The Florida Everglades
The Skunk Ape or Myakka Ape is a bipedal humanoid, possibly a Bigfoot, reported in the South Eastern United States, most notably in the Florida Everglades.
It has black fur and glowing red eyes, unusual for most primates because most primates lack a tapetum lucidum, a layer of tissue behind the retina that reflects light.
The Skunk Ape's most obvious character is its terrible odor, which gives it its name.
Sightings And Photographs
The first ever sightings of the Skunk Ape were reported throughout the 1960s and 1970s. In autumn of 1974, many reports were filed in Dade County, Florida.
Twenty-six years later, in the autumn of 2000, the police of Sarasota County, Florida received a letter from an anonymous woman. With the letter were two attached photographs of what the woman said was an escaped orangutan who had been stealing apples from her back porch for three nights. These photos were later found to be taken near the Myakka River. After the images were released to the public, cryptid enthusiasts dubbed the creature in the photograph the "Myakka Skunk Ape."
Most sightings of the Skunk Ape, like Bigfoot sightings, can be dismissed as black bear sightings. It is entirely possible for a black bear to stand upright, making it appear like another animal entirely. Bears are also known to rummage through garbage bins, which could possibly explain the smell so associated with this creature.
In Popular Culture
In December 2007 (season 1, episode 9), an episode of MonsterQuest was made about the skunk ape. The episode was entitled "Swamp Beast."
- The "Myakka Skunk Ape" photograph was primarily researched by renowned cryptozoologist Loren Coleman.
- There is an official Skunk Ape headquarters in Ochopee, Florida.
- In autumn of 2012, Skunk Ape expert David Shealy appeared in a documentary about Skunk Apes on the Travel Channel.