YEAR: 2005

SEASON: Winter

MONTH: December

STATE: Arkansas

COUNTY: Independence County

LOCATION DETAILS: The area is near the small community of Salado. About 10 miles from Batesville and about 10 miles from Oil Trough going the other direction.

NEAREST TOWN: Batesville

NEAREST ROAD: Highway 14

OBSERVED: I was gathering some firewood from a stack of previously split wood behind my house. I kept hearing a strange "whooping" sound coming from the thick woods about 100 yards away. My nearest neighbor has horses which I could hear bolting away about the same time. My dog ran to the edge of the woods and kept barking and running around back and forth in that area. I have never heard these kind of sounds before. It was after dark about 9:00 pm. I also could faintly smell a very odd smell. Strangly enough the smell reminded me of a zoo. The incident lasted about one or two minutes. I believe that I was being watched.

ALSO NOTICED: I have lived in this small community for 12 years. I have never heard these sounds before. However,I did not actually see what was making these odd "whooping" sounds, but the whole incident was very unnerving. My dog was barking at something in the darkness, and I had the feeling I was being watched.

OTHER WITNESSES: No other witnesses

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Typical December night. Fairly chilly. The back of my house was well lit by a porch light, but the wooded area behind my house was completly dark.

ENVIRONMENT: Rural area. Mostly thick woods and small pastures. The White River is probably about three miles from my house. Several farm houses scattered throughout this area.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Tony Gerard:

I spoke with the witness by phone. Each vocalization was about two or three seconds in length and seemed to rise in pitch toward the end.
The odor he compared to the primate area of a zoo.
This report is in relatively close proximity to report # 6932
Report #6932.

About BFRO Investigator Tony Gerard:

Tony Gerard is a community college biology professor.

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