The Skunk Ape
In the swamps of southern Florida, people describe a tall, hairy ape that smells overpoweringly bad.
What was reported
Florida's version of Bigfoot is named for its smell, which witnesses describe as rotting eggs or a skunk. It is said to be up to seven feet tall, covered in reddish or dark hair, and to live in the Everglades and Big Cypress swamps.
In 2000, the Sarasota County sheriff received an anonymous letter with two photographs of an ape-like animal said to have taken apples from a porch at night.
Explanations offered
No body, bones or clear evidence has been found. Sceptics suggest bears, escaped captive apes or hoaxes, including a person in a costume. The two photographs have never been traced to their maker.
- When
- Reported since the 1960s
- Where
- Big Cypress, Florida, USA
- Witnesses
- Hunters, drivers and residents
- Status
- Unconfirmed
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.