Swamp Ape/ Bigfoot... Some compelling video taken in Jan 2015.

originally posted by: TomLawless

originally posted by: Indigo5
Interesting! I am a skeptic...but..

So I google mapped where the video is purported to be taken.

Plenty of terrain and shelter..OK.

Scrolled through 60 pics of Lettuce Lake park...Foliage matches right down to the trees and even the leaves that can be made out in the video.

Also found a citing account from a wildlife biologist less than 9 miles away from 2013...describing a creature of color and proportions to what the video shows..
www.bfro.net...

I am a little stumped on this one...No one in a Gorilla Suit moves with that ease and confidence through a dense swamp. An illegal pet ape that was released?

I mean, it could be a sasquatch, or what have you, but I wouldn't be shocked if this were an Orangutan.

Thing is, I just can't get past the question of water depth, and the nature of the substrate, which is no doubt muddy to the point of sinking, and definitely full of roots and nasty critters waiting to take a chunk out of something.

I think most apes are too short and hunchy to do anything like this.

Do a google image search for apes in water.

originally posted by: Indigo5

originally posted by: TomLawless

originally posted by: Indigo5
Interesting! I am a skeptic...but..

So I google mapped where the video is purported to be taken.

Plenty of terrain and shelter..OK.

Scrolled through 60 pics of Lettuce Lake park...Foliage matches right down to the trees and even the leaves that can be made out in the video.

Also found a citing account from a wildlife biologist less than 9 miles away from 2013...describing a creature of color and proportions to what the video shows..
www.bfro.net...

I am a little stumped on this one...No one in a Gorilla Suit moves with that ease and confidence through a dense swamp. An illegal pet ape that was released?

I mean, it could be a sasquatch, or what have you, but I wouldn't be shocked if this were an Orangutan.

Thing is, I just can't get past the question of water depth, and the nature of the substrate, which is no doubt muddy to the point of sinking, and definitely full of roots and nasty critters waiting to take a chunk out of something.

I think most apes are too short and hunchy to do anything like this.

Do a google image search for apes in water.

If someone wanted to perpetrate a high-quality hoax, they would have done their research and mimicked behavior that would lend credibility to their hoax.

I find it extremely unlikely that a wild animal (or human, for that matter) would not see or hear the boat being paddled or just the sound of people shuffling around in a boat at that distance. The clunk of an oar in a boat on still water is quite loud. We hear it in the video yet the creature doesn't turn toward it. Nor does the creature depart with urgency. Then there's the matter of the people in the boat not responding to seeing the creature in a normal manner (moving around to get a better view, whispering to each other, pointing, telling each other to be quiet). If you were that close to that creature, your respiration would increase, likely cause camera shake (not camera movement as in the video) and there almost certainly would be conversation. After all, you would potentially be in danger or, at the very least, capturing a momentous event. The people in the boat are WAY too calm. Also, at one point, the camera swings away from the creature. Who would do that?

Anyone ever try and locate the female park ranger, im to lazy. Still say ghillie suit and a free weekend.

a reply to: Tangerine

I am not discounting the possibility that this is a hoax...not ready to defend the video, just finding less to debunk than usual..

there are several Primate facilities in Florida..Escapee or exotic releasee is still a possibility as well

Could a resident primate actually escape and survive in the wild? Primate Products declined to comment on any escapes for this article, but Bob DeGross, the preserve public affairs officer, told me he’s seen escaped primates in Big Cypress several times, likely the result of people releasing unwanted exotic pets into the wild, and in one case, the damage wrought by Hurricane Andrew to breeding facilities in Miami in 1992. Meanwhile, there are several confirmed wild, self-sustaining monkey populations statewide, including one in Naples (about a 45-minute drive west of Shealy’s property) and a larger group in Silver Springs (a few hours’ drive north) that descended from a couple of rhesuses imported and released by a tour operator in the 1930s. In 2012, a rhesus macaque was captured more than 100 miles away, in Tampa. Admittedly, it might be unlikely to mistake a monkey for a skunk ape (macaques and baboons are generally only about two to three feet tall), but about 140 miles north of Shealy’s research headquarters, there’s the Center for Great Apes, a sanctuary that houses a few dozen retired or rescued chimps and orangutans.

Read more: www.smithsonianmag.com...

The Great Apes Sanctuary in Florida
www.centerforgreatapes.org...

He might be so angry because everyone calls him Skunkape and Bigfoot, when his name is probably Fred or something.

originally posted by: Vasa Croe
I appears he contacted Cryptozoologynews first from what I am reading. I think the other site may have ripped the story off as they differ only slightly

I read yesterday thay he is actually a member/commenter on the other site (B******* E********* not sure if I can post the name).

Im preoccupied right now but I can find the link later. It would be nice if he would comment on that site. Its not a good sign that he's not commenting)

originally posted by: Tangerine

I find it extremely unlikely that a wild animal (or human, for that matter) would not see or hear the boat being paddled or just the sound of people shuffling around in a boat at that distance. The clunk of an oar in a boat on still water is quite loud. We hear it in the video yet the creature doesn't turn toward it. Nor does the creature depart with urgency. Then there's the matter of the people in the boat not responding to seeing the creature in a normal manner (moving around to get a better view, whispering to each other, pointing, telling each other to be quiet). If you were that close to that creature, your respiration would increase, likely cause camera shake (not camera movement as in the video) and there almost certainly would be conversation. After all, you would potentially be in danger or, at the very least, capturing a momentous event. The people in the boat are WAY too calm. Also, at one point, the camera swings away from the creature. Who would do that?

I am comfortable in making the guess that you are not an expert on the behavior skunk-apes? then perhaps an expert on Ape behavior? Human behavior is not much easier to predict either...

Just saying..there is lots to be skeptical about, but critiquing whether the videographer was hyper-ventilating or was shaking seems an unreliable test...ditto with whether the subject in the video responded how you would think it would.

a reply to: Indigo5

there are several Primate facilities in Florida..Escapee or exotic releasee is still a possibility as well

Would they have been taught to swim? I found that some have been taught to swim but that doesn't appear to be normal behavior for any apes.

a reply to: Vasa Croe

I appears he contacted Cryptozoologynews first from what I am reading. I think the other site may have ripped the story off as they differ only slightly

I'm thinking maybe he gave the vid and story to both. The vid at the source you linked has an uncropped version. Doesn't look like a GoPro to me.

originally posted by: Indigo5

originally posted by: Tangerine

I find it extremely unlikely that a wild animal (or human, for that matter) would not see or hear the boat being paddled or just the sound of people shuffling around in a boat at that distance. The clunk of an oar in a boat on still water is quite loud. We hear it in the video yet the creature doesn't turn toward it. Nor does the creature depart with urgency. Then there's the matter of the people in the boat not responding to seeing the creature in a normal manner (moving around to get a better view, whispering to each other, pointing, telling each other to be quiet). If you were that close to that creature, your respiration would increase, likely cause camera shake (not camera movement as in the video) and there almost certainly would be conversation. After all, you would potentially be in danger or, at the very least, capturing a momentous event. The people in the boat are WAY too calm. Also, at one point, the camera swings away from the creature. Who would do that?

I am comfortable in making the guess that you are not an expert on the behavior skunk-apes? then perhaps an expert on Ape behavior? Human behavior is not much easier to predict either...

Just saying..there is lots to be skeptical about, but critiquing whether the videographer was hyper-ventilating or was shaking seems an unreliable test...ditto with whether the subject in the video responded how you would think it would.

You guessed correctly. Nor is anyone else an expert on skunk-ape behavior. I am not making a claim of fact that this is a hoax. I am simply pointing out elements that raise questions. I think the things that I pointed out raise legitimate questions and are not far-fetched. I am familiar with wildlife and I am familiar with humans. The behavior of both in this video seem to me to be out of the norm. Of course, not 100% of animal or wildlife behavior does fall within the norm.

I remain undecided however, everyone is stating the dangers that exist there in the form of snakes, alligators and "moccasins" (I thought they were shoes, not an animal!) but I personally wonder if this is an area that allows hunting or is frequented by armed people?

My concern would be that if it IS a hoaxer in a suit, they're making themselves a prime target for some "get-rich / famous-quick" hunter who thinks he's bagging a real Bigfoot. Personally, that'd be my biggest fear if I was in any way inclined to hoax such a thing.

There's also a Bigfoot in Brooklyn video floating about.

a reply to: zazzafrazz

I saw a bigfoot drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's, and his hair was perfect.

ETA: I see you added the vid. That looks like a man to me.

I can't say I 'believe' bigfoot is real but I at least hope it is. I just don't think I've ever seen real evidence.

Ok...so the following are the responses I got back from the site. They are checking with the guy to see if it is ok for me to contact him. The following are copy/paste emails.

My email to the site:

I would like to find out if there is more video than what is shown as well as possibly contact the individual that filmed this animal in the swamp. There is an ongoing discussion on this video on abovetopsecret.com and while I have always been a bigfoot skeptic, this video appears to have a lot going for it.

I mainly just want to find out if there is a longer version of this video, such as the lead up to the encounter and the aftermath, as well as possibly being able to find out the name of the park ranger he spoke with to confirm the story.

Thanks

First Response:

Hi XXXXXX,
thank you for contacting us.

My name is XXXXXXXX and I'm the news editor at Cryptozoology News.

When Matt was interviewed on Monday, he told us about the moments prior and after the event taking place. However, he did not have the footage to backup that part of the testimony, other than the provided video shown on the website. To the best of our knowledge, that's the entire footage taken that day. What we gathered from the interview is that he turned on the camera when he noticed the alleged animal, then turned it off when he started paddling away.

The video was sent as a .mov file with a 720p resolution through Google Drive due to, he stated, the excessive size of it. Its size was a total of 88.0 MB.

Additionally, if it's of some value to your current discussion at the forum, something that wasn't mentioned in the article is that he did not tell us who the other person on the canoe was, even though we had clearly asked. Also, If you listen closely, there's some sort of laughter-- could be just nervous laughter-- at the end of the video.

Another thing I found quite interesting was that the writing pattern and choice of words used by the witness also resembled those of the early January witness who had claimed to have taken a picture of another creature at the same exact place. cryptozoologynews.com...

I will have to ask Matt to see if he'd be willing to allow me to provide you with his contact information.

I will let you know as soon as he replies.

In the mean time, please feel free to ask any other questions you may have.



Best regards

Second response follow up:

Hi,
Sorry it appears that I missed one of your questions from your previous e-mail.

He did not disclose the park ranger's identity either. He also said that he "wasn't looking for attention".

He contacted us Monday 26, 2015 at 7.04 PM. Just a little later that day we published the article and uploaded the raw file to YouTube. I forgot to mention that the file was unedited and presented it to our readers as it was sent to us.

Also, of special importance and as originally stated further within the article, the witness said that the alleged creature went down into the waters as they were leaving the area and were not able to see it emerging again.

We were able to determine, by IP means, that the man was near the location he claimed to be. However, the IP address did not match the one belonging to the mentioned early January witness. Also, Matt claimed to work as a tree service worker in Wimauma.

We have contacted the subject asking for permission to release his contact information over to you.

XXXXXXX, again, please don't hesitate to let me know if you or any of the members being part of the discussion have further questions.

So...doesn't lend any more credibility, but doesn't really hurt it either. It seems they are being just as skeptical of it as I am and trying to be a bit objective.

originally posted by: Vasa Croe

originally posted by: GArnold

originally posted by: Vasa Croe
Crazy....I went to the blog that posted this and they have a clip of it narrowed down that shows what appears to either be a long tail or a snake possibly biting the backside as it is walking through the swamp.

The more I look at this footage the more I think this is a real creature, though I have no idea what....it just has that very natural appearance and movement to me.

Thank you for embedding the video.

Where was the blog located?

I have seen a lot of bigfoot videos and swamp ape in my time.. but this one just seems to be the real deal. The movement and the sounds are on point.

Blog is here : Blog

They have what appears to be a shortened clip of the video that shows the tail movement, but you can see it even better if you go to the video and watch the zoomed portion.

Said it was in Tampa, FL. where this was filmed.

These Bigfoot love the swamps here big time. They know they can get away from people and never be bothered. I have had life long hunters that have seen them and some who have not and will tell you right to your face that your full of it lol. I hunted for 20 years before I ran into one, in a SWAMP. How did I run into him? Extremely slow stalking on the ground in full cammo, I was super quiet when I went in and noisy as hell running lol. Its the life long hunters who look around for other things than just what they are hunting that see them and many hunters avoid the deep swamps. They scout out their deer trail and figure out were their tree stand will go, then they will go full steam to that tree in the dark to make it into the tree before sun up. Their brains only look for deer or hogs. Never mind they made so much racket getting to their stands in the morning that any bigfoot in the area will know where not to go.

I hunt right up to the water because they will walk out of the deep swamp in the morning and feed on dry land and then walk right back into the water. You can hear them coming out of the water if your close enough to them. Many people do not know that a deer will swim through a swamp and find a place to bed right in the middle of it. One winter (when the snakes were long gone) a friend and I followed a deer in the deep swamp to find their beds everywhere in chest high water!!. They were up on old Cypress stumps were over time dirt, grass and moss had collected to make these killer beds that had to be comfortable as hell. Guess who also does that??? Bigfoot!!!

90 percent of hunters will not walk into a swamp where the water is over their boots. If they did they would see some amazing beds and tracks from animals that stick out like a stop sign thanks to them only moving the silt off the sand.

This Bigfoot killed himself a moccasin and will have some dinner. I had a run in with a water moccasin here that was so big he was light Gray and had blue eyes. His head was the size of the palm of my hand, not my fingers. His fangs were about 2.5 inches long or more. When I first seen it I thought it was a baby anaconda someone had let loose till I seen his fangs. I was so thankful I did not get bit by it or I would not made it to the hospital soon enough. Just thinking about those huge fangs digging into me is something I pray never happens. I have only seen two Diamond Backs that big, one here and one in Alabama. Every bit over 6 plus feet.

I seen the huge Diamond Back sitting on the side of a game trail just waiting for something to come by with its mouth open and ready to strike. He got three rounds of Buckshot into him in about one second as I was almost his food lol. Bigfoot has to be immune to these snakes or skin so tough with all that hair that they cant get though or we would see many of them laying belly up.

a reply to: Vasa Croe

Nice work

a reply to: Vasa Croe

Thanks for doing some footwork for us.

a reply to: NoCorruptionAllowed
Well I dont think there aggressive for fun. If there like any other animal humans including. The ya! I would not want to test out the limits of what would set it off. Like in your story the guy walked up to what he thought was a big tree stump, then it stood up and he froze. Obviously it probably did not want to be seen, but when the guy walked right up to it. It was another matter. I mean he may have been close to it, but I do not think it would be all to friendly is he suddenly started making threatening gestures or moves toward it, if you know hat I am saying.

The biggest part though is. How in the hell does a species of ape that big avoid sight for so long, I mean if its native creature of earth. While there have been sighting all over history and descriptions of bigfoots and yetis from all over the world. Well if there just a bunch of these things around, or tribes of them. Its got to be pretty dam smart to avoid humans for what equates thousands and thousands of years. It would not be just a monkey that's for sure, to do that you would have to have a pretty high mental capacity either way you splice it. Even if its a primitive, it would be far from a big dump animal, # it may be smarter then most people. Or at least while in its element.

originally posted by: DenyObfuscation
a reply to: zazzafrazz


ETA: I see you added the vid. That looks like a man to me.

Me too

a reply to: Vasa Croe

Thank you for your efforts. In my opinion, this is a far more valuable approach than mere speculation about whether the video appears "authentic".