MonsterQuest

MonsterQuest: Boggy Creek Monster

Boggy Creek Monster "Swamp Stalker"

It appears you do not have the latest version of the Adobe Flash Player or you may have JavaScript disabled.

BEHAVIOR

Largely nocturnal, the creature stalks and attacks human prey. It can run with strides of 12 to 14 feet, and has been reported to stampede a herd of cattle.

WHEREABOUTS

Some of the earliest and most famous sightings of this intimidating creature come from the small town of Fouke, Arkansas, located southeast of Texarkana and 150 miles southwest of Little Rock. Other late 20th-century reports come from Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma.

VITAL STATS

According to witness reports, the Boggy Creek Monster stands upright on two feet, is some seven to eight feet tall and weighs up to 300 pounds. Its muscular chest measures three feet across and its body is covered with long, dark hair.

RELATIVES

Some believe that sightings of the Boggy Creek Monster may have been misidentifications of black bears, a species that recently made a comeback in the region. Black bears can be some five to six feet tall and weigh up to 400 pounds; they walk on all fours but occasionally will stand upright to gain a better scent or view.

HISTORY

Local legend dates back as early as 1834, when a large, hairy "wild man" was reported to be roaming northeast Arkansas. In the late 20th century, reports of the monster's activity intensified near Boggy Creek. A famous encounter in May 1971 near Fouke was chronicled in the low budget 1972 movie The Legend of Boggy Creek.

MOST RECENT SIGHTING

In 1997, local residents reported more than 40 sightings of the Boggy Creek Monster; a 1998 witness saw it was walking along a dry creek bed some five miles south of Fouke. In 2000, a hunter reported a sighting in broad daylight in the nearby Sulfur River Wildlife Area, near Fouke. In 2004, a report from southeast Texas told of a creature that may have been drawn by the sound of children playing.