Editorial: The Myakka Skunk Ape Photos: Real or Hoax?

This mysterious photo, and others like it, along with a letter, were turned in to the Sarasota, Florida Sheriff's Department sometime in 1999 and made quite an impact on the Sasquatch community. They were apparently taken by an elderly woman who has yet to be identified near Myakka Park in Sarasota County and appear to be one of three things-a Skunk Ape, an escaped orangutan or a hoax. Some who subscribe to the hoax theory say it is a model from the Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Museum, while others hypothesize it is an escaped orangutan, and it does resemble an orang as well, although the face reminds me of the Hollywood-created creature in Harry And The Hendersons. If indeed it is an orang, then it somehow escaped either from a zoo or a Wildlife Preserve, although no zoo or Wildlife Preserve reported any missing orangs. Certainly, there are all kinds of primates loose in the forests of the Sunshine State, and it is entirely possible a stray orang wandered into Sarasota County. The elderly woman's story goes as follows: she was in her home one night, when she heard what she described as a "whoomp" noise from her backyard. She started leaving out apples to see about luring whatever it was into the yard. She heard the noises again and took a few photos, capturing this strange individual. She wanted to remain anonymous because she didn't want publicity and wanted nothing to do with the Skunk Ape, which is understandable. To this day, no one knows the identity of the elderly lady who took the photos, nor if the photos are genuine. We know this, however-it is an enduring mystery which does not have any answers.