11 November 2023 , 09:23
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A man says he is on a mission to find Florida's very own version of Bigfoot known as the stinky "Skunk Ape".
Filmmaker Erik K Swanson has visited the State in an attempt to hunt down the mythical creature after a total of 300 sightings and is determined to get some answers. Florida is third in the US for the highest number of sightings of the beast, only behind Washington and California.
So he created a documentary following Bigfoot chasers as they hunt for proof of the creature's existence. The 'Skunk Ape' got its name from the pong of its fur, similar to a skunk's defensive spray. Erik shared a photo from 1997 allegedly showing the creature, taken just two weeks after a bus full of tourists reported seeing a it.
One of the alleged sightings of the Skunk apeIn his film, Erik chats with some of the hunters, who share their own encounters with the elusive beast. One, Matt Larson, is "100% convinced" that there is a "human hybrid" lurking in the area. His interest was sparked after finding a 17ft "footprint" that he couldn't explain.
Another hunter, Brian, had a supposed encounter with the beast while trekking in central Florida during the night. "On this particular night, I was hiking and my concentration was on the trail so I was constantly looking down," he explained. "All of a sudden, I tripped on I don't know if you would call it a palmetto root, or a palmetto log but I stubbed my foot on that, and it made a loud thud."
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The massive 'footprint' Matt Larson discovered (MATT LARSON/CENTRAL FLORIDA BIGFOOT)He continued: "It shook the bushes; there was just this immense sound of palm leaves rustling against each other and being pushed apart. It was just like an explosion of noise." Brian then revealed that as he turned around, he expected to see a deer's tail but instead saw an "enormous" shape that stood up and turned away from him.
Despite having been a non-believer, Brian admitted he had to re-evaluate everything that he had thought. While out with the chasers, the group believed they had evidence there was something out in the woods, pointing to a perfectly bent tree.
Will they ever capture the elusive beast? (Youtube)They also pointed to what looked like a footprint in the mud. But leader of the group, Max, denied that was evidence of a Skunk Ape. The documentary eventually was unable to prove the existence of Bigfoot in the area, but Erik insisted the stories were genuine.
"I don't know if Bigfoot or Skunk Ape are real. But I do believe that [the chasers] had genuine encounters with an unknown animal," he said. "Looking around the woods and swamps of Florida, it's easy to see how something can remain hidden - and I like that idea".
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]