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534 encounters
25 July 1997 Lynne, Marion County, Florida Class A #729

a daylight sighting by a family on a camping trip

The witness was hiking with family and resting by a bridge over a stream when two sons who had gone to explore returned saying they had seen a gorilla. The witness followed the sons back to the spot and reported seeing a bigfoot kneeling by the stream drinking. The creature reportedly noticed the group and ran off into the forest.

Full-body sightingAnimal behaviour
July 1997 Collier County, Florida Class A #721

Series of reports (6) concerning the Skunk Ape. Photos of the creature and footcasts

On July 16, 1997, a tour guide driving tourists along a road stopped near a burned-out bridge and watched an upright, hair-covered creature for about 15 minutes from 70 to 80 yards away. The guide moved the bus forward and backward to give passengers views and tried to get a passenger with a telephoto lens to exit for photos, but no one would leave. The guide then drove away and could not relocate the creature on a later return.

Partial sightingAnimal behaviour
October 1996 Alexander Springs, Ocala Nat. Forest,Aster, Lake County, Florida Class B #1480

3am observation in Alexander Springs (Ocala Nat. Forest) of tall upright animal. Coolers ransacked

The witness and a companion were camping in a tent at Alexander Springs. After playing cards until about 3 a.m., the companion fell asleep while the witness lay awake. The witness heard surrounding animal sounds fall silent, smelled a skunk-like odor, saw a tall upright shadow on the tent wall and heard a grunt-like noise. In the morning the coolers had been ransacked, and the pair left the campground early the next night after feeling uneasy.

SilhouetteVocalizationOdorProperty disturbanceMovement only
May 1996 Plant City, Hillsborough County, Florida Class B #18395

Possible sighting by motorist near the Four Corners phosphate mine

The witness was driving home from work in the early morning when an oncoming car flashed its high beams. While rounding a curve, the headlights illuminated a tall dark human-like figure by a fence that appeared to look toward the car with red reflective eyes, causing intense fear. The witness later wondered what the occupants of the other car had seen.

Partial sightingEyeshine
Fall 1996 Valparaiso, Okaloosa County, Florida Class A #730

Sighting by Five witnesses of a large, humanoid form.

The witness and four companions were parked on a dirt road at dusk trying to find a way out of the area. They heard a commotion in nearby woods suggesting something large approaching. As it got closer they saw a large upright humanoid form that did not respond to yelling, and all five fled in panic.

Partial sightingUnidentified sound
spring of 1996 Florida #14156a1d-8968-4a0d-90a7-756850ae9af6

Sasquatch sighting in Florida (1996)

Two identical-twin brothers hiking through ankle-deep water reached a clearing and found a creature lying on its back that flipped to all fours and sniffed them, appearing confused. It then stood on two legs and shook a tree to intimidate them as they backed out. That night at camp their stacked firewood was moved, and a neighboring camper said he saw two silhouettes moving it.

Full-body sightingProperty disturbanceSilhouette
15 December 1995 20 MILES SOUTH OF BRISTOL FLA., Liberty County, Florida Class B #21254

78 year-old life-long woodsman finds tracks along the Apalachicola River

The witness was hunting in the woods at dawn when he came upon a trackway of very large barefoot human-like prints. The prints crossed the icy edge of a large frozen puddle, breaking the ice and leaving impressions in mud, with a stride of about four feet. He left the area promptly and later reported the tracks to local law enforcement.

Tracks
March 1995 Florida City Everglades National Park, Monroe County, Florida Class A #36218

Early morning encounter during a rest stop near Florida City

Two friends drove into the Everglades park in the early morning and parked at a pine habitat to nap in their car. They were awakened by an ape-like animal looking into the tinted windows, touching the car, and then rummaging through a nearby dumpster for an extended period while emitting a strong rotten odor. The animal eventually walked away howling, and the witnesses drove to Flamingo where they reported the encounter to rangers.

Full-body sightingVehicle contactProperty disturbanceOdorHowl
18 December 1994 Fasevile Ga, Gadsden County, Florida Class A #246

Daylight sighting by hunter near FL / GA border

In 1994 the witness was hunting on a farm in Florida when a strong foul odor was noticed. Shortly after turning a curve, the witness saw a tall brown bipedal animal about 40 yards away that turned and ran very quickly into the woods. A deep grunt-like vocalization was also heard. The witness did not shoot, citing uncertainty about what it was.

Full-body sightingOdorVocalization
7 July 1994 Live Oak, Suwannee County, Florida Class A #14427

Man recalls having a dead rabbit thrown at him while riding his ATV near Live Oak

The witness was walking a logging-road loop with two dogs in the afternoon when the woods went quiet and the dogs froze. About 50-60 yards uphill the witness saw a very large shape standing among oaks and brush. The shape grabbed and shook two oak trees and made a loud wailing scream, after which the dogs disappeared and the witness left quickly for the house.

Partial sightingScreamOdorAnimal behaviour
6 July 1994 Wellborn, Suwannee County, Florida Class B #20981

Two Fishermen describe a possible bluff charge outside Wellborn

Two people were fishing for catfish in a creek at night when they heard footsteps approaching through dense woods. After they called out, the footsteps paused and then rushed toward them, splitting into two individuals that ran past them through the creek while splashing and breaking limbs. The witnesses reported no visual contact due to darkness and woods and no vocalizations, then fled the area leaving their gear.

Footsteps
April 1994 Brewton Alabama, Escambia County, Florida Class A #5801

Fisherman in boat is approached by wading hairy hominid

While fishing on a river near sundown in 1994, the witness saw an upright two-legged animal wading through shallow water and trees. The animal approached toward deeper water, then turned back to the shallows, watched the witness for a few minutes while tilting its head, and then wandered into the swamp without making a sound. The witness left by motorboat once it was out of sight.

Full-body sighting
April 1994 Green Cove Springs, Clay County, Florida Class A #8316

Father and daughter have nighttime sighting

The witness was driving west at night with two daughters when a tall brown-haired bipedal figure stepped into the headlights and crossed the road into thick brush. The witness stopped the car, as did an oncoming car, and the older daughter also watched the figure cross. The younger daughter slept through the entire event.

Full-body sightingRoad crossing
3 March 1994 Marion County, Florida Class B #11387

Screams Heard While Camping in the Ocala National Forest

On the first night of a family camping trip in Ocala National Forest in summer 1994, the witness was awakened by a loud rattle of a bag of soda cans beside the picnic table. After she spoke, the rattling stopped and she then listened for a long period to loud, almost continuous distant screams to the north that she could not identify. In the morning nothing at the campsite was disturbed, and she did not hear the screams again the next night.

ScreamProperty disturbance
Spring 1994 Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida Class A #8514

Husband and wife have nighttime road-crossing sighting

The witness was driving north at night with his family when he saw a tall, hairy bipedal figure standing by the road. The figure walked east across the highway in front of the car with swinging arms while the witness slowed, and his wife also saw it. The figure stepped off into dune pines and they continued driving without stopping.

Full-body sightingRoad crossing
Fall 1994 Coconut Creek/Coral Springs, Broward County, Florida Class B #1831

Foot steps heard while walking on trail at night

In the spring of 1994 the witness was camping with friends and walked alone on a trail around 1 a.m. He heard footsteps keeping parallel in dense brush to his right and judged from the stepping pattern that it was walking on two feet. Frightened as the sounds moved closer, he returned to camp, woke friends, and went back to search but found nothing.

Footsteps
20 November 1993 Collier County, Florida Class A #720

Hunter reports finding strange tracks in the Everglades, near the area of the Dade County and Collier County line, between Big Cypress and Alligator Alley.

Several months after Hurricane Andrew, the witness and companions were hog hunting from swamp buggies near Big Cypress. After driving through the area overnight, the witness found large human-like bipedal tracks in mud near a water pool, with unusual depth and stride, and later found fresh tracks at the same spot and another set miles away. The group videotaped the tracks and compared them with their own footprints. No creature was seen, and the witness later wondered whether the tracks were from a skunk ape or a prank.

Tracks
Summer 1993 Ocala, Marion County, Florida Class B #19354

Woman recalls childhood incident -- red eyes looking into window near Withlacoochee River

In summer 1993, a five-year-old child went to the back bedroom of a raised mobile home to get toys from a chest. Upon sitting up, the child saw a pair of piercing red eyes in the middle of the bedroom window and stared before running to report it. The family suggested a neighboring dog, but the witness maintains the eyes were too high for a dog and too close to be an owl or perched animal.

Eyeshine
Spring 1993 LEESBURG, Lake County, Florida Class A #23696

Huge creature stands in headlights on rural road near Leesburg

Two companions driving on a dirt road toward their house at night stopped when a large creature stood in the road a short distance ahead. With headlights and then high beams on, they watched it for a couple of minutes as it stood and moved its head from side to side. They then drove past it and rushed into the house to tell the occupants and check everyone was alright.

Full-body sightingRoad crossingEyeshine
February 1992 Miami, Monroe County, Florida Class B #1283

Heard and then chased by creature

The witness was walking alone at night on a pond path toward a cabin when he heard footfalls and breaking twigs that stopped when he stopped and resumed closer each time he walked. He shouted and then ran toward a clearing near the director's trailer while the sounds followed closely, including breathing heard from above head height behind him. On reaching the clearing the sounds retreated into the woods and went silent. The director was told and fired several shots, suggesting an escaped exotic cat as an explanation.

FootstepsUnidentified sound