OK, so it wasn't the actual skunk ape. As a guest of the Friends of the Marco Island Library, Nathan Martin presented excerpts from his hour-long documentary titled, The Ochopee Skunk Ape. Following the presentation, both he and the star of the documentary, Dave Shealy, the world's foremost expert on skunk apes, answered questions from a curious audience.

Martin, born in Naples and raised on Marco, got the idea for the film about four years ago when searching for an inspirational subject for his music.
"What could be better than a big hairy monster that runs around in the woods?" joked Martin.

He had never made a film before. The 27-year-old is actually a recording engineer by trade. But he couldn't resist documenting the story of the elusive creature and the man that has passionately tracked it for nearly 40 years.
For six months, Martin filmed Shealy as he performed the daily tasks of a professional skunk ape tracker.

"We tracked the skunk ape, we talked about tracking the skunk ape, and we tracked the skunk ape," said Martin.

Along with footage of Shealy looking for skunk ape clues, the film also shows interviews with seasoned locals recounting personal run-ins with the skunk ape, Shealy's skunk ape research headquarters in Ochopee that also doubles as a campground and petting zoo, and lots of sweeping shots of the beautiful Everglades landscape.

Although he did not show the ending of the film to the audience at the
library, he assured the crowd that it does include actual footage of the skunk ape. Some of the scenes are re-enactments of what Shealy has seen and some of it is actual footage that people have submitted to Shealy over the years.

According to Shealy, the skunk ape is smaller than Bigfoot, standing about 6-1/2 feet tall versus Bigfoot's eight-foot frame. Its footprint is about 18 inches long. It has four toes. And it likes to eat lima beans.

DNA testing on skunk ape hair samples has been inconclusive stating only that it is from an unknown species. From collected skunk ape droppings, scientists at the Miami Metro Zoo have been able to determine that it eats both plants and meats.

Shealy believes that the stink of the skunk ape comes from the sulfur that exists in the water and dirt in the Everglades. He also thinks that there are seven to nine skunk apes living in the area that encompasses the Picayune State Forest, the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park and the Big Cypress National Preserve.

He said that it is not a malevolent creature and many animals more dangerous than the skunk ape exist in the Everglades.

"It's just a wild animal," said Shealy. "It goes out of its way not to be seen."
At the beginning of Shealy's quest for the skunk ape, his purpose was to prove to people that the creature existed. But throughout the years, his objectives have changed. Now his ultimate goal is to see that skunk apes get legal protection.

"We have something very special in the Everglades," said Shealy.
Martin will be showing the film in its entirety at about 7 p.m. on April 14 at Stan's in Goodland. All skeptics, believers, and anyone who simply enjoys a good story are welcome.