MYAKKA SKUNKAPE LEGEND

     The Seminole Tribe of Florida warned the first Europeans of their strange and deadly encounters with the "Myakka River Sasquatch" or "Skunkape." Soon after, a group of early Euro-Americans encountered the beast and dozens were killed.  Eventually a Skunkape was killed, too. The hunters claimed it was over 13-feet tall and weighed over a thousand pounds.

     The Skunkape is believed to inhabit what's now the regions of Myakka State Park, Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve and the Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve in southern Florida.

     It possesses advanced hearing, smell and possibly sight which allows it to remain undetected. Although a bi-ped, the Skunkape spend a lot of time up in the trees which makes tracking it so difficult. The Skunkape has human intelligence and is incredibly proficient in skills such as hunting, tracking, concealment and surveillance.

     Centuries later, the Skunkape remains elusive in the inhospitable terrain of the Myakka River and Everglades swamps.  Thick vegetation, lookout points and multiple escape routes provide excellent cover.  Sightings are well-documented since the 1950's and continue to this day.