Date of Encounter: The year was either 1989 or 1990. The event happened in cool weather. The witness was not sure if it was early spring or late fall.

 

Time of Incident: Early morning, after full daylight.

 

Weather Conditions: It had rained shortly before the incident, but was clear at the time.

 

State: Arkansas.

 

County: Pope.

 

Nearest City or Town: Russellville.

 

Location: Approximately 2 miles north of I-40 at her residence alongside State Highway #7.

 

Nearest highway or road: Arkansas State Highway #7.

 

General Land Use Description: Rural residential with some small farms and ranches.

 

General Terrain Description: The site is in the southernmost flanks of the Ozark Mountains.

 

Nearest Lakes or Streams: The main part of Lake Dardanelle, which is a U.S. Corps of Engineers’ impoundment on the Arkansas River, is about 3 miles southwest of the site. A large bay on that lake is formed by the Illinois Bayou, and the bayou is about 3/4 mile west of the site.

 

Witness Profile: She is now 42 years of age, and was about 26 at the time of the incident. She is a life-long resident of the area. She is familiar with the area’s known native wildlife.

 

Activities of Witness Prior to Encounter/Incident: At the time she was married to a man who owned a specialized business which was conducted from their home. She stated that at night her husband would set alone on their front porch to relax from the strenuous work that he did. She said that at times he drank too much at night.

 

The night before her encounter, her husband came in off the porch in a very excited state. When she asked what was wrong, he said that he saw a large creature walking near the home, and that he did not know what it was. He told her it appeared to be some type of very large monkey. She somewhat discounted his statements because she thought he may have had too much to drink.

 

Details of Encounter / Incident: The next morning, after her husband had left for a job site out of the area, she put her small dog on a leash to take it outside for its routine, early morning walk. She stated the dog was put on the leash because State Highway #7 ran in front of their property. She did not walk close to the road, but she was afraid the dog might chase a rabbit or other animal onto the highway if it was not on the leash.

 

As she and the dog were walking near an old outbuilding alongside a grown-up field, the dog began barking frantically at something behind a small group of trees nearby. As she looked to see what had alarmed the dog, she saw a large, brown, hair-covered creature standing on two feet behind and to the side of one of the trees. The animal immediately wheeled around and began running swiftly through the old field. The field was covered in weeds, brush and vines which were about three to four feet tall. She said the sounds the animal made as it ran through the thickets, “was like a horse running away.”

 

She said it only took the animal a few seconds to cross the old field and disappear into the timber on the other side.

 

Description of the Animal: The witness stated the animal was more than 7 seven feet tall, and she believed it to be from 8 to 9 feet in height. She said it was human-like in form, and completely covered in brown hair that appeared to be 3 to 4 inches in length. She only had a brief frontal view of the animal, and was unable to discern any facial features, and saw nothing to indicate the sex of the animal.

 

Her view of the animal was primarily of the animal’s back side as it ran away. She said its body was large and “very strong looking.”

 

Photos or Drawings Made? None.

 

Description of Related Sounds: No vocalizations from the animal were heard.

 

Description of Related Scents / Odors: None noted by the witness, but she was sure her dog had detected the animal by its scent.

 

Other Details: The witness stated that she and her husband (at the time) had made the mistake of mentioning what they had seen to some area residents. She said that some of the residents ridiculed them for those statements, and some began calling them the “monkey people.” She said that she never told anyone else about the incident until a few days ago when a close and old-time friend had asked her if she had ever heard any stories of strange animals while she lived in Pope County. When she told him of her encounter, her friend asked her to talk to this writer, and assured her the writer would keep her personal information confidential. She agreed, and her friend called the writer on his cell phone and let the witness use it to relate her encounter.

 

Although this witness is not yet aware of it, her friend also saw one of these animals a few years ago, and his report is posted on this web site.

 

Historical Notes: The southern edge of the Ozark Mountains along the Arkansas River basin has generated numerous sightings of similarly described animals for several generations.