The Skunk Ape is Florida’s version of Bigfoot but there are some important historical, cultural, and environmental reasons why it’s called that, plus a lot of key reported sightings.
Why Is It Called the “Skunk Ape”?
The name “Skunk Ape” largely comes from the strong, unpleasant smell that many witnesses say accompanies the creature. Reports consistently describe odors like rotten eggs, sulfur, or a “wet dog” type of funk. According to many eyewitnesses, the smell can hit before the creature is ever seen. Some suggest the odor comes from natural oils in its fur or from swamp gases.
The Skunk Ape is most often reported in Florida’s swamps and wetlands (like the Everglades and Big Cypress National Preserve), which is a very different environment than the forested, mountainous regions where Bigfoot is usually reported. Its swampy habitat contributes to the idea that it’s adapted to humid, water-filled landscapes so the “swamp ape” label is also used.
Native American tribes in the region (especially the Seminole and Miccosukee) have long told stories of large, hairy swamp beings. As sightings became more common in the mid-20th century, Floridians adopted “Skunk Ape” (and “Swamp Ape”) rather than simply calling it “Bigfoot” making it part of their own regional cryptid tradition.
Stories about a large, hairy swamp creature go back centuries. As Florida was being settled and developed, swamp stories crept into pioneer tales. By the mid-20th century, modern Skunk Ape reports really began to pick up.
1957 — Two hunters claimed their camp was invaded by an ape-like creature.
This was among the earlier “mainstream” Skunk Ape reports that gained publicity. The hunters reported a creature that was “covered in reddish-brown hair.” They reported the creature was more than 7 feet tall.
It allegedly ransacked their camp, throwing gear around with such force that the hunters were shaken and frightened. According to one of the hunters: “throwing equipment around with incredible force. The eyes of the creature reportedly reflected light, like “the eyes of a cat” when illuminated by their campfire or light source.
The creature supposedly had a strong, foul smell. After causing chaos in their camp, the creature reportedly disappeared into the night, vanishing back into the swamp.
1974 — Law Enforcement Encounters
In Palm Beach County, Sheriff’s deputies Marvin Lewis and Ernie Milner reported being stalked in a grove by an ape-like creature. They said it walked bipedally, left large footprints, and they recovered hair snagged on a barbed-wire fence. The fence itself had been pushed down. The two deputies shot at the creature. After shooting, the creature reportedly grunted and fled “back into the swamp” into dense vegetation.
According to later interviews, Lewis in particular insisted the creature was “real.” The location is west of Lantana, in Palm Beach County, in or near grove/citrus areas, bordering or adjacent to swamp/everglades terrain.
Sources note that these years coincided with record drought and wildfires in the Everglades region, which may have driven wildlife (or whatever this creature was) closer to human-populated groves.
The hair was “sent for analysis,” but it “mysteriously disappeared” before conclusive results were made public. The deputies reported the creature was very large, possibly 7–12 feet tall, and had silver-gray to brown fur.
During that time, there was even a proposed bill in the Florida legislature (1977) to make it illegal to “take, possess, harm or molest anthropoid or humanoid animals.”
2000 — Dave Shealy Films Creature
Dave Shealy runs the Skunk Ape Research Headquarters near Ochopee in Big Cypress. He claims multiple personal encounters, and in 2000 filmed a creature moving through cypress swamp.
2000 — The Myakka Photos
In 2000, two photographs arrived anonymously at the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. The sender claimed to be a woman who lived near the Myakka River. She said that a large ape-like creature had been coming into her backyard for three nights, stealing apples from her porch.
In her letter she speculated that it might even be an escaped orangutan. The photos show a hulking, dark, reddish-brown figure with long arms, glowing eyes (likely from camera flash), and dense “fur.”
Because of the location (Myakka River area) and appearance, cryptid fans dubbed these “the Myakka Skunk Ape photos.”
Sightings are still reported. According to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission there have been reports in counties like Collier (Naples), Citrus (Inverness), and Martin (Seawall’s Point). Many of these reports continue to emphasize the odor and “large hairy biped” descriptions.
Bill F
Sewells point is just down the road from me.. I fish out there oon the river a lot.
First time I’ve seen mention of a report from there.. time to dig.