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The Ozark Howler

CreaturesOzark Mountains, Arkansas, USA · Told since settler daysLegend

In the Ozarks, people tell of a bear-sized black beast with horns and glowing eyes, whose howl chills the blood.

What was reported

The Ozark Howler is said to roam the remote Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma: a large, black, cat- or bear-like animal with shaggy fur, horns and glowing red eyes. It's known above all for its howl, described as a mix of a wolf's howl, an elk's bugle and a laugh.

Tales of a howling beast in the hills go back to settler days, though the name became widespread only in the late 20th century.

Explanations offered

Some researchers think the modern Ozark Howler was partly a hoax spread in the 1990s. The sounds may come from known animals such as foxes, owls or bobcats. No evidence of the creature exists.

When
Told since settler days
Where
Ozark Mountains, Arkansas, USA
Witnesses
Hunters and hill-country storytellers
Status
Legend
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Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.

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