed.). Adventures Unlimited Press. ISBN 9781939149695.
9. Thursday, The Immokalee Bulletin is published every (1 November 2018). "Area was famous for close encounters with Cryptid 'Skunk Apes'". Immokalee Bulletin. Archived from the original on 2020-09-17.
10. Nickell, Joe. "Tracking Florida's Skunk Ape". Archived from the original on 2014-07-25. Retrieved 2014-07-12.
11. "The abominable swampman". BBC News. 1998-03-06. Retrieved 2006-12-23.
12. "Official Skunk Ape Headquarters". Everglades Adventure Tours. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
13. Winningham, Cathleigh (19 May 2020). "Skunk Ape: Here's how Gatorland will enforce social distancing". WKMG. Click Orlando.

Further reading

• Stromberg, Joseph (March 6, 2014). "On the Trail of Florida's Bigfoot—the Skunk Ape". Smithsonian. Retrieved 18 August 2016.

• American folklore
• American legendary creatures
• Bigfoot
• Florida folklore
• Hominid cryptids