YEAR: 2012

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: July

DATE: 7/6/2012

STATE: Florida

COUNTY: Duval County

NEAREST TOWN: atlantic beach....in the city

NEAREST ROAD: mayport rd

OBSERVED: This just happened to me about 5:15am this morning. I stepped out on the balcony of my second story apartment I'm in Atlantic Beach fl. I live about 3 to 5 min from Hannah park. I turned on the back porch light as I walked out. I took about two or three steps out onto the balcony and I heard a loud screaching yell and then three woo whoo whoo noises. As I live and breathe that WAS the sound of a primate!! Immediately the dog in a fence of a neighbor's house right behind the apartment began barking like crazy for about 30 seconds and then stopped. It kind of freaked me out I thought, did an ape escape from Jax zoo or something? I crouched down a little on the balcony and watched the area. In about 5 min I could see the tree in the very back of the apartment back yard rustle a little and it was as if something was moving toward the fence. Then I heard two low grunts from the ground from inside the fence on the neighbors side. It is a privacy fence so I couldn't see what made the grunt. The way the fences are all I could hear were like footsteps moving along the fence toward the trees I saw one shadow really dark moving along the fenceline...it wasn't a person because the shoulders were way too wide and bulky and it wasn't even fully upright. It kind of lumbered along like an ape....people just don't move like that.

OTHER WITNESSES: No....only the dog.

OTHER STORIES: No

TIME AND CONDITIONS: 5:15 am

ENVIRONMENT: Near apartments and houses...but not far from being able to access wooded areas......I think it might have been young and inexperienced....it was frightened by me unexpectedly turning on the light.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator David Bakara:

The witness works nights sometimes and her sleep schedule suffers. When she awoke about 4:40 am and couldn't go back to sleep, she decided to step out on her balcony and have a cigarette. She walked to the sliding glass doors, flipped the light on, stepped out onto the porch, and instantly she heard a primate-like scream and then, a "woo woo" coming from a tree out in the yard in the darkness. She was quite sure this was a primate sound, and definitely not an owl. This set-off the neighbor's dog barking furiously for about 30 seconds. She then heard a commotion in the neighboring yard, as if something was grunting, and then moving along the fence line. She seemed to think there were two and they were working together. The neighbor's porch light was on and created a shadow of the creature as it moved along the wooden fence line. This shadow was very wide, hunched over, and kind of shuffled like an ape on two feet. The witness says it was too big for a man, let alone an ape. She then heard whatever was in the tree jump out and begin to walk towards the second figure, She could then hear the two lumber off together into the darkness.. The area the witness resides in is surrounded by state protected wildlife areas, with many large and small rivers and streams.

The witness was hesitant about sharing her experience, in part because she wanted no harm to come to whatever it was. She was sure they meant no harm and were simply caught off guard.

About BFRO Investigator David Bakara:

David has three daughters and a wife that shares his interest in research, both having developed a deep respect for nature and knowledge of the outdoors and wildlife. Attended Northern Florida Expedition 2011, 2012 Washington Exp., and 2012 North Florida exp. Prior US Navy and currently works as a Leasing Agent, spending his time off in the woods as often as he can investigating Bigfoot reports.

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