1 00:00:00,689 --> 00:00:02,137 [droning] 2 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:09,310 Look. What is that? 3 00:00:10,172 --> 00:00:12,896 [Phil] Is that another hot spot right there? 4 00:00:12,896 --> 00:00:15,137 -It's moving. It's moving. -[Heather gasps] Oh, my God. 5 00:00:16,482 --> 00:00:20,172 [Josh] On this episode of Expedition X... 6 00:00:20,172 --> 00:00:22,793 There's no doubt in my mind it was a wild animal. 7 00:00:22,793 --> 00:00:24,620 Some type of primate creature. 8 00:00:25,517 --> 00:00:28,000 [Josh] My team tracks a terrifying beast, 9 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:30,931 said to stalk Florida's Everglades. 10 00:00:30,931 --> 00:00:32,068 [Phil] Do you guys mind going in there with us 11 00:00:32,068 --> 00:00:34,206 and showing us what direction it went? 12 00:00:34,206 --> 00:00:35,517 I'd rather not. 13 00:00:37,689 --> 00:00:38,862 They're crazy. 14 00:00:38,862 --> 00:00:41,896 [Josh] They'll battle the extreme wilderness... 15 00:00:41,896 --> 00:00:43,896 There's a honeybee hive right here. 16 00:00:43,896 --> 00:00:44,896 Let's get out of here. 17 00:00:44,896 --> 00:00:45,862 Go, go, go! 18 00:00:46,103 --> 00:00:47,586 [groans] 19 00:00:47,586 --> 00:00:50,448 [Josh] ...chasing a horrifying monster in size... 20 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:53,000 [Heather] I think I've got a nest. 21 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:54,103 [Josh] ...and in stench. 22 00:00:54,103 --> 00:00:55,000 Ugh. 23 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:55,931 Hoo. 24 00:00:56,310 --> 00:00:58,275 [Josh] The dreaded Skunk Ape. 25 00:00:58,275 --> 00:00:59,517 [Heather] I found something. 26 00:01:00,206 --> 00:01:01,931 -[water splashing] -[screaming] 27 00:01:02,068 --> 00:01:03,241 Oh, [bleep]. 28 00:01:11,896 --> 00:01:14,517 Over a decade ago, I investigated reports 29 00:01:14,517 --> 00:01:17,103 of a monster in the swamps of Florida, 30 00:01:17,103 --> 00:01:20,000 and the... the sights and the sounds and the smells 31 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:22,172 of that expedition have stayed with me ever since. 32 00:01:22,172 --> 00:01:23,241 Wait a second. "Smells"? 33 00:01:23,241 --> 00:01:25,379 -Yes. -You forgot your deodorant again. 34 00:01:25,379 --> 00:01:26,689 Nope. It wasn't my smell. 35 00:01:26,689 --> 00:01:28,896 It was the smell of the creature I was looking for, 36 00:01:28,896 --> 00:01:30,413 known as the Skunk Ape. 37 00:01:30,413 --> 00:01:31,482 And for good reason. 38 00:01:31,482 --> 00:01:32,827 I've heard of this. 39 00:01:32,827 --> 00:01:36,068 Kind of like, a hairy, smelly, Bigfoot-like beast 40 00:01:36,068 --> 00:01:37,793 that lives in the swamps of Florida. 41 00:01:37,793 --> 00:01:39,448 Like, a stinky swamp thing. 42 00:01:39,448 --> 00:01:43,000 That's exactly right. And we found really compelling evidence that something 43 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:44,413 was living out in those swamps. 44 00:01:44,413 --> 00:01:46,172 But it was ultimately inconclusive, 45 00:01:46,172 --> 00:01:48,793 but I've kept tabs on the case in the years since. 46 00:01:48,793 --> 00:01:50,896 And now, things are heating up. 47 00:01:50,896 --> 00:01:54,172 There has been a huge uptick in sightings of the Skunk Ape, 48 00:01:54,172 --> 00:01:57,068 and in fact, there have been hundreds of sightings of this creature 49 00:01:57,068 --> 00:01:59,206 that date back hundreds of years. 50 00:02:03,310 --> 00:02:06,310 Stories of the Skunk Ape, or Esti Capcaki, 51 00:02:06,310 --> 00:02:08,206 go back centuries, 52 00:02:09,586 --> 00:02:13,103 with the Seminole Tribe telling of a foul-smelling giant 53 00:02:13,103 --> 00:02:16,517 stalking the murky wetlands of modern day Florida. 54 00:02:17,724 --> 00:02:21,000 The first documented sighting comes in 1818, 55 00:02:21,689 --> 00:02:23,586 when a man-sized monkey 56 00:02:23,586 --> 00:02:25,379 reportedly pursues fishermen 57 00:02:25,379 --> 00:02:27,000 along the edge of the Everglades. 58 00:02:28,896 --> 00:02:32,103 The 20th century brings more disturbing incidents. 59 00:02:33,689 --> 00:02:35,896 Reports of slaughtered livestock, 60 00:02:35,896 --> 00:02:37,517 monstrous howls. 61 00:02:38,827 --> 00:02:41,827 Even two police officers in 1974 62 00:02:41,827 --> 00:02:44,793 confirming they sighted a seven-foot monster 63 00:02:44,793 --> 00:02:46,241 and opened fire. 64 00:02:48,517 --> 00:02:51,000 In the years since, hundreds of harrowing reports 65 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:54,310 have been corroborated by photos and videos. 66 00:02:55,517 --> 00:02:58,896 Two things are common throughout all these reports. 67 00:02:58,896 --> 00:03:01,482 The size, usually seven feet tall, 68 00:03:01,482 --> 00:03:04,827 with an estimated weight of more than 400 pounds, 69 00:03:04,827 --> 00:03:06,206 and the smell, 70 00:03:06,206 --> 00:03:09,000 described as a revolting blend of skunk, 71 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:11,655 wet dog and rotten eggs. 72 00:03:12,586 --> 00:03:15,586 This year has seen a record number of encounters. 73 00:03:15,586 --> 00:03:18,206 Now, a construction worker has reached out to me, 74 00:03:18,206 --> 00:03:22,620 reporting his own terrifying face-to-beast encounter. 75 00:03:22,620 --> 00:03:27,448 Is the Florida Skunk Ape truly stinking up the Everglades? 76 00:03:30,896 --> 00:03:34,000 So what do you think? Does the Skunk Ape pass the sniff test? 77 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:34,896 Well, listen. 78 00:03:34,896 --> 00:03:36,172 Florida swamps and wetlands, 79 00:03:36,172 --> 00:03:38,172 including Everglades National Park, 80 00:03:38,172 --> 00:03:42,793 make up millions of acres of dangerous, difficult-to-explore terrain. 81 00:03:42,793 --> 00:03:44,931 But a seven-foot tall primate? 82 00:03:44,931 --> 00:03:47,000 I mean, sure, they could be seeing something real, 83 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:48,482 but it's... it's more likely a... 84 00:03:48,482 --> 00:03:50,310 An escaped exotic pet, 85 00:03:50,310 --> 00:03:51,896 a... a circus bear. 86 00:03:51,896 --> 00:03:55,000 -Go on. -This is the usual Phil Torres poo-poo platter 87 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:56,275 of crypted counter arguments. 88 00:03:56,275 --> 00:03:58,068 [Phil] You're finally learning my ways, Josh. 89 00:03:58,068 --> 00:03:59,655 But here's the deal. 90 00:03:59,655 --> 00:04:03,000 Scientists are still actually making some pretty remarkable discoveries 91 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:04,103 in the swamps of Florida, 92 00:04:04,103 --> 00:04:05,689 including, just a few years ago, 93 00:04:05,689 --> 00:04:08,068 -the Siren reticulata. -The what now? 94 00:04:08,068 --> 00:04:09,206 You guys didn't hear about this? 95 00:04:09,206 --> 00:04:11,000 It's a giant two-foot salamander 96 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:12,586 with these teeny tiny front legs. 97 00:04:12,586 --> 00:04:14,862 It was once considered a myth. 98 00:04:15,172 --> 00:04:16,275 But it's real. 99 00:04:16,275 --> 00:04:18,689 So, maybe the Skunk Ape is real, too. 100 00:04:18,689 --> 00:04:20,068 But, I doubt it. 101 00:04:20,068 --> 00:04:22,310 Well, whether or not you're right, Torres, 102 00:04:22,310 --> 00:04:24,586 it sure feels like there could be something out there. 103 00:04:24,586 --> 00:04:26,275 And, Southern girl that I am, 104 00:04:26,275 --> 00:04:28,793 I know the swamp has a ton of wildlife. 105 00:04:28,793 --> 00:04:31,620 Snakes, panthers, gators. 106 00:04:31,620 --> 00:04:33,689 -This could be fun. -Why not a Skunk Ape, too? 107 00:04:33,689 --> 00:04:35,275 All right. The hunt is on. 108 00:04:35,275 --> 00:04:38,000 Your mission is to get down to the swamps of Florida and investigate. 109 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:40,000 I want you to talk to this construction worker 110 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:42,586 who claims to have had a run-in with the Skunk Ape. 111 00:04:42,586 --> 00:04:45,827 And I am arranging for a very special tracker to join you. 112 00:04:45,827 --> 00:04:47,000 His name is Whiskey. 113 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:48,068 That is not a nickname. 114 00:04:48,068 --> 00:04:50,000 His actual name is Whiskey. 115 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:53,517 -Ooh, whiskey is exactly what this adventure needs. -Cheers to that. 116 00:04:53,517 --> 00:04:57,172 And while you're gone, I'm gonna go through our old Skunk Ape case files 117 00:04:57,172 --> 00:04:59,000 and see if there's anything there that can help. 118 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:00,310 -Perfect. -Sounds good. 119 00:05:00,310 --> 00:05:01,793 All right. Well, smell you later. 120 00:05:01,793 --> 00:05:03,000 -Oh. -Oh, man. 121 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:03,793 [Josh] Couldn't help. 122 00:05:03,793 --> 00:05:05,413 -Oh. -Terrible. 123 00:05:06,103 --> 00:05:09,413 [Josh] The flight from New York to Orlando is about three hours. 124 00:05:10,206 --> 00:05:12,586 Phil and Heather then drive 45 minutes east 125 00:05:12,586 --> 00:05:16,275 to the edge of the Canaveral Marshes Conservation Area. 126 00:05:16,275 --> 00:05:20,103 Here. I've arranged for them to meet their new investigation partner. 127 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:24,137 -[Heather] You are off the grid out here. -[Phil] Yeah. 128 00:05:25,275 --> 00:05:26,724 [Heather] Is this a good time to mention 129 00:05:26,724 --> 00:05:29,482 that I'm absolutely terrified of gators? 130 00:05:29,482 --> 00:05:31,413 -What? Like... -Yes, I am. 131 00:05:31,413 --> 00:05:33,379 Like, what kind of terrified are we talking about? 132 00:05:33,379 --> 00:05:35,310 -On a scale of, like, one to ten? -Yeah. 133 00:05:35,310 --> 00:05:37,517 [Heather] One hundred. They're living dinosaurs. 134 00:05:37,517 --> 00:05:39,827 I mean, technically, birds are living dinosaurs, 135 00:05:39,827 --> 00:05:41,517 so, like, you should be afraid of a pigeon. 136 00:05:41,517 --> 00:05:43,689 -Ha! -Alligators, other whole thing. 137 00:05:43,689 --> 00:05:45,586 [Heather] Alligators have a lot more teeth. 138 00:05:45,586 --> 00:05:46,655 [Phil] I'll give you that. 139 00:05:48,482 --> 00:05:50,000 [Heather] Okay. 140 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:51,724 This is where Josh dropped the pin. 141 00:05:53,689 --> 00:05:55,620 [Phil] Didn't Josh say we were meeting with Whiskey? 142 00:05:55,620 --> 00:05:56,724 [Heather] We are. 143 00:06:02,275 --> 00:06:03,379 -[woman] Hi. -Hi. 144 00:06:03,379 --> 00:06:05,310 I'm Tiffany. This is Whiskey. 145 00:06:05,517 --> 00:06:06,620 [Phil] Whiskey. 146 00:06:06,896 --> 00:06:08,137 You're a dog. 147 00:06:09,517 --> 00:06:12,413 Whiskey. That is so sweet. 148 00:06:12,413 --> 00:06:13,793 -Look at you. -[Heather] That is... 149 00:06:13,793 --> 00:06:15,827 [Tiffany] He is a bloodhound search and rescue dog. 150 00:06:16,310 --> 00:06:17,724 We're part of a volunteer team. 151 00:06:17,724 --> 00:06:20,206 So if somebody comes up missing, we get called out 152 00:06:20,206 --> 00:06:22,310 and find that person that's missing, so... 153 00:06:22,310 --> 00:06:23,448 [Heather] Can you tell me a little bit about 154 00:06:23,448 --> 00:06:25,000 what his search and rescue technique looks like? 155 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:26,275 Um, it's off his scent. 156 00:06:26,275 --> 00:06:28,620 So we get the scent article from the person that's missing 157 00:06:28,620 --> 00:06:31,413 and then he will find the trail that we're tracking 158 00:06:31,413 --> 00:06:33,413 and takes off after it. 159 00:06:33,413 --> 00:06:37,068 So, hypothetically, if we found a unique scent in the forest 160 00:06:37,068 --> 00:06:38,724 that we wanted to track either where it came from 161 00:06:38,724 --> 00:06:41,379 or where it went afterwards, could Whiskey help us? 162 00:06:41,379 --> 00:06:42,827 [Tiffany] As long as you've got the scent article, 163 00:06:42,827 --> 00:06:44,413 he... he will be able to help you. 164 00:06:45,310 --> 00:06:47,517 Bloodhounds are bred for tracking, 165 00:06:47,517 --> 00:06:49,482 and that's actually how they got their names. 166 00:06:49,482 --> 00:06:51,586 They would hunt the blood scent of the game. 167 00:06:51,586 --> 00:06:52,896 Wow. 168 00:06:54,172 --> 00:06:55,793 [Phil] While most humans have around five million 169 00:06:55,793 --> 00:06:57,827 scent receptors in their noses, 170 00:06:57,827 --> 00:07:00,172 bloodhounds have 300 million. 171 00:07:00,172 --> 00:07:02,620 More than any other breed of dog. 172 00:07:02,620 --> 00:07:06,000 This allows them to track smells over 100 miles. 173 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:09,482 Even if that scent is over 10 days old. 174 00:07:09,482 --> 00:07:11,413 What's the longest he's tracked? 175 00:07:11,413 --> 00:07:13,103 [Tiffany] Miles and miles. 176 00:07:13,103 --> 00:07:14,896 I would probably run out before he would. 177 00:07:14,896 --> 00:07:17,586 As they get older, the better they get. 178 00:07:17,586 --> 00:07:20,689 If we were to put Whiskey into action... 179 00:07:20,689 --> 00:07:22,620 -Yes? -...what does that look like? 180 00:07:22,620 --> 00:07:23,896 It's a lot of fun, 181 00:07:23,896 --> 00:07:26,103 and you better be ready to run. [laughs] 182 00:07:26,103 --> 00:07:27,620 You're heading with them, bud. 183 00:07:28,793 --> 00:07:29,931 [Phil] Come on. 184 00:07:31,413 --> 00:07:32,551 [grunts] 185 00:07:33,379 --> 00:07:34,379 [Heather] Good boy. 186 00:07:34,379 --> 00:07:37,517 [Phil] You ready, bud? Let's go. 187 00:07:37,517 --> 00:07:39,896 [Phil] With our ace tracker Whiskey along for the ride, 188 00:07:39,896 --> 00:07:41,689 we set out to meet two witnesses 189 00:07:41,689 --> 00:07:46,931 who believe they've had a recent encounter with the Skunk Ape. 190 00:07:46,931 --> 00:07:49,517 [Phil] Hey, Whiskey, what's the smelliest thing you've ever smelled? 191 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:51,241 You. 192 00:07:52,103 --> 00:07:53,379 -Ha. -[Heather laughing] 193 00:07:53,379 --> 00:07:54,379 So funny. 194 00:07:54,379 --> 00:07:55,689 [Heather laughing] 195 00:07:58,827 --> 00:08:00,620 [Heather] We're meeting with Frank Constantino 196 00:08:00,620 --> 00:08:02,793 and his son-in-law, Chris Smith. 197 00:08:02,793 --> 00:08:04,551 [Frank] Hi. Good to meet y'all. 198 00:08:04,551 --> 00:08:07,103 [Heather] These two construction workers claim to have had a recent run-in 199 00:08:07,103 --> 00:08:10,310 with a Skunk Ape-like creature while out fishing. 200 00:08:10,310 --> 00:08:12,586 I heard you had an encounter somewhere around here? 201 00:08:12,586 --> 00:08:15,793 Yeah, it's actually not too far away from here. 202 00:08:15,793 --> 00:08:18,413 I could take you to the exact spot. 203 00:08:18,413 --> 00:08:19,965 Are you going to take us on that? 204 00:08:20,206 --> 00:08:21,827 Absolutely. 205 00:08:21,827 --> 00:08:24,000 I hope you brought your mud boots with you. 206 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:26,413 -[Phil] We'll grab and meet you on the boat? -[Frank] Awesome. 207 00:08:28,620 --> 00:08:31,896 [Heather] Frank takes us on his airboat up the St. John's River, 208 00:08:31,896 --> 00:08:35,310 into the gator-infested waters of the Canaveral Marshes. 209 00:08:52,206 --> 00:08:55,724 Our airboat begins to slow as we head deeper into the swamp. 210 00:08:57,896 --> 00:09:00,241 Far from any signs of civilization. 211 00:09:07,310 --> 00:09:10,689 [Frank] Okay, guys. This is the spot right here where we've seen it. 212 00:09:10,689 --> 00:09:11,482 [Phil] Where? 213 00:09:11,482 --> 00:09:12,758 [Frank] See right back in there 214 00:09:12,758 --> 00:09:14,724 -where that mound is in the bushes? -[Phil] Mm-hmm. 215 00:09:14,724 --> 00:09:16,724 He was right on top of that mound. 216 00:09:19,793 --> 00:09:20,931 We were fishing, 217 00:09:22,482 --> 00:09:24,275 and I shined up in there, 218 00:09:24,275 --> 00:09:26,310 and I could see a set of red eyes. 219 00:09:31,206 --> 00:09:33,482 I thought it was an alligator. 220 00:09:33,482 --> 00:09:36,931 The next thing you know, these red eyes just stood up. 221 00:09:38,620 --> 00:09:40,137 Six feet tall. 222 00:09:41,103 --> 00:09:42,379 -Six feet tall? -[Frank] Yeah. 223 00:09:42,379 --> 00:09:44,517 -[Phil] That thing is... -Was big. 224 00:09:45,517 --> 00:09:47,931 I did not want to get off the boat. 225 00:09:47,931 --> 00:09:49,103 [Heather] And then what happened? 226 00:09:49,103 --> 00:09:50,724 [Frank] It took off immediately. 227 00:09:50,724 --> 00:09:52,413 It was like we spooked it. 228 00:09:56,689 --> 00:09:57,517 [Heather] It was fast? 229 00:09:57,517 --> 00:09:59,620 -Oh, yeah. -Oh, yes. Real fast. 230 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:05,068 And when it took off, did it go down on all fours when it ran away? 231 00:10:05,068 --> 00:10:06,896 No, it more, like, leaped like this. 232 00:10:06,896 --> 00:10:08,689 And then, after that, you couldn't see it no more. 233 00:10:08,689 --> 00:10:11,000 It was like, gone off in the bushes. 234 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:14,931 [Frank] It was scary. I mean, it was almost demonic scary. 235 00:10:14,931 --> 00:10:18,000 -This is just a mind-blower. -[Phil] Hmm. 236 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:21,068 You see it down low and you think alligator. 237 00:10:21,068 --> 00:10:22,241 You see it stand up, 238 00:10:22,241 --> 00:10:25,000 and the first thing you must think is, what? Bear? 239 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:26,827 It wasn't like a bear's build. 240 00:10:27,103 --> 00:10:28,517 It was skinnier. 241 00:10:28,517 --> 00:10:30,931 And there's no animals that illuminate red eyes, 242 00:10:30,931 --> 00:10:32,793 other than an alligator. 243 00:10:32,793 --> 00:10:34,620 And bears do not light up red. 244 00:10:35,172 --> 00:10:36,241 Then what do you think it was? 245 00:10:37,482 --> 00:10:40,000 The only thing I can think of is a Skunk Ape. 246 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:43,172 Is that something you thought could actually be out here? 247 00:10:43,172 --> 00:10:45,482 I'm that guy that teases people when they tell me 248 00:10:45,482 --> 00:10:47,172 -they see stuff like this. -[Chris] Yes. 249 00:10:47,172 --> 00:10:50,000 I mean, I've been an avid woodsman since birth. 250 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:51,931 I've stepped on alligators. 251 00:10:51,931 --> 00:10:53,724 And this freaked me out. 252 00:10:54,620 --> 00:10:56,000 [Phil] Do you guys mind going in there with us 253 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:58,000 and showing us what direction it went? 254 00:10:58,310 --> 00:10:59,724 I'd rather not. 255 00:10:59,724 --> 00:11:01,413 I'll pick you up in the morning. 256 00:11:01,413 --> 00:11:02,724 -[Chris] Good luck. -Okay. 257 00:11:03,379 --> 00:11:04,551 Let's go, Whiskey. 258 00:11:09,482 --> 00:11:11,000 They're crazy. 259 00:11:16,689 --> 00:11:19,517 [Phil] With Frank and Chris's warning fresh in our minds, 260 00:11:19,517 --> 00:11:22,620 we head into the thick brush of the remote island, 261 00:11:22,620 --> 00:11:25,931 leaving behind our only ride out of here till morning. 262 00:11:26,931 --> 00:11:28,586 We are in it now. 263 00:11:28,586 --> 00:11:31,482 So we've gotta look out for everything from rattlesnakes to bears 264 00:11:31,482 --> 00:11:33,793 to alligators. 265 00:11:33,793 --> 00:11:36,620 Let's think about it. If this is a primate that we're going for, 266 00:11:36,620 --> 00:11:39,103 let's look for recent trails, 267 00:11:39,103 --> 00:11:41,517 look for recent branch breaks. 268 00:11:41,517 --> 00:11:43,275 Some of the bigger apes, like orangutans, 269 00:11:43,275 --> 00:11:46,310 are known to make nests that are made of branches and leaves. 270 00:11:46,310 --> 00:11:48,586 They can be on the ground. They can be up in the trees. 271 00:11:48,586 --> 00:11:50,482 And let's use our ears. 272 00:11:50,482 --> 00:11:53,172 Let's listen for things moving next to us. 273 00:11:53,172 --> 00:11:55,793 [Heather] And don't forget, they say it stinks like a skunk. 274 00:11:55,793 --> 00:11:57,620 Let's see if we can find some scent article 275 00:11:57,620 --> 00:11:58,965 we can get Whiskey on. 276 00:12:00,275 --> 00:12:01,689 Um, it's off his scent. 277 00:12:01,689 --> 00:12:03,275 don't get eaten by a gator. 278 00:12:08,586 --> 00:12:11,379 Phil will take Whiskey to search the perimeter of the island, 279 00:12:11,379 --> 00:12:14,931 while I head to the exact spot where Frank had his sighting. 280 00:12:14,931 --> 00:12:17,103 [Phil] Let's use that nose. See what we can find. 281 00:12:27,413 --> 00:12:28,724 [Heather] What? 282 00:12:29,896 --> 00:12:31,310 I found something. 283 00:12:31,931 --> 00:12:33,241 I'm over by the shore. 284 00:12:36,931 --> 00:12:37,965 Look at this. 285 00:12:38,689 --> 00:12:39,827 [Phil] Look at that. 286 00:12:40,689 --> 00:12:41,551 I mean, look at the size of this. 287 00:12:41,551 --> 00:12:43,689 So it's about five feet across, 288 00:12:43,689 --> 00:12:47,379 I would say. So, sizeable something lying down here. 289 00:12:47,379 --> 00:12:49,310 And, Phil, smell this. 290 00:12:50,413 --> 00:12:52,000 -Ripe? -That's ripe! 291 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:53,413 I mean, it's... it's... 292 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:55,379 Skunk-ish? 293 00:12:55,379 --> 00:12:57,310 -A little more musky? -Yeah. 294 00:12:57,310 --> 00:12:59,931 -Not... Not enjoyable. -[Heather] No. 295 00:12:59,931 --> 00:13:01,103 [Phil] And that was just where? 296 00:13:01,103 --> 00:13:03,310 It was just sitting right there. 297 00:13:03,310 --> 00:13:06,275 It almost looks like something hunkered down there for the night. 298 00:13:06,275 --> 00:13:09,517 So I guess the question is, where did this thing go? 299 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:11,551 That's why we got Whiskey. 300 00:13:11,551 --> 00:13:14,793 Whiskey's handler instructed us that if we found a scent article, 301 00:13:14,793 --> 00:13:16,724 we should have Whiskey sniff it, 302 00:13:16,724 --> 00:13:18,137 and then give the command... 303 00:13:18,275 --> 00:13:19,379 Find! 304 00:13:19,379 --> 00:13:21,000 If a matching scent is nearby, 305 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:24,344 Whiskey will jump into action and lead us to the source. 306 00:13:24,931 --> 00:13:26,000 All right. We're moving. 307 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:27,275 [Whiskey barking] 308 00:13:27,275 --> 00:13:29,103 [Heather] He is walking with purpose. He's sniffing. 309 00:13:29,103 --> 00:13:30,379 [Phil] Oh, yeah. 310 00:13:31,172 --> 00:13:33,241 -[Whiskey barking] -I think he's got something. 311 00:13:34,413 --> 00:13:35,379 [Heather] Oh, my God. 312 00:13:35,379 --> 00:13:37,931 -[Whiskey barking] -[Phil] Right here. 313 00:13:39,793 --> 00:13:40,896 Heather... 314 00:13:40,896 --> 00:13:42,620 What did we just find? 315 00:13:43,517 --> 00:13:44,965 [Whiskey whining] 316 00:13:51,896 --> 00:13:54,000 [Phil] That looks like a nest. 317 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:55,275 Good job, Whiskey. 318 00:13:55,275 --> 00:13:57,275 -Good boy. -[Heather] Good boy. 319 00:13:57,275 --> 00:13:58,517 Talking about nests. 320 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:00,724 Bald eagles. 321 00:14:00,724 --> 00:14:03,793 Actually, Florida has one of the largest concentrations of nesting bald eagles. 322 00:14:03,793 --> 00:14:06,689 Bald eagles make the biggest bird nest in the entire world. 323 00:14:06,689 --> 00:14:08,000 Could be up to 10 feet. 324 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:10,344 Although they're usually way up higher in a tree. 325 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:12,000 Don't forget. 326 00:14:12,793 --> 00:14:14,103 -The smell. -Yeah. 327 00:14:14,103 --> 00:14:16,000 This does not smell like an eagle nest. 328 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:17,793 I think we gotta get up into that tree 329 00:14:17,793 --> 00:14:20,517 and figure out who lives in this nest. 330 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:22,034 -Let's do it. -[Phil] Okay. 331 00:14:23,310 --> 00:14:24,793 If Whiskey's right, 332 00:14:24,793 --> 00:14:28,103 this nest matches the scent that Heather found. 333 00:14:28,103 --> 00:14:31,172 I'll be looking for any traces of food, hairs, or scat 334 00:14:31,172 --> 00:14:34,379 that could determine what creature we're looking at. 335 00:14:34,379 --> 00:14:35,655 Show us your skills, Heather. 336 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:39,000 [both exclaiming] 337 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:41,275 This thing's rolling? 338 00:14:41,275 --> 00:14:42,482 Yep. We're rolling. 339 00:14:42,482 --> 00:14:43,965 [Phil] Okay. 340 00:14:45,172 --> 00:14:48,000 I've never climbed in snake boots before. There's a first. 341 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:49,793 [Heather] Better snake boots than snake bite. 342 00:14:49,793 --> 00:14:50,724 [Phil] True. 343 00:14:51,620 --> 00:14:53,482 As the sun gets lower in the sky, 344 00:14:53,482 --> 00:14:54,620 Heather will spot for me 345 00:14:54,620 --> 00:14:57,896 as I climb to the nest and take a look around. 346 00:14:57,896 --> 00:15:00,000 -[Phil exhaling] -[Heather] What are you seeing? 347 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:00,965 [Phil] Oh, my God. 348 00:15:00,965 --> 00:15:03,586 -[Heather] What is it? -[Phil laughs] 349 00:15:03,586 --> 00:15:05,862 [Phil] There's a bunch of fronds laid flat, 350 00:15:05,862 --> 00:15:07,137 and right in the middle... 351 00:15:07,931 --> 00:15:11,620 we got fish scales, some bones, some wings. 352 00:15:14,517 --> 00:15:18,482 All these fronds laid perfectly sideways here. 353 00:15:18,482 --> 00:15:20,172 [Heather] So, laid with design. 354 00:15:20,172 --> 00:15:22,413 [Phil] Absolutely. Something laid these up here. 355 00:15:22,758 --> 00:15:23,689 Wow. 356 00:15:24,689 --> 00:15:26,310 I've never seen anything like this. 357 00:15:28,586 --> 00:15:30,310 So these are gar fish. 358 00:15:30,896 --> 00:15:32,620 The fish look completely eaten. 359 00:15:33,586 --> 00:15:35,172 Bird looks completely eaten. 360 00:15:35,172 --> 00:15:38,413 You see any hairs? Any evidence of anyone that lives there? 361 00:15:38,862 --> 00:15:39,655 [Phil] I'm looking close. 362 00:15:39,655 --> 00:15:43,000 I just don't see any right now. 363 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:45,206 This clearly gets used by something, 364 00:15:45,206 --> 00:15:48,793 and I think that something... is probably big 365 00:15:48,793 --> 00:15:50,379 and it smells. 366 00:15:50,379 --> 00:15:51,827 So, this is our area. 367 00:15:51,827 --> 00:15:54,413 I think this should be the center of our investigation tonight. 368 00:15:54,413 --> 00:15:58,310 [Heather] Skunk Ape or not, it's clear something powerful constructed this tree nest. 369 00:15:58,310 --> 00:15:59,793 And with night falling, 370 00:15:59,793 --> 00:16:03,000 that something could be returning home from a day of hunting 371 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:05,689 and heading right towards us. 372 00:16:05,689 --> 00:16:08,103 Not wanting to miss any movement in the woods, 373 00:16:08,103 --> 00:16:10,620 we set up motion-activated trail cameras. 374 00:16:11,275 --> 00:16:12,413 Now it's ready. 375 00:16:12,413 --> 00:16:13,724 We have one facing inward. 376 00:16:13,724 --> 00:16:16,482 Now we need to set up a perimeter that faces outward. 377 00:16:16,482 --> 00:16:18,931 I want these game cams to overlap by at least 10 yards. 378 00:16:18,931 --> 00:16:20,586 I don't want anything to slip through. 379 00:16:20,586 --> 00:16:22,689 Okay. I'll cover, starting over there, 380 00:16:22,689 --> 00:16:24,413 working counterclockwise. You start over there. 381 00:16:24,413 --> 00:16:25,793 Sounds good. 382 00:16:25,793 --> 00:16:28,482 Phil and I split up to place several more trail cams 383 00:16:28,482 --> 00:16:30,103 facing away from the nest. 384 00:16:30,103 --> 00:16:32,172 Positioning them 10 yards apart from each other 385 00:16:32,172 --> 00:16:34,482 will create an overlapping field of view. 386 00:16:34,482 --> 00:16:37,413 This will ensure anything moving into the perimeter we've established 387 00:16:37,413 --> 00:16:39,551 will be caught on camera. 388 00:16:46,862 --> 00:16:48,517 Oh, okay. 389 00:16:48,517 --> 00:16:50,758 Let's go walk through a swamp at night. 390 00:17:03,586 --> 00:17:05,275 -[water splashing] -[Heather screaming] 391 00:17:05,275 --> 00:17:06,620 Oh, [bleep]. 392 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:08,275 You good? 393 00:17:08,275 --> 00:17:10,793 There's a huge splash over here. 394 00:17:10,793 --> 00:17:11,827 [Phil] Right, heading that way. 395 00:17:19,896 --> 00:17:21,310 -You just hear a big splash? -[Heather] Yeah. 396 00:17:21,310 --> 00:17:22,482 -Like, this huge-- -[Phil] Did you see anything? 397 00:17:22,482 --> 00:17:24,241 [Heather] I didn't see anything. But I heard it. 398 00:17:24,482 --> 00:17:26,068 It was huge. 399 00:17:26,068 --> 00:17:27,517 [Phil] Well, there's only a few options 400 00:17:27,517 --> 00:17:29,896 of what could be big out here at night. 401 00:17:29,896 --> 00:17:32,275 There's gators, there's bears, 402 00:17:32,275 --> 00:17:34,413 or whatever Frank saw. 403 00:17:34,413 --> 00:17:35,689 You have the FLIR? 404 00:17:35,689 --> 00:17:36,896 I have the FLIR, yeah. 405 00:17:40,482 --> 00:17:41,620 [device beeping] 406 00:18:05,103 --> 00:18:06,310 [twigs breaking] 407 00:18:08,379 --> 00:18:09,896 I heard some, like, chuffing out there. 408 00:18:09,896 --> 00:18:11,448 Did you hear that? It was like... [mimics chuffing] 409 00:18:11,689 --> 00:18:12,551 Yeah. 410 00:18:14,586 --> 00:18:16,000 -[twigs breaking] -[Heather gasps] 411 00:18:19,379 --> 00:18:21,000 More branches are breaking. 412 00:18:22,103 --> 00:18:23,275 It's right that direction. 413 00:18:23,275 --> 00:18:24,310 [twigs breaking] 414 00:18:25,379 --> 00:18:26,827 I think we should get closer. 415 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:34,689 See for eye shine, okay? 416 00:18:34,689 --> 00:18:36,206 [Heather] Eye shine. 417 00:18:40,620 --> 00:18:42,517 -[Phil] Right back there. Look, look, look. -[Heather] What? 418 00:18:42,517 --> 00:18:43,724 Right there. See that? 419 00:18:44,586 --> 00:18:46,000 It's an area of flattened grass. 420 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:48,655 [Heather] It looks like some leftover heat signature there. 421 00:18:49,413 --> 00:18:50,586 [Phil] You see how those are folded down? 422 00:18:50,586 --> 00:18:53,000 -[Heather] Yeah. -[Phil] Folded down right there. 423 00:18:56,206 --> 00:18:58,172 I'm gonna jump ahead and see... 424 00:18:58,172 --> 00:18:59,379 [Heather] Okay. 425 00:18:59,379 --> 00:19:01,310 ...if there's any hairs or anything. 426 00:19:03,896 --> 00:19:05,241 Show yourself. 427 00:19:18,896 --> 00:19:20,275 -[twig breaks] -Oh, my God! 428 00:19:20,275 --> 00:19:21,517 [Heather gasps] What the [bleep]? 429 00:19:28,655 --> 00:19:30,000 [Phil] That was close. 430 00:19:31,034 --> 00:19:33,310 It's really thick back here. I can't see very far. 431 00:19:35,137 --> 00:19:36,137 They must move quick. 432 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:38,896 I feel like we're pushing it farther away 433 00:19:38,896 --> 00:19:40,689 just by being out here. 434 00:19:40,689 --> 00:19:41,931 The game cams are set up. 435 00:19:41,931 --> 00:19:44,172 Let's let them do their job and let's get out of here. 436 00:19:44,482 --> 00:19:45,310 Okay. 437 00:19:50,103 --> 00:19:51,241 [Heather] As the sun comes up, 438 00:19:51,241 --> 00:19:53,793 we meet up with our witnesses Frank and Chris, 439 00:19:53,793 --> 00:19:56,586 who take us back to safer ground and wifi access 440 00:19:58,137 --> 00:20:01,310 where we update Josh on what we found so far. 441 00:20:01,551 --> 00:20:02,344 Hey, Gates. 442 00:20:02,344 --> 00:20:03,862 -Hey, Josh. -Hey. 443 00:20:03,862 --> 00:20:06,275 Sending you a shot of whiskey. 444 00:20:06,275 --> 00:20:08,379 A shot of whiskey. Oh, Whiskey! 445 00:20:08,379 --> 00:20:09,689 Phil, you made it funny. 446 00:20:10,172 --> 00:20:11,586 You know what's not a joke? 447 00:20:11,586 --> 00:20:12,586 -The Skunk Ape. -Really? 448 00:20:12,586 --> 00:20:14,862 Was Whiskey able to track something down? 449 00:20:14,862 --> 00:20:16,551 Yeah. He picked up his scent. 450 00:20:16,551 --> 00:20:17,793 We followed this trail, 451 00:20:17,793 --> 00:20:19,482 and we ended up at a giant tree, 452 00:20:19,482 --> 00:20:21,172 where I think we found a nest. 453 00:20:21,172 --> 00:20:24,655 A nest? Like, giant enough for a Skunk Ape? 454 00:20:24,655 --> 00:20:26,482 Listen, my first impression was 455 00:20:26,482 --> 00:20:27,655 this has to be the nest 456 00:20:27,655 --> 00:20:29,482 of one of the larger bird species around here. 457 00:20:29,482 --> 00:20:30,896 But when I climbed up in it, 458 00:20:30,896 --> 00:20:33,241 there was no bird poop to be seen. 459 00:20:33,241 --> 00:20:35,344 And the way that the fronds were laid out 460 00:20:35,344 --> 00:20:38,172 seemed like a very intentional design, so. 461 00:20:38,172 --> 00:20:41,689 Honestly, I don't know what could've made it. 462 00:20:41,689 --> 00:20:42,586 Okay, wow. 463 00:20:42,586 --> 00:20:43,586 Well, while you've been on the hunt, 464 00:20:43,586 --> 00:20:45,655 I went back through my old case files 465 00:20:45,655 --> 00:20:47,448 from when I investigated this story. 466 00:20:47,448 --> 00:20:49,793 and I reconnected with someone that I interviewed back then. 467 00:20:49,793 --> 00:20:51,551 A guy named Dave Shealy. 468 00:20:51,551 --> 00:20:52,896 And since that time, 469 00:20:52,896 --> 00:20:55,379 he says that he has had many more sightings of the Skunk Ape 470 00:20:55,379 --> 00:20:57,896 and says that he captured this video. 471 00:20:57,896 --> 00:20:58,620 Check it out. 472 00:21:01,793 --> 00:21:03,310 [Heather] He's moving fast. 473 00:21:04,034 --> 00:21:05,103 [Phil] Hmm. 474 00:21:05,103 --> 00:21:07,103 I mean, it kind of looks like a guy in a suit. 475 00:21:07,103 --> 00:21:09,793 Dave is convinced that that is a Skunk Ape. 476 00:21:09,793 --> 00:21:12,068 And what's more, he says he can prove it. 477 00:21:12,068 --> 00:21:13,275 You've gotta meet this guy. 478 00:21:13,275 --> 00:21:15,172 Well, Heather, why don't you meet with him? 479 00:21:15,172 --> 00:21:17,482 I wanna try to track down a primatologist 480 00:21:17,482 --> 00:21:19,379 and get an expert opinion on the evidence 481 00:21:19,379 --> 00:21:20,965 that we've gathered so far, 482 00:21:20,965 --> 00:21:22,172 including this video. 483 00:21:22,172 --> 00:21:23,275 Sounds like a plan. 484 00:21:23,275 --> 00:21:24,827 I'll see you later, alligators. 485 00:21:30,689 --> 00:21:32,586 -[Heather] Dave. -[David] Heather. 486 00:21:32,586 --> 00:21:35,000 [Heather] David Shealy and his family have been gladesmen. 487 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:37,172 Essentially the taxis of the Everglades 488 00:21:37,172 --> 00:21:38,793 for four generations. 489 00:21:38,793 --> 00:21:40,448 What a cool boat. 490 00:21:40,448 --> 00:21:41,620 It's called a pole boat. 491 00:21:42,482 --> 00:21:44,241 Some good transportation. 492 00:21:44,241 --> 00:21:45,689 [Heather] He's dedicated much of his life 493 00:21:45,689 --> 00:21:48,586 to trying to prove skunk apes are a very real part 494 00:21:48,586 --> 00:21:50,586 of Florida's ecosystem. 495 00:21:50,586 --> 00:21:52,482 I saw a really compelling video. 496 00:21:52,482 --> 00:21:55,379 Was that video taken here on the property? 497 00:21:55,379 --> 00:21:59,896 Yeah, I took the video about two miles out back here on the marsh. 498 00:21:59,896 --> 00:22:02,275 A lot of people discount it, but... 499 00:22:02,275 --> 00:22:05,689 And when you get out there and see the conditions, uh, 500 00:22:05,689 --> 00:22:08,172 there's no doubt in my mind it was a wild animal, 501 00:22:08,172 --> 00:22:11,275 -some type of primate creature. -Oh, no way. 502 00:22:11,275 --> 00:22:14,103 I'd love to take you out there and show you that area 503 00:22:14,103 --> 00:22:15,586 so you can see it for yourself. 504 00:22:15,586 --> 00:22:17,241 [Heather] I would love to go. 505 00:22:17,241 --> 00:22:19,517 [David] Let's do that. I, I welcome that. 506 00:22:22,241 --> 00:22:24,379 [Phil] With witness descriptions of the Skunk Ape 507 00:22:24,379 --> 00:22:27,034 suggesting it's some sort of large primate, 508 00:22:27,034 --> 00:22:28,862 I need to know if an animal that big 509 00:22:28,862 --> 00:22:31,413 could even survive in the Everglades. 510 00:22:31,793 --> 00:22:32,655 [Phil] Hey, Andrew. 511 00:22:32,655 --> 00:22:34,896 Hey, Phil. Nice to meet you, man. 512 00:22:34,896 --> 00:22:37,344 [Phil] I'm meeting with Dr. Andrew Zamora, 513 00:22:37,344 --> 00:22:41,034 a biological anthropologist specializing in primatology 514 00:22:41,034 --> 00:22:43,241 at the Naples Zoo. 515 00:22:43,241 --> 00:22:47,241 Someone recently saw what they can only describe as a Skunk Ape. 516 00:22:47,241 --> 00:22:48,689 -So, I went to investigate it. -Okay? 517 00:22:48,689 --> 00:22:50,517 And what we found up in a tree 518 00:22:51,344 --> 00:22:53,793 was something I'm still trying to figure out. 519 00:22:53,793 --> 00:22:56,758 When I climbed up there, right in the middle, 520 00:22:56,758 --> 00:22:58,344 there was a gar. 521 00:22:58,344 --> 00:23:00,379 -[Andrew chuckles] Oh, nice. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. -And... 522 00:23:00,379 --> 00:23:02,586 -some wings from a dead bird. -[Andrew] Mmm-hmm. 523 00:23:02,586 --> 00:23:04,586 Does that look like something an ape would do? 524 00:23:04,586 --> 00:23:07,137 Uh, that does look like something a great ape could do. 525 00:23:07,137 --> 00:23:08,482 It's a decent size nest. 526 00:23:08,482 --> 00:23:09,586 They'll lay a cross hatch 527 00:23:09,586 --> 00:23:11,482 of branches and leaves on the ground. 528 00:23:11,482 --> 00:23:13,034 They build a rim around that 529 00:23:13,034 --> 00:23:15,241 and then they'll start filling it with leaves and twigs, 530 00:23:15,241 --> 00:23:18,000 softer materials that's nice and easy for them to sleep on. 531 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:21,482 But the fact that you're finding a gar in there, 532 00:23:21,482 --> 00:23:23,586 feathers and, and bird remains... 533 00:23:23,586 --> 00:23:28,000 Meat tends to not really be a popular fare for primates, 534 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:29,241 especially your great apes. 535 00:23:29,241 --> 00:23:30,517 That being said, 536 00:23:30,517 --> 00:23:32,172 chimpanzees are pretty famous for doing active hunting 537 00:23:32,172 --> 00:23:33,586 from time to time. 538 00:23:33,586 --> 00:23:36,137 Long tailed macaques that actually forage in the water. 539 00:23:36,137 --> 00:23:38,793 So, it's definitely not impossible. 540 00:23:38,793 --> 00:23:40,241 One other thing that stood out about this 541 00:23:40,241 --> 00:23:44,137 -is that the base of the tree smelled pretty awful. -Mmm-hmm. 542 00:23:44,137 --> 00:23:45,482 When it comes to primates, 543 00:23:45,482 --> 00:23:48,275 do any of them use scent markings for their, their nests, 544 00:23:48,275 --> 00:23:49,586 their home turf, their territory? 545 00:23:49,586 --> 00:23:52,000 Yeah, well, I mean, you have a great example right here. 546 00:23:52,896 --> 00:23:55,655 These are our three red ruffed lemur boys. 547 00:23:55,655 --> 00:23:59,000 They rely on scent based communication quite a lot 548 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:02,103 to demarcate territories, to communicate, 549 00:24:02,103 --> 00:24:04,000 their age, or reproductive status. 550 00:24:04,344 --> 00:24:05,586 [Phil] Cool. 551 00:24:05,586 --> 00:24:07,068 So, we've been collecting some evidence. 552 00:24:07,068 --> 00:24:10,000 Some of this is from, uh, previous eyewitnesses. 553 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:11,724 If you see something like this, 554 00:24:12,103 --> 00:24:13,068 what's your gut say? 555 00:24:13,068 --> 00:24:14,482 [Andrew] It's quite difficult to tell. 556 00:24:14,482 --> 00:24:16,896 But that arm motion seems, like, 557 00:24:16,896 --> 00:24:18,448 really exaggerated to me. 558 00:24:18,448 --> 00:24:20,586 That definitely strikes me as a bit curious. 559 00:24:20,586 --> 00:24:22,103 So, you're a little suspicious? 560 00:24:22,103 --> 00:24:23,034 Great apes, 561 00:24:23,034 --> 00:24:24,172 when you see them walking bipedally, 562 00:24:24,172 --> 00:24:25,896 which they will do from time to time, 563 00:24:25,896 --> 00:24:27,896 one, they have this kind of bent knee gaits 564 00:24:27,896 --> 00:24:29,689 and their knees are also more out. 565 00:24:29,689 --> 00:24:31,034 As a result, when they walk, 566 00:24:31,034 --> 00:24:33,137 -they almost shuffle a bit from side to side. -[Phil] Mmm. 567 00:24:33,137 --> 00:24:35,000 This animal or whatever it is, 568 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:38,758 you can definitely tell it's walking with kind of that human-like gait, right? 569 00:24:38,758 --> 00:24:39,896 It's upright 570 00:24:39,896 --> 00:24:42,689 and using its arms as, as balances 571 00:24:42,689 --> 00:24:43,689 much like we do. 572 00:24:43,689 --> 00:24:45,586 It's definitely a little fishy to me. 573 00:24:54,793 --> 00:24:56,172 Don't grab this grass, 574 00:24:56,172 --> 00:24:57,965 -because this is called sawgrass. -[Heather] Okay. 575 00:24:57,965 --> 00:24:59,517 -Yeah. -[David] It'll cut your hands. 576 00:25:01,793 --> 00:25:03,172 Well, this is it. 577 00:25:03,172 --> 00:25:04,344 This is the exact spot? 578 00:25:04,344 --> 00:25:06,137 This is the spot where I took the video. 579 00:25:06,137 --> 00:25:08,310 It crossed from the hammock over here 580 00:25:08,586 --> 00:25:10,241 and ran across 581 00:25:10,241 --> 00:25:12,379 and went into this hammock over here. 582 00:25:15,586 --> 00:25:17,379 [Heather] I'd love to do an experiment myself 583 00:25:17,379 --> 00:25:20,689 -and see if I can run the exact same path. -[David] Okay. 584 00:25:20,689 --> 00:25:22,103 We'll just compare the two videos. 585 00:25:22,103 --> 00:25:23,448 All right, let's do it. 586 00:25:24,275 --> 00:25:25,655 [Heather] The supposed creature in the video 587 00:25:25,655 --> 00:25:26,862 had its arms held up, 588 00:25:26,862 --> 00:25:28,793 like it was trying to avoid getting cut 589 00:25:28,793 --> 00:25:30,793 by the swamp's sharp sawgrass. 590 00:25:30,793 --> 00:25:32,310 I'll aim to copy it exactly. 591 00:25:43,172 --> 00:25:46,172 The marsh's muddy waters are exhausting to run in, 592 00:25:46,172 --> 00:25:49,689 and I barely complete three quarters of the path seen in the original video 593 00:25:49,689 --> 00:25:51,655 before I'm unable to continue. 594 00:25:51,655 --> 00:25:53,620 [breathing heavily] 595 00:25:55,758 --> 00:25:57,000 And just keep in mind. 596 00:25:57,000 --> 00:25:59,482 When it happened, the water out here was even higher. 597 00:25:59,482 --> 00:26:02,000 And today, it's still, you know, difficult. 598 00:26:03,275 --> 00:26:04,551 [Heather] We compare the two videos 599 00:26:04,551 --> 00:26:06,689 and the results are not even close. 600 00:26:06,689 --> 00:26:10,793 The figure covered the entire distance in 26 seconds. 601 00:26:10,793 --> 00:26:12,586 I've always been a pretty good athlete, 602 00:26:12,586 --> 00:26:14,551 but could only complete three quarters 603 00:26:14,551 --> 00:26:15,344 of the same distance 604 00:26:15,344 --> 00:26:18,689 in one minute and 23 seconds. 605 00:26:18,689 --> 00:26:22,482 There's no way a human being can run that far, 606 00:26:22,482 --> 00:26:25,000 that fast in this terrain. 607 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:28,310 In my mind, all questions are put to bed. 608 00:26:29,793 --> 00:26:31,275 If we wanted to find the Skunk Ape, 609 00:26:31,275 --> 00:26:33,068 what areas should we look in? 610 00:26:33,068 --> 00:26:34,724 What should we be looking for? 611 00:26:35,275 --> 00:26:36,793 This time of year, 612 00:26:36,793 --> 00:26:39,896 skunk apes tend to get back into swamps. 613 00:26:39,896 --> 00:26:42,000 The water levels are falling, 614 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:44,965 uh, the pond apples are, are starting to produce, 615 00:26:44,965 --> 00:26:47,172 which is a major food source. 616 00:26:47,172 --> 00:26:49,827 These would be the areas I would be looking. 617 00:26:51,482 --> 00:26:52,689 [Heather] David gives me a set of coordinates 618 00:26:52,689 --> 00:26:54,482 he believes offers our best chance 619 00:26:54,482 --> 00:26:56,344 at finding a Skunk Ape. 620 00:26:56,344 --> 00:26:58,793 A remote patch of land deep in the Florida marsh, 621 00:26:58,793 --> 00:27:01,034 surrounded by water and thick brush. 622 00:27:01,034 --> 00:27:05,034 David believes it provides the perfect ecosystem for this potential creature. 623 00:27:05,034 --> 00:27:07,000 It will be tough terrain to get to. 624 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:09,931 So, I pick up Phil in a vehicle built for the task. 625 00:27:12,758 --> 00:27:13,655 [Phil] What is this thing? 626 00:27:15,068 --> 00:27:16,379 [Heather] This is a swamp buggy. 627 00:27:16,379 --> 00:27:18,758 They've been around for 100 years. 628 00:27:18,758 --> 00:27:21,275 They were specifically made for the Everglades 629 00:27:21,275 --> 00:27:23,896 as a way to transport people, 630 00:27:23,896 --> 00:27:26,413 and obviously to stay away from gators. 631 00:27:27,379 --> 00:27:28,931 [Phil] It's hauling. 632 00:27:34,172 --> 00:27:35,103 What is that? 633 00:27:35,103 --> 00:27:36,689 -[Phil] On that tree? -[Heather] Yeah. 634 00:27:36,965 --> 00:27:38,827 [Phil] Whoa, okay. 635 00:27:41,793 --> 00:27:43,931 What happened to this tree? 636 00:27:44,896 --> 00:27:47,310 This is completely torn up by something. 637 00:27:47,482 --> 00:27:48,689 [buzzing] 638 00:27:48,896 --> 00:27:50,379 Oh, [bleep]. 639 00:27:50,379 --> 00:27:52,000 Oh, geez, I just realized why. 640 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:52,896 What? 641 00:27:52,896 --> 00:27:55,448 [grunts] I was just thinking. 642 00:27:55,448 --> 00:27:59,413 This looks like a tree that a bear tore up to get to honeybees. 643 00:28:00,448 --> 00:28:02,482 There's the honeybee hive right here. 644 00:28:04,482 --> 00:28:06,793 I'm gonna try to document it before I get stung. 645 00:28:06,793 --> 00:28:07,793 [Heather] Yeah, you better hustle, Phil. 646 00:28:07,793 --> 00:28:09,310 Get ready, set. 647 00:28:10,275 --> 00:28:11,448 -[camera shutter clicks] -[Phil] Got it. 648 00:28:12,068 --> 00:28:14,379 -Okay. Let's get outta here. -All right. 649 00:28:14,379 --> 00:28:15,275 [Phil] Whoo! 650 00:28:15,275 --> 00:28:16,793 Ooh, they're on to me. 651 00:28:16,793 --> 00:28:17,689 Oh, [bleep]. 652 00:28:17,689 --> 00:28:19,000 Let's get it going. Get it going. 653 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:20,758 Go, go, go, go, go, go, go! 654 00:28:20,758 --> 00:28:22,103 [engine sputtering] 655 00:28:22,103 --> 00:28:24,310 Go, go, go! Ah! 656 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:26,137 -Go, go, go! -[engine revs] 657 00:28:32,344 --> 00:28:33,413 [Phil] Go, go! 658 00:28:34,103 --> 00:28:37,172 Whoo! [sighs] 659 00:28:37,172 --> 00:28:38,655 Keep going, keep going, keep going. 660 00:28:38,655 --> 00:28:40,068 They're onto us, they're onto us. 661 00:28:41,586 --> 00:28:43,344 [sighs] I hear one buzzing. 662 00:28:43,344 --> 00:28:44,068 Is it in my hair? 663 00:28:44,068 --> 00:28:45,310 -Yes. Yes. -Okay. 664 00:28:45,793 --> 00:28:47,655 -I got hit once. -[buzzing] 665 00:28:47,655 --> 00:28:48,517 [Heather] Oof. 666 00:28:48,517 --> 00:28:50,172 Even while getting stung by a bee, 667 00:28:50,172 --> 00:28:51,862 you still got the shot. 668 00:28:51,862 --> 00:28:54,206 [Phil] Anything for science, you know? 669 00:28:55,586 --> 00:28:57,586 We pushed deeper into the marsh, 670 00:28:57,586 --> 00:28:59,448 eventually reaching the coordinates 671 00:28:59,448 --> 00:29:01,000 David Shealy gave us. 672 00:29:06,896 --> 00:29:09,275 We park the swamp buggy and continue on foot 673 00:29:09,275 --> 00:29:11,517 to avoid alerting any creatures. 674 00:29:16,137 --> 00:29:17,724 -[Phil] After you. -[Heather] Thank you, sir. 675 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:19,965 [Phil] As the sun sets, 676 00:29:19,965 --> 00:29:22,379 we throw on our waders, grab our gear 677 00:29:22,379 --> 00:29:24,586 and continue on foot. 678 00:29:24,586 --> 00:29:26,103 [crickets chirping] 679 00:29:27,034 --> 00:29:30,551 [Heather] Gosh, that is a bright, full moon. 680 00:29:30,551 --> 00:29:32,793 [Phil] You know what they say about skunk apes on a full moon? 681 00:29:32,793 --> 00:29:34,172 [Heather] What? 682 00:29:34,172 --> 00:29:36,275 -[Phil] That's when they're at their stinkiest. -Oh, Lord. 683 00:29:36,275 --> 00:29:38,241 [Phil] Wait till you get a sniff of what I got. 684 00:29:39,068 --> 00:29:41,379 -You ready for this? -[Heather] I'm not sure. 685 00:29:41,862 --> 00:29:43,586 [Phil] So... 686 00:29:44,551 --> 00:29:46,172 Can you hold my jars? 687 00:29:46,172 --> 00:29:49,000 -I have... -[Heather] It's leaking. What is this? 688 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:50,517 We have skunk, 689 00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:53,379 we have boar glands, 690 00:29:53,379 --> 00:29:56,344 and we have bear scent marks. 691 00:29:56,344 --> 00:29:58,379 Are you trying to out skunk the Skunk Ape though? 692 00:29:58,379 --> 00:30:00,724 100% that's what I'm trying to do. 693 00:30:01,275 --> 00:30:03,793 So, my plan involves this. 694 00:30:03,793 --> 00:30:08,103 It is a laser guided slingshot. 695 00:30:08,103 --> 00:30:09,482 [Heather] Laser guided? 696 00:30:09,482 --> 00:30:11,379 [Phil] It was the only one they had in the store. 697 00:30:11,379 --> 00:30:13,000 Each of these wooden balls in here? 698 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:15,896 -[Heather] Yeah? -I've been soaking it for about 48 hours. 699 00:30:16,758 --> 00:30:18,172 I'm using the slingshot 700 00:30:18,172 --> 00:30:22,241 to launch animal scented objects in multiple directions. 701 00:30:22,241 --> 00:30:24,379 Different reactions can be triggered in primates 702 00:30:24,379 --> 00:30:26,551 by presenting them with different scents, 703 00:30:26,551 --> 00:30:29,172 particularly if the scent arrives suddenly, 704 00:30:29,172 --> 00:30:32,551 like the slingshot will ensure. 705 00:30:32,551 --> 00:30:33,758 I wanna see what's coming towards us. 706 00:30:33,758 --> 00:30:35,206 -So, let me get my FLIR out. -[Phil] Okay. 707 00:30:37,275 --> 00:30:39,000 [Heather] You got that for me? Thank you. 708 00:30:42,448 --> 00:30:43,517 We are recording. 709 00:30:43,965 --> 00:30:44,931 [Phil] Okay. 710 00:30:44,931 --> 00:30:47,172 Time to get out these stinky wooden balls. 711 00:30:47,172 --> 00:30:48,827 I'm gonna start with bear. 712 00:30:51,965 --> 00:30:53,931 -Yeah, up close. Come on. -Ugh. 713 00:30:54,551 --> 00:30:55,413 [clears throat] 714 00:30:56,103 --> 00:30:57,413 It is not pleasant. 715 00:31:00,068 --> 00:31:02,034 I'm guessing bear scent will trigger 716 00:31:02,034 --> 00:31:04,172 an aggressive behavior in apes. 717 00:31:04,172 --> 00:31:06,862 Let's see what response we get here. 718 00:31:06,862 --> 00:31:08,931 Looks like we got some good distance right there. 719 00:31:10,103 --> 00:31:13,103 Bear scent. Ready to launch. 720 00:31:17,586 --> 00:31:19,241 Okay, there's one. 721 00:31:21,344 --> 00:31:23,000 Now we got skunk. 722 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:24,172 [Heather] Oof. 723 00:31:24,172 --> 00:31:25,413 [Phil] If what we're tracking 724 00:31:25,413 --> 00:31:28,275 marks its territory with a scent similar to skunk, 725 00:31:28,275 --> 00:31:30,344 I'm hoping launching this skunk smell 726 00:31:30,344 --> 00:31:33,379 will trigger a territorial response. 727 00:31:33,379 --> 00:31:34,482 Stink bomb away. 728 00:31:38,068 --> 00:31:39,896 [Heather] Nice. 729 00:31:40,758 --> 00:31:41,965 [Phil softly] Okay. 730 00:31:41,965 --> 00:31:43,482 And finally, wild boar. 731 00:31:45,275 --> 00:31:46,413 Uh-oh. 732 00:31:46,413 --> 00:31:49,137 The idea here is four could serve two purposes. 733 00:31:49,137 --> 00:31:50,482 One, could be prey item, 734 00:31:50,482 --> 00:31:52,379 and two, boar eat about everything. 735 00:31:52,379 --> 00:31:55,172 So, definitely, it could be some competition. 736 00:31:55,172 --> 00:31:57,103 I'm gonna shoot this in a slightly different direction. 737 00:31:57,103 --> 00:31:59,241 -[Heather] Okay. -[Phil] Keep each one at space. 738 00:32:04,068 --> 00:32:06,241 [whispering] Okay, let's hunker down and just see what comes. 739 00:32:11,448 --> 00:32:12,827 [Heather] Nothing on the camera yet. 740 00:32:13,655 --> 00:32:15,241 [Phil speaking softly] Let's give it a second. 741 00:32:25,344 --> 00:32:27,000 [twig snaps] 742 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:28,275 [Phil] Ooh. 743 00:32:29,379 --> 00:32:31,000 That was a big branch falling down. 744 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:34,379 [whispers] You shot a ball in that direction. 745 00:32:34,379 --> 00:32:35,241 [thwack] 746 00:32:38,068 --> 00:32:40,517 [whispers] 747 00:32:48,068 --> 00:32:48,931 Oh, my God. 748 00:32:50,034 --> 00:32:51,000 [thwack] 749 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:52,275 [Phil whispering] 750 00:32:54,862 --> 00:32:56,827 Can you see it? Up in the trees, up there? 751 00:32:58,482 --> 00:32:59,827 Lower, a little bit lower. 752 00:33:01,793 --> 00:33:02,965 [thwack] 753 00:33:02,965 --> 00:33:05,103 -[gasps] -There, again. That sounds like a knock. 754 00:33:05,103 --> 00:33:06,206 Like, it's just, 755 00:33:06,206 --> 00:33:08,379 someone just banging a stick against something. 756 00:33:08,379 --> 00:33:09,413 [Heather] Oh, my gosh. 757 00:33:10,551 --> 00:33:14,551 [Phil speaking] 758 00:33:14,551 --> 00:33:18,379 I can't see anything past 40 feet on this. 759 00:33:18,379 --> 00:33:20,862 'Cause it's so thick and heavy, this brush. 760 00:33:20,862 --> 00:33:22,172 [Phil] Yeah. 761 00:33:22,172 --> 00:33:25,000 I think you need to put the thermal drone up in the air. 762 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:27,068 -Okay. I'll get it out. -Okay. 763 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:32,793 [beeping] 764 00:33:32,793 --> 00:33:35,000 Right, you hold that. 765 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:36,793 Looks like we have a little break in the canopy right here. 766 00:33:36,793 --> 00:33:38,896 -So, you wanna stand underneath that. -Yeah. 767 00:33:39,551 --> 00:33:41,172 -[Phil] You ready? -[Heather] Yeah. 768 00:33:41,172 --> 00:33:43,517 In three, two, one. 769 00:33:44,068 --> 00:33:45,551 [drone whirrs] 770 00:33:54,103 --> 00:33:56,379 -At least we know that we're lighting up. -[Heather] Yeah. 771 00:33:56,379 --> 00:33:58,172 We're definitely showing up on there. 772 00:33:58,172 --> 00:33:59,241 [Phil] I'm gonna push to the direction 773 00:33:59,241 --> 00:34:00,517 of what we just heard. 774 00:34:04,655 --> 00:34:07,758 That just looks like treetops. 775 00:34:07,758 --> 00:34:08,689 [Heather] I don't see anything. 776 00:34:11,586 --> 00:34:13,241 [Phil] Swing back around a little bit. 777 00:34:14,344 --> 00:34:15,482 Let's keep pushing. 778 00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:20,275 [Heather] Look. What is that? 779 00:34:21,241 --> 00:34:22,793 [Phil] It's another hot spot right there. 780 00:34:26,965 --> 00:34:28,344 -It's moving. It's moving. -[Heather gasps] 781 00:34:28,344 --> 00:34:29,931 Oh, my God. 782 00:34:37,689 --> 00:34:41,172 Heather and Phil's search for the Skunk Ape was almost illegal. 783 00:34:41,172 --> 00:34:42,896 It all starts in 1974, 784 00:34:42,896 --> 00:34:45,689 when Palm Beach County deputies report shooting 785 00:34:45,689 --> 00:34:49,172 at a monstrous, ape-like creature that gets away. 786 00:34:49,172 --> 00:34:53,068 It seems this story then opened some very swampy floodgates. 787 00:34:53,068 --> 00:34:54,793 The police were suddenly inundated 788 00:34:54,793 --> 00:34:57,655 with claims of a giant, red furred ape 789 00:34:57,655 --> 00:35:00,448 breaking into homes, feeding on livestock, 790 00:35:00,448 --> 00:35:03,068 and even stalking people. 791 00:35:03,068 --> 00:35:04,689 Locals became so enraged, 792 00:35:04,689 --> 00:35:06,793 that posses formed to start stalking 793 00:35:06,793 --> 00:35:08,965 this so called monster back. 794 00:35:08,965 --> 00:35:10,034 Concern for the Skunk Ape 795 00:35:10,034 --> 00:35:12,068 ultimately reached such a peak, 796 00:35:12,068 --> 00:35:13,655 that in 1977, 797 00:35:13,655 --> 00:35:16,379 Florida State representative Hugh Paul Nuckolls 798 00:35:16,379 --> 00:35:20,965 proposed a bill to make it illegal to possess, harm or molest 799 00:35:20,965 --> 00:35:22,482 any humanoid animal 800 00:35:22,482 --> 00:35:24,793 popularly known as the Skunk Ape. 801 00:35:27,689 --> 00:35:29,034 The bill never became law, 802 00:35:29,034 --> 00:35:31,379 but if there are any skunk apes out there, 803 00:35:31,379 --> 00:35:34,620 you clearly had a friend in representative Nuckolls. 804 00:35:42,896 --> 00:35:43,862 [Phil] Let's follow it. 805 00:35:43,862 --> 00:35:45,379 Maybe we can get signs of whatever it is. 806 00:35:45,379 --> 00:35:46,482 Okay. 807 00:35:49,034 --> 00:35:50,068 [Phil] It's going quick. 808 00:35:50,689 --> 00:35:51,931 [Heather] I'm right behind you. 809 00:35:55,344 --> 00:35:57,241 [Phil] It's still going. It's still going. 810 00:35:57,241 --> 00:35:58,241 [Heather] It's moving fast. 811 00:35:58,241 --> 00:35:59,896 [Phil] Keep going, keep going, keep going. 812 00:35:59,896 --> 00:36:01,724 Okay, we're getting close. We're getting close. 813 00:36:02,689 --> 00:36:04,724 I'm gonna keep the drone following. 814 00:36:08,310 --> 00:36:09,758 [whispering] Stop right here. Stop right here. 815 00:36:13,344 --> 00:36:14,310 Hang on. 816 00:36:15,620 --> 00:36:18,000 I'm not seeing it right now. 817 00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:19,068 It was right over here. 818 00:36:21,241 --> 00:36:23,413 I don't get it, it just disappeared. 819 00:36:23,413 --> 00:36:24,551 [Heather] Yeah, it's gone. 820 00:36:25,965 --> 00:36:27,000 That thing was moving. 821 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:28,344 [Phil whispers] I think it was moving. 822 00:36:29,241 --> 00:36:30,655 I cannot find it. 823 00:36:30,655 --> 00:36:34,068 We don't know where it is, but we know where it's been. 824 00:36:34,068 --> 00:36:36,241 We can backtrack along this path, 825 00:36:36,241 --> 00:36:37,689 the exact same way that it came 826 00:36:37,689 --> 00:36:39,517 and we can try to find evidence of it. 827 00:36:39,517 --> 00:36:40,965 Should we spread out a little bit? 828 00:36:40,965 --> 00:36:42,586 I think that's our best chance. 829 00:36:42,586 --> 00:36:44,620 Why don't you start on that side of it's trail, 830 00:36:44,896 --> 00:36:45,965 move slowly, 831 00:36:45,965 --> 00:36:47,965 and I'm gonna find a place to land this drone. 832 00:36:47,965 --> 00:36:49,655 But let's stay within shouting distance. 833 00:36:59,448 --> 00:37:01,896 It's gonna be tough to find any traces of it. 834 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:07,068 I'm getting this feeling where he could be right above us 835 00:37:07,448 --> 00:37:08,689 at any moment. 836 00:37:13,379 --> 00:37:16,172 [Heather] What is that? 837 00:37:16,172 --> 00:37:18,620 Look at those ferns lying on the ground like that. 838 00:37:19,896 --> 00:37:21,241 Phil, come here. 839 00:37:21,241 --> 00:37:22,241 You got something? 840 00:37:22,241 --> 00:37:24,310 [Heather] I think I've got a nest. 841 00:37:24,310 --> 00:37:25,413 [Phil] Up in a tree? 842 00:37:25,413 --> 00:37:26,655 [Heather] No, on the ground. 843 00:37:28,896 --> 00:37:30,137 -This? -[Heather] Yeah. 844 00:37:30,862 --> 00:37:32,000 [Phil] Whoa! 845 00:37:32,793 --> 00:37:35,620 Okay. Okay. 846 00:37:35,620 --> 00:37:38,000 I mean, look at this indent right here. 847 00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:40,689 Something has spent a lot of time on the ground. 848 00:37:41,758 --> 00:37:44,413 Well, my first instinct is I gotta wonder. 849 00:37:45,413 --> 00:37:47,241 Could this just be a hunter's blind? 850 00:37:47,965 --> 00:37:49,655 They would be really well camouflaged. 851 00:37:49,655 --> 00:37:51,344 I almost walked right by this thing. 852 00:37:51,344 --> 00:37:53,241 [Heather] I mean, in the path we took, 853 00:37:53,241 --> 00:37:54,965 we are in the middle of nowhere. 854 00:37:54,965 --> 00:37:56,655 Think about what we did to get out here. 855 00:37:57,137 --> 00:37:58,448 Wait, wait, wait. [sniffs] 856 00:37:59,862 --> 00:38:00,827 Ugh. 857 00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:02,172 Oh! 858 00:38:02,551 --> 00:38:03,896 -[Heather] That is awful. -That is ripe. 859 00:38:04,655 --> 00:38:06,586 But that just came on all of a sudden. 860 00:38:06,586 --> 00:38:07,655 What does that mean? 861 00:38:09,310 --> 00:38:10,758 [Phil whispers] I don't know what that means. 862 00:38:17,172 --> 00:38:19,172 That was not a nice smell. 863 00:38:19,172 --> 00:38:21,000 I'm gonna get some photos of this thing. 864 00:38:32,689 --> 00:38:34,689 -Oh, Heather. -[Heather] What do you have? 865 00:38:34,689 --> 00:38:37,448 -[Phil] I found hairs. -[Heather gasps] No. 866 00:38:37,448 --> 00:38:38,310 [Phil] Yes. 867 00:38:39,551 --> 00:38:42,000 Look at this right-- Oh. 868 00:38:42,344 --> 00:38:44,000 Holy [bleep]. 869 00:38:44,896 --> 00:38:47,689 It's like that damn thing is booby trapped. 870 00:38:47,689 --> 00:38:50,931 It really did just fall right when you picked that up. 871 00:38:51,310 --> 00:38:52,758 [Phil] Okay. 872 00:38:52,758 --> 00:38:54,206 But at least we got the hairs. 873 00:38:55,137 --> 00:38:57,551 Okay, I'm gonna bag these. 874 00:38:57,551 --> 00:38:58,793 Actually, can you come here? Can you help me? 875 00:38:58,793 --> 00:39:00,379 -[Heather] Yeah. -[Phil] Hold this. 876 00:39:00,379 --> 00:39:01,448 [Heather softly] Okay. 877 00:39:03,206 --> 00:39:06,655 [Phil] Okay. Got a bag right here. 878 00:39:07,241 --> 00:39:08,517 That is so weird. 879 00:39:09,551 --> 00:39:10,586 Okay. 880 00:39:11,000 --> 00:39:11,931 Well... 881 00:39:13,206 --> 00:39:14,206 Figure out what this was, 882 00:39:14,206 --> 00:39:17,689 whether it was a person, or something else. 883 00:39:21,344 --> 00:39:23,448 [Josh] My team braved the Florida Everglades, 884 00:39:23,448 --> 00:39:27,206 investigating the potent legend of the Skunk Ape. 885 00:39:28,206 --> 00:39:31,275 We sent the hairs Phil gathered for DNA analysis. 886 00:39:31,275 --> 00:39:33,482 And while it wasn't an ideal sample, 887 00:39:33,482 --> 00:39:36,620 they said it was most likely a match for human. 888 00:39:36,620 --> 00:39:38,206 Phil counts that as a win. 889 00:39:38,206 --> 00:39:39,344 But Heather argues that 890 00:39:39,344 --> 00:39:41,965 this doesn't necessarily rule out the Skunk Ape. 891 00:39:41,965 --> 00:39:47,413 Because human and ape DNA match by a staggering 98.8%. 892 00:39:47,413 --> 00:39:49,448 -This wasn't the only intriguing evidence... -[Whiskey barks] 893 00:39:49,448 --> 00:39:50,655 [Josh] ...my team uncovered. 894 00:39:50,655 --> 00:39:51,655 [Phil] I think he's got something. 895 00:39:51,655 --> 00:39:53,344 [Josh] Images of these so called nests 896 00:39:53,344 --> 00:39:55,862 discovered by our four-legged friend Whiskey, 897 00:39:55,862 --> 00:39:58,206 were analyzed by wildlife experts. 898 00:39:58,206 --> 00:39:59,655 [man] This is crazy. 899 00:39:59,655 --> 00:40:03,068 [Josh] They confirmed it was not constructed by a large bird. 900 00:40:03,068 --> 00:40:06,034 And just like our expert from the Naples Zoo indicated, 901 00:40:06,034 --> 00:40:08,137 fascinatingly, it does appear similar 902 00:40:08,137 --> 00:40:11,275 to nests constructed by large primates. 903 00:40:11,275 --> 00:40:14,034 That does look like something a great ape could do. 904 00:40:14,034 --> 00:40:15,758 [Josh] However, analysis of the video 905 00:40:15,758 --> 00:40:18,517 of the supposed cryptid crossing the swamp 906 00:40:18,517 --> 00:40:21,000 alongside Heather's expert reenactment 907 00:40:21,000 --> 00:40:22,655 was inconclusive. 908 00:40:22,655 --> 00:40:25,517 Although the figure moves much faster than Heather, 909 00:40:25,517 --> 00:40:27,000 under detailed analysis, 910 00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:30,310 its gait does appear distinctly human. 911 00:40:30,310 --> 00:40:33,103 Far from this being a super speeding cryptid, 912 00:40:33,103 --> 00:40:36,068 this really could just be a person in a suit. 913 00:40:36,068 --> 00:40:39,137 And Heather may simply need to work on her cardio. 914 00:40:39,137 --> 00:40:41,310 [Heather] I'm exhausted. 915 00:40:41,310 --> 00:40:45,241 [Josh] It's our final video evidence that is the most remarkable. 916 00:40:45,241 --> 00:40:48,241 The heat seeking drone clearly shows Phil and Heather 917 00:40:48,241 --> 00:40:51,620 on the trail of a very fast bipedal figure. 918 00:40:52,241 --> 00:40:53,000 [Heather] It's moving fast. 919 00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:54,448 [Phil] Keep going, keep going. 920 00:40:54,448 --> 00:40:57,655 [Josh] We estimated they tracked it for about 400 meters. 921 00:40:57,655 --> 00:41:01,275 After analyzing the exact route and speed of this figure, 922 00:41:01,275 --> 00:41:03,758 we determined it cleared 400 meters 923 00:41:03,758 --> 00:41:06,103 in around 40 seconds. 924 00:41:06,103 --> 00:41:07,551 The fastest track athletes 925 00:41:07,551 --> 00:41:10,896 can travel 400 meters in about 43 seconds. 926 00:41:10,896 --> 00:41:13,241 But crucially, that is on flat ground. 927 00:41:13,241 --> 00:41:15,000 Not sodden swamp. 928 00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:16,344 Which begs the question. 929 00:41:16,344 --> 00:41:20,034 If this fast bipedal figure is not likely human, 930 00:41:20,034 --> 00:41:21,620 what is it? 931 00:41:21,620 --> 00:41:24,448 While we certainly haven't found definitive proof, 932 00:41:24,448 --> 00:41:26,068 it does seem there's enough evidence 933 00:41:26,068 --> 00:41:29,275 to ensure the Skunk Ape will be a part of Florida lore 934 00:41:29,275 --> 00:41:30,793 for years to come, 935 00:41:31,655 --> 00:41:36,172 casting a long shadow and an even longer stench.