The Everglades Skunk Ape: Florida's Bigfoot

Myakka Photographs and Anonymous Letter

In December 2000, the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office received an anonymous letter containing two Polaroid photographs of what appeared to be a large, hair-covered primate. The letter, signed only as "I don't want my name mentioned," described an elderly woman's encounter with the creature raiding her backyard near Myakka City. The photographs were examined by the sheriff's department and later analyzed by various researchers. The images show a reddish-brown, ape-like creature sitting among palmetto fronds, with one photo capturing what appears to be the subject looking directly at the camera. Wildlife officials noted the creature's proportions seemed inconsistent with known Florida wildlife, while the facial structure appeared more primate-like than bear-like. However, the image quality and anonymous nature of the submission raised immediate questions about authenticity. The photographs became widely circulated online and were featured in numerous documentaries about the Skunk Ape phenomenon. Skeptics point out that the images could easily be a person in costume, while believers argue the proportions are too large for human hoaxers. Why would someone anonymously submit evidence of such significance without seeking recognition or compensation?