September 28, 2006

Yarram Ape or Yowie?

Aussie cryptozoologist Mike Williams shares the following story he ran across in his recent travels through Victoria with the readers of Cryptomundo.

Is this a photo of a Yowie, or is it some other type of Australian Mystery Ape?

Ape Spotted in Yarram Bush

The Yarram Standard News, Wednesday, September 13, 2006, page 5

Forget the Tassie tigers, panthers and the Woodside monster, the Strzelecki ape has been spotted running about the bush just outside Yarram.

It’s big and black and walks on two legs and it’s no joke, according to Jack River resident Jeremy Gill, who saw what he thought was an ape in the bush not far from his home on Sunday, September 3.

Jeremy likes nothing better than getting in his four wheel drive and heading for the bush, a pastime he embarks on most weekends.

On this particular Sunday morning, he headed out in search of new bush tracks and creeks in the Strzelecki Ranges where he could try his luck for some fresh trout, crayfish or yabbies.

Jeremy said it was about 11.30 am, just before lunch. He couldn’t believe his eyes when along a Grand Ridge Plantations track, above the valley where the Jack River runs, about ’50 metres from his vehicle he saw what he described as the "most bizarre thing he has ever seen".

"I was driving down an old track when about 50 meters in front of me I saw this thing crossing the track at a rather fast pace. It sounds really silly but it looked kind of like a black ape. It crossed the track from left to right and was out of sight. I didn’t hear any noise," he said.

Jeremy said it did cross his mind that it could have been someone dressed up. "But I thought why would anyone want to dress up and run around in the middle of somewhere so remote," he said.

"I wasn’t nervous my first thought was to get a closer look to see what it was. I don’t really know what to think but you see something like that and you have to wonder are there more out there," he said.

Jeremy said he had his digital camera with him and managed to get some shots, but it all happened so quickly.

"I could only snap off a few quick photos. I didn’t get out of the car until it disappeared in the tree line. I then got out of the car and ran towards where I saw it disappear into the bush but it was gone. I couldn’t see it anywhere," he said.

Jeremy said he has seen and photographed many animals in the bush along with some amazing scenery on his treks but never anything like this before.

"It was all very weird and I don’t want people thinking I’m a crackpot. I went out again yesterday and had another look but didn’t see anything."

"It would be good to know if anyone else has sighted anything like this in the area," he said.

Jeremy said he hasn’t been put off going bush but he would like to think there are no panthers or anything else out there.

"I wouldn’t like to be anyone’s lunch, especially out there on my own," he said.

Filed under Bigfoot Report, Breaking News, Cryptotourism, Cryptozoology, Evidence, Eyewitness Accounts, Public Forum, Thylacine, Yowie