I want to thank Gary B for posting this account in the comments. The report is as follows:
Campbell County, TN
As WVLT VOLUNTEER TV News first reported last week, there is some monkey business going on in Campbell County. Some people there said they have seen a primate terrorizing residents and pets.
Campbell County’s 911 center has been receiving calls about the creature for weeks. “They’re saying it’s a chimpanzee, a large chimpanzee,” said 911 dispatcher Kamille Barnes. “It’s killing their cats.”
Barnes lives in the College Hill community, which is where the creature has been sighted. She believes it came into her house. “My basement door was left open, and something came in and scattered all the clothes and stuff stored in the basement,” she said.
UT Veterinary School primate expert Dr. Edward Ramsey said the creature that is making its presence known in Campbell County is likely not a chimpanzee like those found at the Knoxville Zoo. “Chimps are really rare as private pets, so chances that this is a chimp are pretty remote,” he said.
He did say it may very well be some type of monkey. “There are unfortunately still a fair number of monkeys still in private hands,” he said. “We’ve had one or two times [that] an animal escaped from a private zoo in Pigeon Forge.”
Ramsey said that whatever kind of primate it may be, he does not believe it’s responsible for the recent pet deaths in the area. “Odds are, if it killed anything, I don’t think it would kill many and it wouldn’t kill repeatedly. Virtually every primate is herbivorous.”
He said that if a monkey is on the loose, it’s a perfect example of why most exotic animals don’t make good pets. “We don’t think it’s appropriate for people to keep — specifically — macaques as pets because of the ability to carry fatal disease,” he said. “They’re not trainable in the traditional animal sense of the term.”
LaFollette animal control is investigating the situation. Knoxville Zoo officials said if the animal is caught, the zoo likely would not be able to take it, and it may have to be euthanized.
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October 20, 2003
By VINCE LENNON
6 News Reporter
JACKSBORO (WATE) — Animal control officers in Campbell County are searching for a primate, perhaps weighing 400 pounds, that’s on the loose. And nearly 100 pets are missing.
“I didn’t really get a good look at his face because he didn’t hang around all that long,” Donna Keathley said about when she saw an ape-like creature last week in LaFollette. “But he’s big and he’s got a really bad stinkful odor to him.”
LaFollette Animal Control Officer George Moses said, “I believe that the people believe that they see it. I don’t have any reason to doubt them, that they’re mistaken.”
Moses said he hasn’t seen the animal but he’s certainly heard of it. He started getting calls about it three weeks ago. All the alleged sightings center on the College Hill community, just outside the LaFollette city limits.
Coinciding with the sightings are numerous reports of missing cats and kittens. “All told, over 100” are missing, Moses said.
According to Donna Keathley, when she startled the animal, “This kitten he threw at me, no one knows where it come from.”
One College Hill man, who declined to be identified, claims the primate is an orangutan. He said he saw it Tuesday morning leaving stool samples on his property.
Many College Hill residents believe the animal escaped a circus that performed at the nearby National Guard armory a few months back. But the LaFollette Police Department and the Campbell County Sheriff’s Department didn’t take any reports of a missing animal.
Donna Keathley said her neighbors are ready to shoot the animal. “If I had a gun, I would’ve shot it.”
Several people told 6 News Monday that they want the animal caught or killed before Halloween so it can’t attack a child or another pet.
JOHN E
I HAVE A FEELING THIS IS GOING TO BE A GOOD WEEK …BRING IT ON WES, BRING IT ON …..
Tyler D
A little off topic but I watched this little documentary on apes and the possibility of sasquatch being out there and what not. There was a new species of Macaque, a small monkey, that was discovered semi recently and they were classified as a species through video evidence and only video evidence. I don’t know about you guys but that really frustrated me. And the guy started going into detail about why this new species of Macaque can be classified as a legitimate animal after only one video recording and sasquatch after countless videos, countless pictures, countless casts, hair samples and etc is still after all this time considered an urban legend or not real by a great portion of the general public. And what he basically broke it down to is that our government would never see a small, basically non aggressive species of Macaque as a threat as apose to a 7-12 foot 500 to well over a metric ton, heavily muscled ape basically in our backyard as a definite physical and mental threat and might possibly stir up controversy and probably panic
JOHN E
ITS SO WEIRD FOR PEOPLE TO THINK THERE IS A ….BIG FOOT PER SAY AND ITS ALMOST JUST LIKE US IN MANY WAYS BUT ONE THING THEY ARE WILD ….THINK ABOUT IT IF YOU WANTED TO PROVE THAT THERE IS BIGFOOT UP IN THEN HILLS …WE WILL HAVE TO SHOT ONE………..
CUT OFF ITS HEAD AND DROP IT ON A TABLE FOR OTHERS TO SEE HOW ELSE COULD YOU DO IT THAT SIZE OF A BODY SO HUNTING IT WOULD BE VERY HARD UNLESS SOMEONE KNEW THERE WAS A ROAD CLOSE BY TO TAKE THE BODY ….BECAUSE A PICTURE WONT GET IT DONE OR FILM ..RIGHT .. TYLER D….
joe r
Watch what happens next with this story, mark my words, it happens every time. This story has gotten too much public attention and when it does that and especially starts coming into contact with humans, big brother will show up. one of the witnessess will get a visit from the boys in black, and hopefully they will let us know about it.
Frankie P
Can’t believe the animal threw a kitten at her! It could be “it” tries to play with them or something and kills them, or it eats them just because it can’t find the food it’s used to – IF it’s a monkey! Sounds doubtful to me, but hey, I’m hoping it’s a squatch!
Andrew O
This is an excellent report, Gary ????
Joyce N
Primates are herbivores? …what? That vet must’ve missed all those animal planet, discovery channel and Jane Goodall documentaries. Primates eat meat. They kill other monkeys and even their own. 100 cats missing and he doubts the monkey/orangutans/ juvenile sasquatch/ chimp got them. Well, where did he think they went? To the Chinese restaurant down the street? Hey, this is Murica, buddy. We got laws against stir frying cats. Somebody needs to shoot the damn thing before it hurts some little kid trick or treating. I know I would. Bad kitty eating monkey! That’s bad!
Ok, I’ve spoken my piece..that is all.
Karen C
Joyce N. Alf? Seriously they are digging up this guys past mistakes saying he isn’t a credible witness.
anthony t
If he really was attacked by something…Wes should try to get this guy on the show.
PATRICK
Second that.
Dave S
Yeah,Dr Ramsay better read some new books. I hope he doesn’t teach. Just about all primates are herbavores. Except chipaanzes and sasquatches lol. Oh yeah all primates are afraid of water too. More old info
Kenneth M
One would think the odor is a detriment to hunting and evasion by man – It lets your dinner know your around and predators like “man” know you are around.
Skunks have it to make them less appealing for dinner – and Apes supposedly to let other apes know they are nearved up. Does the APe scent supposedly smell like Sasquatch scent or is it poor hygiene and ass emissions clinging to furr (one problem with a hairy butt)
joey r
found this article from 2003. not sure if how reliable this is but interesting since it’s the same area.
http://www.lorencoleman.com/skunk_ape.html
Bruce F
People aren’t aware of how big Chimps get. They also are meat eaters in the wild. It’s possible this is a chimp that escaped or was turned loose. I doubt a booger would be around people that long unless he was a young one that got separated from its family group and wasn’t use to being on its own. Hopefully someone gets a clear picture or I am sorry to say gets a clear shot at it so the question can be answered once and for all. I for one am tired of the blogsquatch pictures.