Few creatures from cryptozoology are so deathly terrifying than the legendary Fouke monster, which allegedly attacked one family in Arkansas in the early 1970s. The monster, which eventually became associated with the Bigfoot phenomenon, actually had a few major differences that were not very well understood at the time, and often are left under-reported to this day. Nonetheless, the Fouke monster has established itself as one of the mainstays of the Bigfoot phenomenon in terms of both its unusual sudden appearance and its violent attitude.
The term Fouke monster can be traced back to a local journalist named Jim Powell. And in the early days when the creature had appeared for the first time, Powell no doubt had his hands full wading through the incredible plethora of facts and claims about this unusual creature that has been both celebrated and excluded from the larger Bigfoot phenomenon.
The events around the Fouke Monster incident started simply enough. On May 1st, 1971, Elizabeth Ford was napping on her couch in the family’s rural cottage when she awoke and saw something reaching in through the screen door toward her. It’s unclear what could have attracted the mysterious monster to the area that day, but the unwelcome visitor was soon frightened away when Elizabeth’s husband, Bobby returned. Bobby had been out hunting with his brother Don, and when they saw the creature attempting to reach through the family’s front door they opened fire. Don would later tell reporters that he was sure he had hit the creature, even showing them traces of buckshot on the front door to illustrate the firefight that had ensued that afternoon. Perhaps the strangest piece of evidence gathered were photographs of mysterious three toed footprints that had been discovered on the ground around the Fords’ home. After examining the tracks, the couple were left wondering if what they had been fighting had been an ape or even the legendary sasquatch. They had heard strange noises around their property a few nights before, but couldn’t confirm if the creature was the originator of these peculiar sounds.
As time went on, the strange sightings would continue. And tension surrounding the strange three toed creature would eventually reach a boiling point when Bobby Ford was physically attacked by the creature when it leapt from his roof and scratched him across the back with massive claws. When he was taken to nearby St. Michael Hospital, authorities reported he was still in shock.
The creature was seen by several dozen witnesses after that, and over fifty reports were filed of the creature in the following years. Two of which resulted in fines of a “fraudulent monster report.” However, the legend stuck despite these shortcomings and eventually became two horror movies. The Legend of Boggy Creek and Return to Boggy Creek hit the B-movie horror silver screen. But the mystery was never solved. And so to this day, some locals suggest there is still an apelike creature with three toes, wicked claws, and a terrible temper.