New Skunk Ape Sighting
Posted by: Loren Coleman on June 13th, 2006
There’s been a new Green Swamp (“Skunk Ape”) sighting. We have permission of Scott Marlowe to pass this along to Cryptomundo readers. Here’s the details, uncensored:
This record was first created on 6/9/2006
Month = 5
Day = 27
Year = 2006
Season = Spring
Region = 5
City = Lakeland
County = Polk
FIPS = 12015
Zip Code = 33803
Longitude =
Latitude =
Source = Direct
Type = Terrestrial
Cryptid = Swamp Ape
Sighting Summary = Pangea Institute field group watched and was paced by a Swamp Ape seen by team members
Narrative = The team had gone to the Green Swamp Closed Area to take photos of a team member in the same area where he had seen the a Swamp Ape in 1985.
Upon entering the Green Swamp along the dirt road area a large rock was found in the middle of the road had to be removed. (This phenomena has been encountered in the past in the same location by our field investigators).
Upon leaving the area of the photo shoot, the team stopped to investigate the location where the rock had been placed in the road.
After only a short time members of the group reported that they felt as if the team was being watched from the tree line on the north side of the road.
Team member, David Dowdy, told Ben Mills to retrieve his field glasses as he saw a large black creature standing among behind foliage. When Mills focused on the spot indicated by Dowdy, Mills observed a large animal with Red glowing eyes standing concealed by the brush about 150 yards in front of him. Upon seeing the animal it turned and moved away. Mr. Marlowe was able to track its movement with directional sound equipment on hand.
The team entered the treeline while the animal continued to move away from us, out of sight, but remaining close enough to keep us in its view.
Mr. Marlowe, Dowdy and photographer Matt Hoyle, attempted to draw the animal out of hiding to effect a photographic encounter, but the daylight was waining and we were not properly geared up for an night time observation and did not have our snake gear with us. Mr. Hoyle recorded the pursuit activities on his digital video camera but did not get a shot of the creature during the event.
Mr. Marlowe suggested that the team withdraw so as not to frighten the animal from the area which has been the subject of an ongoing investigation since our November 2005 Field Study.
Contact Name = Ben Mills.
About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
J-Foisy, I’m not bothered by “professional conversations” and welcome them. Some people here DO understand the procedures of the scientific method.
What I do object to are those who behave in an unprofessional way, shoot the messenger, and let their commentary degenerate into personal attacks and degradative statements — in some cases, down right misrepresentations.
Comments, folks, not conversations. This is not a forum, an email exchange location, or a chatroom. Go private with these “talks” or watch your “comments” be deleted right after you post any more of these hostile emails.
Thank you for your cooperation.
even though he may not have noticed any white around the eyes, the fact that they were red is awesome. I remember reading about the sightings recently in maryland and new jersey, around the pine forest, the state troopers said that the creature they saw had red eyes. One person recounted a hunting trip in the mid ’80s where he startled one and he said that the main thing that scared him was the red eyes, though I think its size would have gotten to me first.
All I want to know is this. Was Benny wearing his rambo camoflauge and carrying that machete? That sight alone prolly scared that swamp ape half to death!
I live in the Green Swamp, and would like to know if there is anyone to get in touch with down here about possible investigations. Or to clarify that a bit more, maybe becoming an investigator ? I have been researching this on my own for years, since my own encounter.
skunkape_hunter, there are a number of people who are approaching me with the idea of forming a Central Florida cryptozoological club or society here.
You are also quite welcome to join Pangea Institute and get involved in our research projects.
Just go to the Pangea Institute website and drop me an e-mail so I can get in touch with you. I don’t post my e-mail address on boards or forums because of the spammers, but you could also request it from Craig or Loren.