1974 Honey Island Swamp Monster Track Cast Replica footprint impression Cryptozoology Cryptid

The Honey Island Swamp Monster, also known as the Cajun Sasquatch and in Cajun French: La Bête Noire,[1] is an ape-like humanoid cryptid creature, similar to descriptions of Bigfoot, purported to inhabit the Honey Island Swamp in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana.[2] It has become a part of Louisiana folklore, with many swamp tour companies in the area capitalizing on its alleged existence,[3] which is considered unlikely by some scientists.[4] The creature is commonly described by alleged witnesses as a large, bipedal, humanoid, about 7 feet (2 m) tall, covered with gray hair, having yellow or red eyes and accompanied by a putrid odor. Other local names for the creature include the Rougarou, Louisiana Wookiee, and The Thing.[5] Alleged plaster casts of footprints said to be from the creature showcase four toes; not a natural trait found in primates, who possess five.[6]   The first claimed sighting was in 1963 by Harlan Ford, a retired air traffic controller who had taken up wildlife phot