Skunk Ape Sighting in Myakka River State Park

[Commander CMG]

Is the "skunk ape" somewhere out there in Myakka River State Park?

A video posted in March on YouTube claims to show a glimpse of the legendary creature, as MySuncoast.com first reported. The footage shows what is purported to be an ape-like creature off in the distance of a field at the Sarasota park as a group of visitors tries to get a look.

Podcasters from the website mysteriousuniverse.org provide commentary with the video, speculating if the figure could really be an undiscovered species, and if park rangers tried to cover up its existence.

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[keninsc]

I saw this one last night, I couldn't see a thing until the end when they zoomed in on it.......but they saw it, stopped and started filming. This only means if you stop and start looking intently at something others will stop and look as well. Monkey see, monkey do.

[oranged]

could be a black bear

[Rafterman]

Why wouldn't you simply believe the park ranger? He makes his living in those woods and would certainly know whether or not hoaxers make a habit of these types of things.

[keninsc]

Hey! Them Park Rangers is Government employees and you know the Government is keeping the truth from us all.

[Junior Chubb]

Hey! Them Park Rangers is Government employees and you know the Government is keeping the truth from us all.

Even good old Ranger smith?

[Sakari]

Anyone catch the lady in the vid with the huge zoom lens?

Where are her pics?

[Rafterman]

Hey! Them Park Rangers is Government employees and you know the Government is keeping the truth from us all.

Yep, the conspiracy is so deep that it goes all the way from the President of the United States to the lowliest park ranger in BFE Florida.

[Esoteric Toad]

I've live in Florida most of my life (41 out of 46 years) and I have never heard of anyone even claiming to have seen a 'skunk ape'. However I have seen most of the larger animals that are native to the area and I cannot imagine why this would not be written off as a blobsquatch that is likely a bear (they are in the news regularly going into neighborhoods only to be tranquilized and carted back to the forest). Another thing to note is the Florida is one of the most populated states in the USA. Tourism is huge here and it is even more unlikely any sort of unknown native primate could be skulking around undiscovered. There is no part of Florida that cannot be accessed on ground, air or water.

In a state park people are looking for interesting flora and fauna. If you see someone stopped looking at anything intently in is natural for others to check it out. I experienced this first hand at Rocky Mountain National Park. I was on the look out for big horn ram, didn't see one, but saw many deer and those cool little marmots. Each time I stopped others would as well.

[marcos anthony toledo]

I like that the commentators were open in that they considered the possibility of escaped chimpanzees breeding in Florida as well as there are skunk apes or hoax.

[Mojohand]

They fail to mention that park rangers escorted a man in a bigfoot costume out of the state park the same day as the sightings......

[skookum]

It is clearly Phillip Morris playing tricks on us again. This is his latest line in Oranrgutan costumes.

He is a devious, lovely old man.

Edited June 5, 2013 by skookum

[Sundew]

I've been in Myakka State Park. It has access road that you can walk down for miles. It is mostly saw palmetto (a creeping palm species) and various trees. It is rather open in area. Most of the animals I saw there were not native, such as armadillos and feral hogs, which fortunately were far away. Although there are edible plants and some game to support an omnivorous animal, a large bipedal ape seems most unlikely; Myakka is only 30 miles or so from Sarasota, a highly populated area.

People can forget that there has to be a breeding population of any creature, i.e. more that one Skunk Ape or Loch Ness creature. Florida Panthers (a subspecies of Cougar) are endangered because of low genetic diversity, shrinking territory, habitat loss and death from vehicles. Any large creature, especially a carnivore, would have to contend with these and other factors. And no Skunk Ape has ever been hit by a car that we know of. So I find the reality of the Skunk Ape improbable at best, Florida has been so explored, developed and over populated no reasonably sized population of any large animal would stay hidden for this long.

[+DieChecker]

They fail to mention that park rangers escorted a man in a bigfoot costume out of the state park the same day as the sightings......

Is there a news link for that? I just tried looking and did not find anything yet. If true that would solve the mystery right there.

[Stardrive]

he link

Anyone catch the lady in the vid with the huge zoom lens?

Where are her pics?

Thats the first thing I thought when I watched this vid when it first came out a few months ago. And here is the best answer I can give right now. I'll pm you the link. (you'll undertstand why)

Unfortunately, Mike (the owner of the black Dodge) tried to get the lady's information that had the camera with the zoom lens and she was reluctant to give Mike her contact info. The lady did let Mike look at the creature through her camera for a brief time. After Mike and his son ran out into the field to get a closer shot, when they got back to the truck the lady was gone. It's probably going to be pretty hard to find her. Maybe her pictures will show up in the news or on the internet somewhere.

[Junior Chubb]

Does Bob Heironimus have an alibi?

[highdesert50]

People are overlooking the contextual expertise. Park Rangers run the gamut from law enforcement to that of pure scientist, each bringing in expertise relavent to their discipline as well as the local environment. They have profound historical knowledge of the area relevant to their disciplines. Their mission is to not only preserve the park but that of education; specifically, to make people more aware of the local biology. A coverup of a newly discovered "life form" would be contrary to their mission of discovery and education; reference, for example, the BioBlitz initiative to get a sense of the importance of discovery and education.

Edited June 6, 2013 by highdesert50

[+DieChecker]

Thats the first thing I thought when I watched this vid when it first came out a few months ago. And here is the best answer I can give right now. I'll pm you the link. (you'll undertstand why)

Unfortunately, Mike (the owner of the black Dodge) tried to get the lady's information that had the camera with the zoom lens and she was reluctant to give Mike her contact info. The lady did let Mike look at the creature through her camera for a brief time. After Mike and his son ran out into the field to get a closer shot, when they got back to the truck the lady was gone. It's probably going to be pretty hard to find her. Maybe her pictures will show up in the news or on the internet somewhere.

That is what I thought right of the bat... get that lady's contact info. If her pics show up or not probably depends on what she saw. If she saw a bear, or a migrant, or a vagrant, then it does not matter at all. Apparently the guy making the this youtube video thought what he saw was good enough to run out into the fields?

To me that dark blob could just as easily be someone out wandering around picking berries.

[Pod99966]

I've live in Florida most of my life (41 out of 46 years) and I have never heard of anyone even claiming to have seen a 'skunk ape'. However I have seen most of the larger animals that are native to the area and I cannot imagine why this would not be written off as a blobsquatch that is likely a bear (they are in the news regularly going into neighborhoods only to be tranquilized and carted back to the forest). Another thing to note is the Florida is one of the most populated states in the USA. Tourism is huge here and it is even more unlikely any sort of unknown native primate could be skulking around undiscovered. There is no part of Florida that cannot be accessed on ground, air or water.

I'm not sure were you live in Florida, but I know several people who have seen a Skunk Ape, myself included.

And as for Florida being one of the most populated states???? You clearly have never traveled around Florida. With the exception of the coastal areas and Orlando, Florida a largely undeveloped. Not to mention that the Everglades is over 1.5 million acres of untouched land, which is supposedly a great place for a Skunk Ape to live.

Edited June 6, 2013 by Pod99966

[coolguy]

It's to far away to tell what it is. But there is a skunk ape that lives there

[Grandpa Greenman]

I have lived Florida 30 years and have encounter many skunk ape tails. Florida crackers can BS is with the best of them. Looks like a bear to me,

[Hartmut]

OH PLEASE, don't waste our time with garbage like that.

If you don't have a clear and sharp photo, or video clip, of a Big Foot, Alien or UFO then follow William Shatner's advise: GET A LIFE ! ! !

[Brian Topp]

I have magical powers that have no relation topic, discussion or interest. I will not tell you all my powers because I do not need to proof to you all, with your ipods and fancy gizmos.

[Junior Chubb]

OH PLEASE, don't waste our time with garbage like that.

If you don't have a clear and sharp photo, or video clip, of a Big Foot, Alien or UFO then follow William Shatner's advise: GET A LIFE ! ! !

Hmmmmm! Not been here too long have you?

Unfortunately as right as your comment is, this is as good as it gets with BF, ALiens and UFO videos.

Otherwise you would be watching this on the national news rather than from a link on UM 3 days after it was posted. To save wasting your time, don't click the links, they only lead to disappointment.

[Rafterman]

Not to mention that the Everglades is over 1.5 million acres of untouched land, which is supposedly a great place for a Skunk Ape to live.

With right at a million + official visitors annually for the better part of the last 20 years.