Feral Apes in the American South

From an orangutan-like creature on a swamp porch to baboon sightings in the woods, Dark Outdoors uncovers chilling reports of wild primates lurking across Texas, Florida, and beyond.

In this eerie episode of Dark Outdoors, Chester Moore investigates decades of strange, unnerving encounters in the American South—not with native wildlife, but with creatures resembling feral apes and wild primates.

Firsthand accounts include:

• 
  

  A woman who saw an orangutan-looking creature on her porch in a swampy homestead

  
  


• 
  

  A hunter who encountered a troop of baboons deep in the wilderness

  
  


• 
  

  A hairy hand reaching into a deer blind under cover of night

  
  

Some researchers suggest these sightings may stem from escaped or released primates dating back to the mid-20th century, when exotic pet ownership and roadside zoos were more common. Over time, populations may have adapted, creating secretive breeding groups in remote, unmonitored regions.

Wildlife journalists and field investigators have documented anomalous hair samples, chilling vocalizations, and ambush-like behaviors that align more with great apes than with any known North American species.

Join us as we explore the legends, theories, and eyewitness encounters that suggest something wild—and very real—may still be lurking just beyond the campfire’s glow.