YEAR: 1980

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: August

DATE: 8/21/1980

STATE: New York

COUNTY: Putnam County

LOCATION DETAILS: BIG BUCK MTN STATE PARK

NEAREST TOWN: KENT

NEAREST ROAD: FARMERS MILLS

OBSERVED: IN THE SUMMER OF 1980 AND AT THE AGE OF 15 A CLOSE FRIEND AND MYSELF WERE HANGING OUT ON A TRAIL OFF A ROAD IN MY COMMUNITY.OUR PLAN WAS TO HANGOUT ,DRINK SOME BEERS AND LISTEN TO MUSIC.IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL FULL MOON LIGHT NIGHT SO BRIGHT YOU COULD ALMOST READ.WE ACCENDED A TRAIL WELL KNOW SINCE BOYHOOD(PLINKING CANS ETC.) AND FOUND A NICE PLACE TO CHILL OUT AT THE BASE OF ANOTHER HILL NEAR A SMALL RAVINE. WE WERE LISTENING TO THE RADIO FOR APPROX. 20 MINS AND CARRYING ON (NO BEERS YET)WHEN MY FRIEND GRABBED MY ARM AND POINTED TO A FIGURE HUNCHING AND HOLDING ON TO A SMALL TREE WITH ITS LEFT ARM (APPROX 30 FT AWAY AND UP THE TRAIL FROM US,THE TRAIL WAS ABOUT 10 T0 15 FT WIDE AND LET ALOT OF MOONLIGHT FILTER THROUGH.)I WAS IMMEDIATELY ALARMED BECAUSE SOMETHING ABOUT THE FIGURE SEEMED OFF TO ME,EVEN AS A BOY OF 15 TO ME ITS STANCE WAS VERY MUCH LIKE A PRIMATE HUNCHING.WE BOTH SAID WHAT THE HELL IS THAT AND THINKING IT HAS TO BE HUMAN BEGAN YELLING EVERY COMMUNITY WEIRDOS NAME WE COULD THINK OFF AT IT.THE THING WAS RIVITED NO MOVEMENT AT ALL IT REALY APPEARED TO BE STUDYING US.AFTER A VERY SHORT TIME WE BOTH ADVANCED TOWARD IT AND TRIED TO GET A BETTER LOOK AT IT.I WILL NEVER FORGET WHAT I SAW A MEDIUM SIZE MONKEY/APELIKE CREATURE ITS PROPORSIONS WERE APE LIKE TO ME A LONG TORSO,LONG ARMS,SHORTER LEGS AND A LARGE LONG HEAD THAT SEEMED OUT OF PLACE FOR THE BODY SIZE,(SORRY I DIDNT SEE THE FEET)OF WHAT I SAW WAS COMPLETELY COVERED WITH FAIRLY LONG HAIR I COULD NOT SEE FACIAL FEATURES BUT DUE TO THE MOON LIGHT ITS HEAD(HAIR) WAS A LIGHTER COLOR,DONT LAUGH BUT ALMOST A LIGHT GREENISH COLOR.ITS STANCE WAS LIKE ALMOST SQUATING WITH ITS RIGHT ARM HANGING SLIGHTLY AWAY FROM ITS BODY WITH ELBOW OUT AND TOP SIDE OF FOREARM FACING US ,ITS LEFT HAND WAS GRASPING A BRANCH AT ITS HEAD LEVEL WITH LEGS BENT AND KNESS FACING US.I CANT EMPHISE ENOUGH HOW THE LEGS APPEARED TOO SHORT FOR THE TORSO AND THE ARMS SEEMED TOO LONG FOR THE TORSO AND THE HEAD SEEMED TOO TALL/LARGE FOR THE BODY,IT WAS VERY VERY VERY DISTURBING.REMIND YOU THAT DURING ALL THIS WE ARE SCREAMING TO EACHOTHER WHAT THE HELL IS IT.MY FRIEND ADVANCED EVEN FURTHER TOWARD IT,I WAS FROZEN WITH FEAR AT THIS POINT MY FRIEND YELLED RUN RUN RUN.WE BOTH BOLTED BACK DOWN THE INCLINE AND ALL THE WAY HOME WE WERE NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS AND THE ONLY THING WE SAID WHILE SPRINTING HOME OVER AND OVER WAS" WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ,I DONT KNOW". WE DID NOT DISCUSS IT FURTHER THAT NIGHT.THE FOLLOWING DAY WE ASKED EACHOTHER WHAT THE OTHER PERSON SAW AND WE BOTH AGREED VERY CLOSELY ON THE DESCRIPTION ONLY MY FRIEND SAW A LITTLE MORE DETAIL.AFTER SOME TIME WE MADE UP THE NAME THE" GREEN MONKEY"DUE TO THE GREENISH HINT THE MOON MADE ON ITS HEAD.I HAVE ONLY TOLD THIS TALE TO FAMILY AND CLOSE FRIENDS DUE TO FEAR OF BEING RIDICULED.MY FRIEND HAS REALLY NEVER WANTED TO DISCUSS WHAT WE SAW ESPECIALLY LATER IN LIFE.IN 1990 MY FATHER PASSED AWAY AND IN 1994 I MOVED INTO THE SAME HOUSE/COMMUNITY AND TO THIS DAY MY FRIEND REFUSES TO DICUSS THE INCIDENT AND AT NIGHT ON MY PROPERTY I STILL CATCH MYSELF BEING SCARED WHEN IM OUTSIDE AT NIGHT ESPECIALLY IF ITS DARK.THIS IS A (TRUE)STORY AND THE IMAGE I SAW IS ETCHED IN MY MEMORY,I WISH I WAS A ARTIST SO I COULD PUT IT ON PAPER.

OTHER WITNESSES: TWO PEOPLE ,LISTENING TO RADIO AND GABBING.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: APPROX 9 PM, VERY BRIGHT MOON LIGHT NIGHT

ENVIRONMENT: MOUNTIAN RAVINE.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Paul J. Mateja:

8/03/05: I spoke to the witness by telephone.

The observation lasted for about 45 seconds. The incident occurred late in August, 1980. It was a clear night with a bright, full moon.

The animal was squatting, thighs parallel to the ground. In this position, the animal was about four feet high. Its left hand was grasping a tree. Its right arm hung slightly away from its body and in such a way as the back of the hand was visible. The body was slender, not large or stocky. The witness suggested that the body looked more like a monkey or orangutan. The head seemed more human like and was out of proportion to the rest of the body. The witness did not observe any facial features.

The witness described the hair as "green" but explained the hair wasn't actually green. The moonlight reflecting off the animal gave it an odd, grayish-green hue.

The witness's friend will not talk about the incident and would rather forget the whole thing.

About BFRO Investigator Paul J. Mateja:

Paul is a network administrator and systems analyst/programmer for the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, NY. In addition, Paul and his wife Teresa own and operate a small organic farm in western New York State. He has attended and organized expeditions including New Mexico (Jicarilla), New York (Adirondacks), Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

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