Is an Ancient Creature Lurking in Louisiana’s Honey Island Swamp?

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Louisiana is home to a great many creatures both large and small.  While we know about the deer, alligators, snakes, birds, and a bunch more - some folks swear that there's a whole other side to our state, a very mysterious side that is filled with some creatures that science isn't so sure actually exist.

That last little tidbit is completely lost of folks who call themselves "cryptozoologists."  These are folks who believe in and hunt for creatures that get conveniently left out of the biology textbooks.  These are beasts like the legendary Loch Ness Monster, the Kraken, and Bigfoot.  Some cryptozoologists in Louisiana firmly believe that one such critter makes its home in the southern part of our state, just north east of New Orleans in a place called "Honey Island Swamp."

According to a report from NOLA.com, scores of people claim to have seen the infamous 500-pound Honey Island Swamp Monster that they claim lives in the bottoms amongst the stands of massive Cypress trees.  Included in the more credible accounts include photos and grainy video that don't exactly prove that the swamp monster exists - but they do raise some very interesting questions.  Namely, what exactly is lurking around the swamp?

Some experts say that the swamps dark past may play on some people's minds when they visit.  In the past, historians claim that Honey Island Swamp was a favorite hiding, ambush, and moonshine site during prohibition.  The low-laying, honeysuckle-covered spots were perfect for not being found - and for hiding a body.  A lot of people went poking around in the swamp never to be heard from again, which fueled speculation that a mysterious and violent beast lurked there just waiting to pounce on unsuspecting visitors.

Non-believers say that black bears and possibly predatory cats can explain the spotty animal sightings.  When combined with the swamps seedy history and the eerie feeling of being watched you can sometimes feel when deep in the marshy wilderness - it can be easy to believe you saw "something."

So far, no concrete proof has been given in the pursuit to prove the creature is real - but all of the eyewitnesses describe the beast in a very similar way:  Approximately 8-feet-tall, close to 500lbs., covered in hair, with the face of a man and piercing yellow eyes.