YEAR: 2001

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: October

STATE: Alabama

COUNTY: Clarke County

LOCATION DETAILS: the location is between the oil well road and the country store

NEAREST TOWN: Carlton

NEAREST ROAD: county rd 15

OBSERVED: Me and my best friend were riding down a dirt road right past the oil well rd. we seen a roughly 7' tall big "something" in the road just as our headlights hit it it threw something down and jumped into the woods. we stopped to examine what it was and found it to be a half eaten rabbit. the rabbit was like you had sheared it off with a knife. i saw no foot prints, but i did notice a strange musky odor in the air.

ALSO NOTICED: it was odd but both of our hair on our arms was standing up

OTHER WITNESSES: 2 we were just talking and riding

OTHER STORIES: i heard rumor that a lady had seen one climbing a hill by cty 15 once before

TIME AND CONDITIONS: it was clear weather,about 9-11 pm some where in that time frame

ENVIRONMENT: dirt road in the woods

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Kevin Smykal:

Witness is a 27 year old male. He is a gas company employee, firefighter and reserve police officer. Sighting took place down a narrow, one car backroad. The two witnesses observed the creature from a distance of about 40 yards. It was very dark but they saw clearly with their headlights. When their headlights hit the bipedal creature, it dropped the rabbit and quickly jumped into the woods in one leap. The woods went right up to the road, there was very little shoulder. Although they did not get a look at its features, the hair color was dark brown and the behavior was definately not that of a bear. They immediately went back to look for tracks and see what it dropped. They could not find any tracks in the hard packed ground. When they found the rabbit, the hair stood up on their arms and they decided that it was time to go. The rabbit did not look like it had been pulled apart, it looked as if it had been neatly cut in half just behind the front legs. During the interview, the witness shared that there was a smell that reminded him of a sweaty, football locker room. The 7' height estimate was determined by the branches that it hit as it jumped into the woods. They had their windows rolled up, with the radio on when the sighting took place, so nothing was heard. The incident took place near the Tombigbee River, in a habitat of pine and oak woods. There are also many creeks nearby.

About BFRO Investigator Kevin Smykal:

Kevin Smykal is a mechanical contractor in northern Florida.
He attended the following BFRO expeditions:

• 2006 Central Florida (Lake County)
• 2007 Central Florida Private Expedition
• 2008 South Florida Expedition
• He helped organize the 2008 North Florida Expedition and is assisting with the organization of the upcoming 2009 Central Florida Expedition

He helped organize the 2011 & 2012 North Florida expeditions.