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158 encounters
September 1974 Lakeland, Polk County, Florida Class A #11812

Twilight sighting on the west side of Lakeland

Two people were sitting outside watching the sunset when they heard muffled tapping like wood being chopped from behind a house across the street. They stood to look and then watched a very large upright monkey-like animal climb a pine, jump to another tree, pause briefly, and jump down from an estimated 20 feet.

Full-body sightingWood knock
20 July 1974 Davie, Broward County, Florida Class A #44837

Years of South Florida Skunk Ape stories supported by witness accounts and newspaper articles

In July 1974 the witness and his older cousin were staying overnight in a relative's sitting room in southern Florida. Late at night under floodlights they watched a tall hairy biped outside the picture window scream, then walk around the property while they followed it from window to window. They saw it eat a watermelon with both hands and scoop water to drink before leaving on a wooded trail.

Full-body sightingScreamAnimal behaviour
1974–1976 Waukeena East Of Tallahassee, Jefferson County, Florida Class A #40784

Memory told of a large hairy biped approaching a family as they dumped their garbage near Waukeenah

Relatives stopping at a communal trash dump in daylight saw a very large, naked, reddish-brown hair-covered male figure emerge from the tree line about 70 feet away. The figure growled and grunted as it approached quickly to within about 30 feet, emitting a strong rotten odor. The family retreated to their car and drove away. The reporter states he was reportedly present but has no memory of the incident.

Full-body sightingGrowlVocalizationOdor
May 1973 The Closest Town Would Have Been Naples. But We Thought It Was Too Far To Lodge Or Get A Meal., Collier County, Florida Class A #2856

Construction worker has startling encounter outside hunting cottage

The witness and a relative camped overnight at two unfinished houses in swampy pine woods while on a work assignment. After dark by a campfire the witness saw eyes and then watched a tall upright figure cross an open area and take bacon left near the fire. The witness retreated into the house, retrieved rifles, and kept watch through the night. No usable tracks were found the next morning.

Full-body sightingOdorUnidentified sound
29 July 1972 Chuluota, Seminole County, Florida Class A #37304

Best friends recall watching their dirt bike being canvassed by a hairy biped while camping at Lake Mills

Two companions were sleeping at a lakeside camp when one was awakened around 4 a.m. by snapping brush. A tall reddish-brown furry biped entered camp, bent over a parked motorcycle and gently touched it with both hands while ignoring the witnesses, then stood and walked away through thick brush. The witnesses waited, fled on the motorcycle, and later returned by car to retrieve their gear.

Full-body sightingFootsteps
1969–1980 Brooksville, Hernando County, Florida Class A #723

creature sitting on a wood pile seen watching witness.

The witness was staying overnight at the family property and went outside about 2 a.m. to quiet barking kennel dogs. On the way out and again on the way back, the witness noticed a large silver-colored being sitting calmly on a woodpile and watching. The witness went inside, locked the door, awoke shaking three hours later, and later called a friend and drew what was seen.

Full-body sighting
1963 Gainesville, Alachua County, Florida Class A #41995

Memory told of a close encounter with a man-ape outside Gainesville

A child jogging on a dirt road in the evening to a friend's home encountered a large hairy figure that stepped out of roadside woods about 30 feet away. Both the witness and the figure stopped and stared at each other for a few seconds before the figure tilted its head. The witness then ran to the friend's home; the figure made no sound and did not follow.

Full-body sighting
15 August 1962 Murdoch, Charlotte County, Florida Class A #445

Boy Scouts have sighting while camping at Quednau Ranch

The witness was on a Boy Scout campout in the Murdoch area near Tampa. On the second night after midnight during an initiation outing with another scout, they saw a very large figure running bipedally into the woods at high speed while giving a high-pitched scream or shriek. A strange smell was noted but was attributed at the time to sulphur water. The troop reportedly never returned to the area to camp.

Partial sightingScream
1955 Tampa, Hillsborough County, Florida Class A #13034

Early evening sighting by residents on the Hillsborough River

In the mid-1950s the witness and a companion were watching a drive-in movie from across the river after dark. They heard something behind them, turned, and saw a large hairy creature backlit by a lamplight. They fled immediately without looking back.

SilhouetteFull-body sightingUnidentified sound
BFRO YEAR: 1947/48 Palatka, Putnam County, Florida Class A #4795

While riding horse, young teen has day time sighting not far from Palatka

Around 1947-48 on a hot summer day, the witness was riding a horse through pine woods to visit a neighbor when a large dark hairy figure was seen at a distance by a pine tree. The figure appeared to make repeated up-and-down movements with its arms raised and paid no attention to the witness. The horse stopped, pointed its ears forward, and refused to approach, so the witness watched briefly from a safe distance.

Full-body sighting
BFRO YEAR: 1971-72? Putnam Hall, Putnam County, Florida Class A #1021

Large Creature standing in road

The witness and a companion were driving at night when an entity was standing in their lane and they had to swerve to avoid hitting it. They reported getting a good look as they passed, describing a tall, hairy, man-like figure. The driver was frightened and would not stop or turn around.

Full-body sightingRoad crossing
BFRO YEAR: 74-75 Lake Worth, Palm Beach County, Florida Class A #414

Year long sightings by family

The witness describes repeated nighttime visits to a rural property over about a year by a family of large hairy creatures that ate fruit, looked in trailer windows, and once bit a penned hog. The witness reports seeing three individuals of varying heights, hearing frequent chattering, noticing odor, tracks and hair, and attempting to hunt them without driving them away. After about a year the visits stopped, believed to have ended when habitat regrew.

Full-body sightingChatterOdorTracksHair +1
BFRO YEAR: 2002-2003? Lake Park,, Palm Beach County, Florida Class A #30929

Daylight observation of a hair-covered bipedal figure in the Grassy Waters Preserve

The witness and a companion were walking a preserve boardwalk in the early morning after being denied a guided canoe trip. From the boardwalk they watched a tall dark figure at the base of a distant cypress tree repeatedly squat, dig in the mud, stand, and bring a hand to its mouth for several minutes. Two park rangers were also present, but requested binoculars fogged and were unusable. The witness described the figure as human-like in posture and movement and did not consider it a bear.

Full-body sightingAnimal behaviour
BFRO YEAR: early 2000 Orlando, Orange County, Florida Class A #32746

Man recalls his nighttime sighting of a tall hair covered biped outside Orlando

The witness and a cousin were parked late at night beside a playground near a small lake and woods after driving home. The witness, still in the car, saw a huge dark fur-covered figure standing nearby in dim light. When the witness opened the door and the car was started, the figure moved off to the right as they drove away toward their neighborhood. They briefly returned to look for it but found no trace.

Full-body sighting
BFRO YEAR: 1973-74? Fort Myers, Lee County, Florida Class A #1030

5 children observe a very large hairy "man" for several minutes (N. Ft. Myers)

The witness, then a child, was with several other children at a playground at dusk after playing in nearby woods. After another child pointed out movement, the group climbed the slide ladder to look into the woods. They watched a large hair-covered upright figure look at them and then turn and walk slowly away through scrub palms toward a pond for a couple minutes before they ran home.

Partial sighting
BFRO YEAR: 76 Esto, Holmes County, Florida Class A #115

Young girls have daylight sighting near their home

The witness and a relative went to a play hut at the edge of the woods just after daybreak. They noticed a foul odor, heard something large moving and growling, and hid in a nearby gully. They then watched a very tall, broad, brownish-red haired biped with human-like shape approach the hut from 50 to 70 feet away before turning and walking away, after which they ran home.

Full-body sightingGrowlOdorFootsteps
BFRO YEAR: Late 80's Spring Hill / Brooksville, Hernando County, Florida Class A #6708

Man has brief encounter near lake

The witness reported a dusk encounter at about 20+ yards with a dark, stocky creature that had a wide upper torso and no visible neck in a remote pine-oak area. Waning light limited observable detail, but a reddish reflection from the eyes was noted. The witness was alone at the time.

Partial sightingEyeshine
BFRO YEAR: 1978-70 Flagler Beach, Flagler County, Florida Class A #2657

A tree stump moves closer to a group of young boys

In the late 1970s on a late August morning, the witness and about seven other children were on a remote marshy peninsula at Flagler Beach. The witness noticed a stump-like shape on a grassy hill about 200 yards away across the water, then saw it had moved downhill closer. The witness pointed it out, companions said its head moved, and the whole group fled about a mile. The witness described it as a tall upright figure about 7 feet tall covered in long brownish-grey fur.

Full-body sighting