The Florida Keys Skunk Ape Files

Book excerpt: In the summer of 1977, documents indicating the presence of a large, hairy, bipedal creature with a strong odor in the Florida Keys were discovered in the attic of a Key West home. The documents reported events dating back to the 16th century. The Southernmost Skunk Ape Society was established to investigate these found documents and augment them with additional research and analysis where possible. The short-lived society ceased following the unexplained disappearance of its co-founder on October 18, 1977. The Skunk Ape Files, a work of historical fiction inspired by the 1977 sighting of a cryptid on Key Largo as reported in the Upper Keys newspaper The Reporter, were compiled four decades later by surviving society member Cliff Curry. The files include the historical context and narrative behind 50 of the most fantastic Skunk Ape-related events associated with the Florida Keys.