Two remarkable new photographs of what may be a Florida Skunk Ape have been discovered through an interesting chain of events by Sarasota resident and animal welfare specialist David Barkasy. “Bigfoot! The True Story of Apes in America” overviews how these photographs were taken, how this find surfaced, the first reactions and analyses, and some tentative conclusions. For the time being, certain supportive notes will remain, here, available and online

Here is the December 22, 2000, letter signed “God Bless. I prefer to remain anonymous” mailed to the Sarasota Sheriff’s Department.

Newspapers in Florida, the Art Bell show, and other radio programs during mid-February, decided to talk about the Myakka photographs. The hope is that the woman photographer will be identified.

In the meantime, meaningful analyses of the eye-shine, the pupil diameter, the dentition, the tongue, hair color, and exhibited behavior of this apparent primate is taking place.

These Coleman enlargements and details were created from the first generation color prints scanned by David Barkasy of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Department’s originals. These prints show forehead lines, yellow canines, fingernails, hair, and other significant details.  Copyright 2001 by David Barkasy and Loren Coleman

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Orang_lowAt right: A young male Sumatran Orangutan, Pongo pygmaeus abelii, American Museum of Natural History.

 

 

 

 

Below: Tony Scheuhamme, a biologist with the Canadian Wildlife Service, pointed out some features on a good photograph of an orangutan by Denise McQuillen. This is not to say the Myakka photographs are of an orangutan, but it certainly assists in identifying features that are found on a known anthropoid that appear to exist on this one too.

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The Myakka ape head closeup Copyright 2001 by David Barkasy and Loren Coleman. Compared with a Sumatran Orangutan’s head, photograph at the Cincinnati Zoo by Denise McQuillen, 1999;