There was a discussion on BFF earlier that perhaps skunk apes were escaped monkeys in Florida, from Tarzan movie sets and Silver Springs.

Here's an article from FoxNews that is kind of related to the subject:


Tiger Loose in Florida


Monday, July 12, 2004


LOXAHATCHEE, Fla. — Deputies and wildlife officers were armed with tranquilizer guns Monday as they searched for a tiger that escaped from the home of an actor who once portrayed Tarzan.

When the first deputies arrived on the scene, the 6-year-old tiger jumped on top of their car, said Paul Miller, spokesman for the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

The cat was reported missing from Steve Sipek's residence, which is near a wilderness area about 15 miles west of West Palm Beach.

Sipek has another tiger, two lions, a black leopard and a cougar on his 5-acre property, the Palm Beach Post reported. The cats, mostly castoffs from zoos, are in a mazelike series of interlocking cages.

People nearby were asked to stay indoors, said Willie Puz, spokesman for the conservation commission. "There's no such thing as a tame wild animal," he said. The town is a few miles from Lion County Safari and the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.

Searchers were to use an infared-equipped helicopter Monday night to try to spot the animal. "It could just go back home on its own, and we're hoping for that," Puz said. "It could just lay down and go to sleep."

Sipek portrayed Tarzan under the screen name Steve Hawkes in movies made in the late 1960s, Miller said.

In 2002, a 750-pound tiger mauled a woman who was helping Sipek during a photo shoot at his compound, which is barricaded with an iron gate and flanked by tall concrete slabs. At that time, Sipek had taken in 52 animals during 32 years.

Holy crap..I just left there last night ...

I'm glad you didn't become tiger appetizer!

My father in-law lives maybe 3 miles or so from where it got loose from. I live maybe 40 miles or so away I guess.

If it is on the run it can be more or less in the everglades before morning and then it could be a very hard thing to fine. Depending on what way it heads it could be out there for a while.

Are we really 100% sure this is jimf typing and NOT the tiger? Maybe the tiger ate jimf and now has commandeered his vehicle, home and computer!

Oh yeah, this is just great. Unless they catch this thing soon I'm not going squatching any time soon....or at least not from the safety of my vehicle. Hey I think a few tiger scratches on my hood would be cool! I'd call them definite character lines.

There have been so many exotics let loose in Florida, I don't think you should be surprised seeing ANYTHING.

How true! We went to the beach there and I was SHOCKED!

Oh.....we you talking about the animals?

Sujen

Yes, I was, but you sure set me straight!

Even here in Alaska your point is well taken. I went into a Kmart in Anchorage a few years ago and thought that I'd walked onto the set of a Star Trek episode.

Unfortunately, if I just heard the news correctly, Bobo the tiger was shot and killed today. That sucks. Beautiful animal. These wonderful animals should not be kept as personal property/pets. JMHO.

Yes, I heard that too. I'm glad it's no longer a threat to anyone, but it's too bad the animal had to die because of arrogant people who think they can control nature. Scary thing - this guy owns lots of other exotic animals!

Sujen

I do believe that we will see this scenario repeat itself more and more in the future.

Here is the story on it getting shot if anyone wants to see it.
http://www.local6.com/news/3525694/detail.html

This story gets stranger and stranger the more you dig into it. I've seen a LOT of "Tarzan" movies, and the name Steve Hawkes (Sipek's movie name) just didn't ring any bells.

It turns out that the original movie, was never authorized by the Edgar Rice Burroughs Estate so he couldn't be called Tarzan in the movie, but was called Zan. Although it was filmed in English, it was later dubbed in Spanish, probably because it was filmed by a South American Film Company, and released under the name of "TARZAN EN LA GRUTA DEL ORO". Zan's (Tarzan's) companion, rather than Cheetah the chimpanzee we are all familiar with, was a poker playing parrot.

The film was a hit in the Spanish speaking world, so the second film they were able to pay the royalty fee and use the name of Tarzan. However this film hardly had anything to do with Tarzan, and he was only marginally involved in the climax. "TARZAN Y EL ARCO IRIS" was filmed in 1972, and to date nobody has been able to figure out where the natives got silly looking rubber masks to wear. It was during the filming of this movie that Tarzan and Jane were nearly killed when some gasoline soaked leaves ignited when they were tied to wooden stakes. They spent months in the hospital undergoing skin grafts.

(Sounds to me like this may NOT have been a good film company to work for!)

Sipek claims the officers shot and killed Bobo while he was sleeping, and he was never a threat to anyone.

When confronted with the facts that "Bobo" had previously attacked a woman at his home in 2002, he said, "Bobo was not dangerous, never was," insisted Sipek.

"The woman that he hurt -- [it] was not because he intentionally hurt her. She was on the ground and looked like something unusual. All he did was grab her. It does not take very much for the fangs to penetrate human skin."

The woman was Carol Pistelli, who was painting part of Bobo's cage while she was redecorating Sipek's house, Bobo was outside of the cage at the time. At that time Sipek said, "She didn't think to close the door. She started painting and he pounced on her. Bobo, he's a wonderful cat. He wouldn't hurt anybody. He's a puppy, not a tiger."

Ms. Pistelli recalls feeling something soft on her back, then her head being inside the tigers mouth and it was refusing to let go. She suffered permanent nerve damage to her face, and total loss of hearing in her right ear.

So who do you blame? The tiger who was only doing what comes to it naturally? Or Mr. Sipek, who in my opionion, has failed several times to be a responsible guardian to that tiger? IF Ms. Pistelli had never been attacked previously, the Wildlife Officers may not have been quite as quick on the trigger of the lethal weapon as they were today. Knowing all of the facts I can't blame them one bit for reacting as they did. Mr. Sipek should have any and all permits yanked and the remaining big cats moved to a place run by someone more responsible.

I agree Moregon. JMHO, I really think that people want the "attention" of having an unusual exotic animal. They may also have the best of intentions of caring and loving it, in their perception. BUT, sh#t obviously happens. And unfortunately the animal is usually the one to suffer the outcome. I have allways wanted a senegal (?) Even though it is a smaller cat, did I feel I wanted the responsibility? NO. Zoos can't even prevent escapes 100%. I don't give a rats a$$ how many permits a private owner has. There is allways going to be human carelessness, and again it puts human lives at risk and the animal ends up getting the bad rap. The cute kitty, puppy dog sh#t, just doesn't cut it.

Well someone now has a new tiger rug. I wounder if any envirenatzi's or alf or any other wacko grup will be trowing crap on the cops who shot the animal.So tarzan do u like your tiger as a rug, bedspread, wall hainging,luggage or life size mount of your tiger attacking that poor lady.How does on prepare tiger.Tiger soup,steaks, chop, backstrap, burritos,roast,kabobs, bbq,tar tar oh well that is enough. He was an idiot for keeping the thing for a pet and is a bigger idiot actually thinking it wasnt going to get shot.I wounder why tarzan didnt beat his chest and do his yodel/yell/call. If he did all the animals would have come a runnin. Hay we could se if he could call in a squatch or we could blast with that call.