Creatures, Myths & Legends

Bigfoot hunter has spent decades seeking Florida's elusive Skunk Ape

By T.K. Randall
November 17, 2025

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) From the Yeti of the Himalayas to the Yowie of the Australian Outback - dozens of countries around the world have their own version of the cryptozoological hominid.

While Bigfoot is by far the best known example in North America, Florida happens to have its own regional version of the creature - a hominid known as the Skunk Ape.

Known for its wretched skunk-like stench, the beast is said to be six feet tall and resides in the swamps of the Florida Everglades where it is very rarely seen.

One man who has spent decades trying to track down the Skunk Ape is Dave Shealy who recalls witnessing the creature first-hand all the way back in 1974.

At the time, he had been hunting with his brother and had only heard tales from family members.

"We were maybe 300 feet from it, and it was walking through the grasslands," he told Mail Online."That's what got me started as a researcher. I've been doing this a while."

Since then, Shealy has established the Skunk Ape Research Headquarters, written several guides, appeared on multiple TV shows and has generally dedicated his life to the phenomenon.

He also has a collection of footprints and other alleged Skunk Ape artifacts.

"Skunk apes are generally reported as being six-and-a-half to seven feet tall," he said.

"A large male Skunk Ape in good health probably would weigh around 350 pounds, whereas Bigfoot is reported to appear as much as 800 pounds."

Shealy maintains that the enormous scale of the Everglades explains why the creature has so far eluded discovery.

Above all else, he hopes that he will see it formally recognized as a species within his lifetime.

Source: Mail Online

Tags: Skunk Ape, Bigfoot