Fouke Monster
 The Monster Mart souvenir shop and convenience store in Fouke, AR, named for the creature and local folklore | |
| Creature information | |
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| Other names |
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| Similar entities | |
| Folklore | Cryptid |
| Origin | |
| First attested | 1946 |
| Country | United States |
| Region | Arkansas |
| Part of a series on the |
| Paranormal |
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The Fouke Monster /ˈfaʊk/ is a large, hairy cryptid said to have been sighted in the rural town of Fouke and the area of Miller County, Arkansas, during the early 1970s. Similar to descriptions of Bigfoot, the creature was alleged to have attacked a local family.[1] It has since become a part of Arkansas folklore.[2] Stories of the creature influenced the 1972 docudrama horror film The Legend of Boggy Creek, which became the 11th highest-grossing film of 1972[3] and is today considered to be a cult classic.[4]
The creature was named by journalist Jim Powell, who reported on it for the Texarkana Gazette and the Texarkana Daily News.[5]
Description
[edit]Various reports between 1971 and 1974 described it as being a large, bipedal creature covered in long dark hair. It was estimated to be about 7 feet (2 m) tall with a weight of 250–300 pounds (110–140 kg).[citation needed] Later reports claimed that it was far larger, with one witness describing it as 10 feet (3 m) tall, with an estimated weight of 800 pounds (360 kg).[6] Some accounts describe the Fouke Monster as running swiftly with a galloping gait and swinging its arms in a fashion similar to a monkey.[6] Reports also describe it as having a terrible odor, the odor being described as a combination of a skunk and a wet dog, and as having bright red eyes about the size of silver dollars.[7][note 1]
A variety of tracks and claw marks have been discovered which are claimed to belong to the creature. One set of footprints reportedly measured 17 inches (43 cm) in length and 7 inches (18 cm) wide, while another appeared to show feet that only possessed three toes.[5]
History
[edit]Prior to the 20th century, several alleged sightings in the general area related to a large, hairy creature circulated in an 1851 report in the Memphis Enquirer, and an 1856 report in the Caddo Gazette.[8]
Local residents claim that the creature had roamed the area since 1964,[9] but those sightings had not been reported. Local folklore also holds that the creature can be further traced back to sightings in 1946.[10] Most early sightings were allegedly in the region of Jonesville as the creature was known as the "Jonesville Monster" during this period.[11][12]
In 1955, the creature was allegedly spotted by a 14-year-old boy who described it as having reddish brown hair, sniffing the air, and not reacting when it was fired upon with birdshot. Investigator Joe Nickell observed that the description was consistent with a misidentified black bear (Ursus americanus).[13]
1970s
[edit]The Fouke Monster first made local headlines in 1971, when it was reported to have attacked the home of Bobby and Elizabeth Ford on May 2, 1971.[7][14][15]
According to Elizabeth Ford, the creature, which she initially thought was a bear, reached through a screen window that night while she was sleeping on a couch. It was chased away by her husband and his brother Don.[16] During the alleged encounter, the Fords fired several gun shots at the creature and believed that they had hit it, though no traces of blood were found. An extensive search of the area failed to locate the creature, but three-toed footprints were found close to the house, as well as scratch marks on the porch and damage to a window and the house's siding.[17] According to the Fords, they had heard something moving around outside late at night several nights prior but, having lived in the house for less than a week, had never encountered the creature before.[17]
The creature was allegedly sighted again on May 23, 1971, when three people, D. C. Woods, Jr., Wilma Woods, and Mrs. R. H. Sedgass, reported seeing an ape-like creature crossing U.S. Highway 71.[18] More sightings reports were made over the following months by local residents and tourists, who found additional footprints.[19] The best known footprints were found in a soybean field belonging to local filling station owner Scott Keith. They were scrutinized by game warden Carl Galyon, who was unable to confirm their authenticity.[5] Like the Ford prints, they appeared to indicate that the creature had only three toes.[20]
The incident began to attract substantial interest after news spread about the Ford sighting. The Little Rock, Arkansas, radio station KAAY posted a $1,090 bounty on the creature.[5] Several attempts were made to track the creature with dogs, but they were unable to follow its scent.[17] When hunters began to take interest in the Fouke Monster, Miller County Sheriff Leslie Greer was forced to put a temporary "no guns" policy in place in order to preserve public safety.[5] In 1971, three people were fined $59 each "for filing a fraudulent monster report."[5]
After an initial surge of attention, public interest in the creature decreased until it gained national recognition in 1973 when Charles B. Pierce released a docudrama horror film about the creature in 1972, The Legend of Boggy Creek.
By late 1974, interest had waned again and sightings all but stopped; only to begin again in March 1978 when tracks were reportedly found by two brothers prospecting in