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on this episode of Expedition X.

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When I saw something large, black,

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just walking on the road.

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My team is heading deep into the wild forests of the Ozarks.

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That's scaring me.

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Where terrified witnesses are reporting seeing a monstrous creature

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and hearing its horrific scream.

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Oh my gosh.

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Somebody stood there with a shotgun.

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Some believe it's on a killing rampage.

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We had a piece of it eaten out of its side.

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Holy sh**.

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There's a big chunk of meat over here.

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That is so fresh.

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Phil and Jess hunt for evidence of this mysterious predator.

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Is that an echo?

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I thought I heard an alien.

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Oh, right there, right there.

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It's terrifying actually.

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Or are they the ones being hunted?

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I just saw something.

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Let's get close.

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Oh, f**k.

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The Ozark Howler.

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My name is Josh Gates.

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In my travels, I've experienced strange things that defy logic

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and made me question everything.

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Oh my god.

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Now, I've put together a team to investigate the stranger side of the unknown.

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Let's go.

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Phil Torres is a scientist who hunts for rational explanations.

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This is the criminal who actually found two stones.

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Jessica Chobot's paranormal research has made her a true believer.

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If you're here with us, knock again.

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Together, we're searching for answers.

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What is happening here, Jess?

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To the world's most extraordinary mysteries.

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This is Expedition X.

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Alright guys, I want to start today by playing an audio recording for you.

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Phil, as our resident biologist, I'm very eager for your take on this.

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Give a listen.

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Oh wow.

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Sounds almost like a wolf, but not quite.

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It's weird, right? One more time. Listen.

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I mean, that's freaky.

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It is freaky.

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What is it?

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That's a great question.

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That's what people in the Ozarks want to know, which is where this was recorded.

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And it's what they refer to as the Ozark Howler.

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Okay, I have heard of this.

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It's kind of like a hellhound sort of thing.

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It's a mess. It's a hellhound. It's a mutant cat, bear, wolf.

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No one knows what it is.

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But people have been seeing and especially hearing it in the Ozarks for hundreds of years.

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And one of the alleged witnesses is an iconic hero from American history.

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The Ozarks.

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47,000 square miles of ancient mountains and plateaus,

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carved by time into a labyrinth of rugged cliffs.

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Much of it is unexplored, riddled with dangerous sinkholes and over 300 caves.

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And if the legends are to be believed, there's a large and dangerous predator prowling these woods.

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1810. As the story goes, one famous explorer had seen pretty much every native animal on the American frontier,

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but a run-in with the so-called Howler made him flip his coon skin cap.

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It is said that none other than Daniel Boone wrote a letter to his sister-in-law about his encounter with a creature that was, quote,

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black and swarthy, with horns atop his scalp.

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I am told of the sound that it makes, a terrible howling in the middle of the night.

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Warnings of this for settlers should be passed along.

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By the late 1800s, reports of violent and sometimes fatal confrontations with the beast increase.

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Survivor descriptions are similar, a large, agile, dark and horrifying creature with a blood-curdling cry,

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described as a cross between a wolf's howl and an elk's call.

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In the last decade, claims of run-ins with the beast have exploded.

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Farmers, hunters, hikers all recount terrifying brushes with this mysterious apex predator.

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Some say that as more and more people build homes at the edge of the forest,

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perhaps these creatures are emerging to protect their territory.

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Now, there's a sudden rise in the number of livestock and pets that have gone missing,

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or even worse, have been found chewed to pieces.

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Some fear it's only a matter of time before there's a deadly confrontation between a human and the Ozark Howler.

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So, what do you think?

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Josh, when you mentioned the Ozarks, I thought you were talking about a new season of the Jason Bateman Show.

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A pop culture reference from Phil, watch it!

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Did I do it right?

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Yeah, there's no way you watch Ozarks.

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You know, I watch some shows.

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Yeah, bugs.

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Yeah, the 24-hour bug news network.

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Is that real?

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No.

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I would watch that.

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I know you would.

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Listen, with the Ozark Howler, I kind of love the story because there's clearly a lot of eyewitnesses and we have this recording.

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So, if we figure out what known animal made that noise, we solve the case.

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And in this area, there are black bears, there's mountain lions, a lot of large predators,

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and any big animal is going to leave behind some biological evidence.

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So, I want to get out there and look for DNA, for hairs, for scat.

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I mean, my only issue with this is that none of the descriptions match anything that's out there.

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But if you run across a black bear in the middle of the night, that's enough to scare the scat out of anyone.

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That's pretty good.

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However, black bears don't have horns.

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Yeah, and they don't howl.

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I'll admit I'm a little baffled, but that's why I think we should try to get our own recording and try to find some physical evidence out there.

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So, that's your mission.

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I've connected with the witnesses that recorded this audio.

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I want you to go meet them.

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Go to the place where they heard this.

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See if you can hear the same thing.

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See if you can find that elusive physical evidence.

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Is this a misidentified animal or is this an Ozark mystery beast?

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Misidentified.

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Oh, boy.

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Good luck, guys.

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Good luck, guys.

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Phil and Jess fly just over a thousand miles from New York City to Springfield, Missouri,

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and then drive straight into the heart of Ozark Country.

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Wow, that's pretty.

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The cliffs, rivers, and remote forests of this land lost in time hide rare and unusual wildlife,

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like a giant nocturnal salamander known as the Ozark Hellbender,

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and a blind subterranean fish that lives deep in caves and dines on Batguano.

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It's enough to make you wonder what else could be hiding out here.

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I wonder why they call Missouri the show-me-state.

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No idea.

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But I hope it shows me that Ozark howler.

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Such a stupid joke.

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It's what I'm here for, Jess.

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Stupid jokes.

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But they also call it the cave-state.

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Well, there you go.

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That's where the Ozark howler is hiding.

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I've arranged for Phil and Jess to meet with the witnesses who recorded those eerie howls.

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They say they captured more strange sounds just a few nights ago.

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Welcome to the Hot Ozarks.

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Steve Robinson is a former Navy SEAL, and his wife Sharon was a professional animal trainer.

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They have lived the edge of the Ozark forest for over 20 years.

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We gotta hear this thing. What recording do you have?

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Got them in rainstorm?

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Let me see here.

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You can hear it over the rain?

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Yeah.

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That tells you that must have been allowed.

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Let me try the yellow one.

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Oh my gosh.

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Just went on for 45 minutes.

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That's scary sounding.

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Yeah, he was...

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Well, I stood there with a shotgun.

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And it does not sound like a happy animal.

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He was not.

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So I have to ask, you guys live near the woods.

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You must hear all sorts of wild animals.

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And that's the thing.

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You hear coyote packs running, and you kick and run in or howling.

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You hear the neighborhood dogs, and foxes have some odd sounds.

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So all of those things that are natural, we hear over and over again.

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And this does not...

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It's not something we can identify.

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You know, I can't either.

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Steve gives us a copy of his audio files so we can have the sounds analyzed.

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Awesome, I'll take care of this.

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Then they share a suggestion for where to look next.

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Pre-animals need water.

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If this thing is hunting prey animals, it's gonna be near water.

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Perfect.

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I like your logic.

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Steve and Sharon claim the howling happens only after dark.

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It's getting close to sunset, so we head out to a remote area along the water.

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Hey, you ready?

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Yeah, let's get out there.

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This will take us deeper, more remote.

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I mean, there's just nothing around here.

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Trees, as far as the eye can see.

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I'm not sure what animal made those sounds Steve and Sharon recorded,

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but I still think that most eye witnesses in a moment of intense fear

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simply misidentified a black bear in the distance.

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Before it gets dark, I want to look for hare, prince, scat, anything that backs up my theory.

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See any tracks or anything like that?

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Ooh, check this out, Jess.

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That's a cave.

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Many animals, including bears and mountain lions, will be able to see the animals.

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The bears and mountain lions will seek shelter from the elements

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or a place to hide their young from predators or humans.

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Any animal living here would leave some physical evidence behind,

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like hare, paw prints or bones from its prey.

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And of course, Jess is hoping to find some heller DNA in here.

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Look at that.

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Oh, you can see where it's like the water's starting to eat away at it.

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Oh, yeah.

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We're not seeing any signs right now that this thing is inhabited.

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What's that smell, though?

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Who's smelling?

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I mean, it's just stinks. I don't know what I'm smelling.

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It smells kind of like urine.

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There are different types of animal pee.

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Some is just to, you know, process urine, but others is more musky.

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That would mark its territory, maybe mark this cave.

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Yeah.

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For decades, witnesses have reported seeing and hearing the howler at night.

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So our senses are now on high alert.

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Check this out, Jess.

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These are the native black cat raspberries here, also known as bear food.

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Bears are omnivores, meaning that they eat meat and also plants, roots and fruit.

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Bears do have a sweet tooth, so where there are berries, good chance there are bears.

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Holy s***!

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Oh my God.

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Holy s***!

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See a big pad there?

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Oh, what is that?

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It's hard to tell.

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This is not a bear track. They have five toes, not four.

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And they have strong nails at the tip of each toe, useful for fighting or foraging.

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So we might see claw marks here if it was a bear.

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If it was a wolf track, we'd also see claw imprints, but I'm not making out any here.

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I don't see claw marks there, so there's a chance that could be a big cat print.

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Retractable claws are a trait that is almost exclusive to felines.

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While bobcats are known to roam these forests, mountain lions seldom do.

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Once plentiful here, they were pushed out by humans and now are just rare visitors,

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and I'm not aware of any breeding populations here.

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So I'm going to try to get a 3D scan of them.

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Okay.

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I'll need a better view in order to identify what animal left this print.

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I'll make an impression of it with a lidar scan.

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Lidar means light detection and ranging.

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Okay.

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A pulse laser scans a surface and creates a detailed 3D rendering.

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That's pretty good.

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I can compare those images to known prints from different species.

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That's really cool.

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Let's keep going.

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The tracks seem to head in this direction.

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Alright, let's put the camera traps up.

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Okay.

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I'll hit the ballerina in the spring.

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You should want to go closer on the creek bed.

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Okay.

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We spread out over a half-mile wide area and set up the motion-activated cameras.

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Oh boy.

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Or at least, I do.

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Fills easily distracted.

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That's a big spider.

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I never scaled that thing.

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I love these woods.

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Let's set up camera trap.

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Pointing right on that game trail.

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You see that right up there.

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Anything would cross right here.

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Actually, check if there's any air on this.

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Holy s***.

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Look at that.

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We got a hair.

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It even has the root of the hair on it,

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which means good chance we get to you now.

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Okay.

251
00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:31,000
We got a hair.

252
00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:35,000
Look at that.

253
00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:37,000
It definitely doesn't look like deer.

254
00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:40,000
It's way too thick, way too dark.

255
00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:43,000
I mean, this could be a bear.

256
00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:47,000
Or it could be a owl or a spelling bear.

257
00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:50,000
Amazing.

258
00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:57,000
I won't have a definitive answer until I have it analyzed at a lab.

259
00:14:57,000 --> 00:14:59,000
So for now, Jess and I have something planned

260
00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:05,000
that may bring whatever animal left his hair running back toward us along this trail.

261
00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:08,000
I set up my camera trap right down there closer to the princess.

262
00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:11,000
Why don't we set up around here and do our calls from here

263
00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:14,000
and see what we can get, maybe we can lure something in.

264
00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:18,000
No one can identify the creature making the eerie howls

265
00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:20,000
that witnesses have heard and recorded.

266
00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:26,000
Maybe if we amplify its unique cry out into the forest,

267
00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:29,000
the howls will attract more of its kind.

268
00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:31,000
Whatever that is.

269
00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:34,000
We can use this limestone chore to vanish too.

270
00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:38,000
Just blast sounds out this way.

271
00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:42,000
And let go off here and just really resonate through this part of the forest.

272
00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:46,000
It will also help us basically retrieve any sounds back

273
00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:48,000
if anything calls back to us.

274
00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:53,000
Many large animals like wolves, coyotes, and even some big cats

275
00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:58,000
communicate with each other over long distances by howling or roaring.

276
00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:03,000
Animals do this to identify their location for their pack or pride.

277
00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:08,000
To find a mate or as a warning to others to stay out of their territory.

278
00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:14,000
Let's hope the message we're about to send out is friendly.

279
00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:22,000
I can play the howler noise.

280
00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:23,000
You ready?

281
00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:27,000
I break out the fleer to detect any heat signatures.

282
00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:32,000
Now we have eyes and ears ready for any responses.

283
00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:35,000
Howler noise.

284
00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:46,000
I thought I heard something, but I think it might just be the water from the spray.

285
00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:49,000
Okay, howler noise.

286
00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:50,000
Okay, ready?

287
00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:51,000
Yeah, I'm ready.

288
00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:05,000
Howler noise.

289
00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:29,000
It is dead silent out there.

290
00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:31,000
I'm not getting anything.

291
00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:32,000
Zero.

292
00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:33,000
He sent you two files, right?

293
00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:36,000
So why don't we just play this second one to see if we get lucky.

294
00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:37,000
Okay.

295
00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:53,000
Was that an echo?

296
00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:54,000
I thought I heard it immediately.

297
00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:56,000
Oh, right there, right there.

298
00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:57,000
I did hear it.

299
00:17:57,000 --> 00:17:59,000
It was over here to the left.

300
00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:07,000
Why don't we use the parabolic mic if we can isolate that audio

301
00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:10,000
and compare it to this and see if it's a match.

302
00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:12,000
Okay, go grab the mic.

303
00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:18,000
Parabolic microphones have a reflector that concentrates sound waves.

304
00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:19,000
Look at that guy.

305
00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:24,000
The device amplifies distant noises and helps us track their direction.

306
00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:25,000
Okay.

307
00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:28,000
Everybody done?

308
00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:34,000
Parabolic microphones.

309
00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:52,000
We had it.

310
00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:55,000
We absolutely had something going back to us.

311
00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:58,000
Maybe the 360 mic got it because it is running right now.

312
00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:00,000
You better have it, but I gotta say.

313
00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:01,000
Shh.

314
00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:06,000
Come on, it's over there.

315
00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:08,000
Could be multiple.

316
00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:09,000
Could be surrounding us.

317
00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:24,000
Come on, it's over there.

318
00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:26,000
Could be multiple.

319
00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:27,000
Could be surrounding us.

320
00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:33,000
Something's moving toward us.

321
00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:37,000
Play it one more time just to see if it's coming over here.

322
00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:38,000
Maybe it's getting closer.

323
00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:42,000
I'm gonna play a clip and then pause it immediately after.

324
00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:43,000
Okay.

325
00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:44,000
Ready?

326
00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:45,000
Yeah.

327
00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:58,000
I'm not hearing it anymore.

328
00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:00,000
Maybe you got our scent.

329
00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:05,000
If that is what people call the howler here, we got it on tape.

330
00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:06,000
Oh yeah.

331
00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:13,000
I still can't identify what animal it is from the howls we captured.

332
00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:18,000
So the next morning, we connect with Josh to figure out our next steps.

333
00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:19,000
Hi.

334
00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:20,000
Hey Josh.

335
00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:21,000
Hey, how are you?

336
00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:22,000
Have you found the Ozark howler?

337
00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:24,000
Daniel Boone and I are dying to know.

338
00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:26,000
Well, we definitely found something.

339
00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:29,000
We played howler noises out into the woods last night

340
00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:32,000
and we actually got a real time response.

341
00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:34,000
Yeah, Josh, take a listen to this.

342
00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:36,000
I'm gonna play you what Steve gave us,

343
00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:38,000
that he's been hearing around his property.

344
00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:44,000
And this is what we heard back.

345
00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:49,000
That is insane.

346
00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:51,000
You got that as a response?

347
00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:54,000
Yeah, it happened immediately after we played out Steve's recording.

348
00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:55,000
Wow.

349
00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:56,000
Play it again.

350
00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:00,000
That is not the sound of a bear.

351
00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:01,000
No, it is not.

352
00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:03,000
Phil, what do you think it is?

353
00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:04,000
It's a howler.

354
00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:09,000
I'll be honest, I'm starting to lean a little bit more away from this bear theory.

355
00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,000
I'm just not sure where I'm leaning towards.

356
00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:15,000
We did find some large animal tracks last night that we were able to scan

357
00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:17,000
and I collected a hair sample.

358
00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:19,000
Send all of it my way, we will get it analyzed.

359
00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:24,000
In the meantime, word of your investigation is traveling fast in the Ozarks.

360
00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:28,000
I just got an email from a woman and her son who say they actually have a photo

361
00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:30,000
of the howler that they want to show you in person.

362
00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:32,000
Oh wow, I can't wait to see that.

363
00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:35,000
Perfect, yeah, Texas address, we'll head there now.

364
00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:37,000
Good luck you guys, stay safe.

365
00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:38,000
Awesome, bye.

366
00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:39,000
You got it.

367
00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:41,000
A photograph is huge.

368
00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:45,000
People in the Ozarks have reported seeing an unknown beast for more than a century.

369
00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:49,000
But this could be the first photographic evidence of it.

370
00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:54,000
Phil and I drive half an hour to Highlandville, Missouri,

371
00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:59,000
a small town nestled in the Ozarks with a population of only about a thousand people.

372
00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:04,000
Josh has connected us with Stephanie Wigger and her son Kendall Nacado.

373
00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:06,000
You had pigs back here?

374
00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:07,000
Just these four guys.

375
00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:12,000
Stephanie has lived in the area for over 25 years and raises livestock on her farm.

376
00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:15,000
So you guys have a lot of property out here, 55 acres.

377
00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:20,000
Her son Kendall is a college student pursuing a degree related to wildlife and agriculture.

378
00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:25,000
Well just right around where we're standing, I've seen wild boars and coyotes,

379
00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:26,000
well as other wildlife.

380
00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:28,000
So we're interested in that other wildlife.

381
00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:30,000
So you believe you've seen the Ozark howler?

382
00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:34,000
Yeah, the first time I saw it was just about five months ago

383
00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:37,000
when you come up the driveway, it was in that tree.

384
00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:39,000
Really?

385
00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:40,000
Yeah.

386
00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:45,000
When I turned around and looked back, I saw it come down the tree and go around the side of the barn.

387
00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:47,000
An animal in a tree is a big clue.

388
00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:54,000
Canines are lousy tree climbers, so whatever Stephanie saw wouldn't have been a coyote or a wolf.

389
00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:58,000
I didn't believe her at first and had just thought she must have seen, you know,

390
00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:02,000
the normal black bear or something in the tree until I was driving to the gym

391
00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:04,000
less than a quarter mile from here.

392
00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:12,000
I saw something large black with brown rings and it was very skinny like it was emaciated almost.

393
00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:15,000
How big are we talking about?

394
00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:16,000
150 pounds.

395
00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:17,000
Oh my gosh.

396
00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:20,000
I'm just wondering why I wouldn't come after one of your hogs out here.

397
00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:24,000
We have had livestock go up missing and had some of them.

398
00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:25,000
Like what?

399
00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:27,000
There was a time when our sheep was actually attacked.

400
00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:31,000
My sheep was on the ground screaming and it had a piece of wood on it.

401
00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:36,000
It was sitting in the middle of the pen, something had jumped in there and pinned it down and eaten it

402
00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:40,000
and jumped out of the pen when it heard me run out the door.

403
00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:44,000
Stephanie shows us the photo of the predator captured on a game camera.

404
00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:47,000
That is from one of the driveway cams.

405
00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:54,000
That does look really suspicious.

406
00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:58,000
I mean the body looks like a big cat, but I can't see it.

407
00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:01,000
So that doesn't rule out the howler.

408
00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:05,000
The only big cat that should be out here would be a Cougar or mountain lion.

409
00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:09,000
And I've never heard of a black mountain lion or one with ring markings.

410
00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:13,000
There are no black big cats native to the United States.

411
00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:16,000
But what about escaped exotic pets?

412
00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:22,000
It is estimated that there are as many as 10,000 privately owned big cats in the U.S.

413
00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:25,000
More tigers are kept in private collections.

414
00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:29,000
Then there are in accredited zoos or in the wild.

415
00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:38,000
Ownership of these animals is a serious issue brought into the spotlight by media attention on a controversial breeder of tigers and other big cats.

416
00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:44,000
Real name is Joseph Muldenado Passage and everybody knows me as Joe Xotic.

417
00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:49,000
We are a zoo open to the public that takes unwanted animals.

418
00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:56,000
There's also a booming black market and since it's off the radar, no one is monitoring the safety of the situation.

419
00:24:56,000 --> 00:25:02,000
Every year some big cats escape captivity, making headlines across the nation.

420
00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:05,000
And those are just the ones that are reported.

421
00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:09,000
What about sounds? Have you guys noticed any strange sounds coming from this thing?

422
00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:10,000
Yeah, definitely.

423
00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:13,000
Howls, screams, guttural sounds.

424
00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:17,000
Little after dusk and stuff. Like it makes the hair on my arms stand up.

425
00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:24,000
Okay, well, crazy. I feel like we are in ground zero for something very big and wild out there.

426
00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:28,000
Would you mind if we try to kind of take on your property tonight?

427
00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:33,000
Maybe we could set up some trail cams and things like that to try to document what you guys have been seeing.

428
00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:34,000
Sure, go ahead.

429
00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:36,000
Perfect. Thanks guys.

430
00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:45,000
Woo!

431
00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:54,000
We head out into the forest on Stephanie's property just before nightfall.

432
00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:01,000
Big cats are mostly nocturnal hunters.

433
00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:09,000
We're going to set up cameras designed to capture full color images in low light, so there will be no question what creature we're seeing.

434
00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:12,000
I definitely think we should set up some game trails along here.

435
00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:17,000
Not only does that give us a chance of getting a photograph of whatever she's talking about, but also what it's eating out here.

436
00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:19,000
Let's go and hold it deeper.

437
00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:20,000
Yeah, I would agree.

438
00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:29,000
Phil wonders if people are seeing either a wild cat or an escaped big cat.

439
00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:35,000
But I don't believe 200 years of Ozark howler sightings can be written off as mere misidentifications.

440
00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:38,000
This looks like a good location, right?

441
00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:39,000
Yeah.

442
00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:41,000
We're looking for game trails.

443
00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:50,000
If what Stephanie saw running off in this direction was a large cat, this trail would lead it to water, shelter, and the food source that is unfortunately their barn.

444
00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:52,000
Looks like the path goes that way.

445
00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:53,000
Yeah.

446
00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:54,000
Goes that way.

447
00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:55,000
And that way.

448
00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:57,000
So, are we going to set it up right there?

449
00:26:57,000 --> 00:26:58,000
Yeah.

450
00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:04,000
Okay.

451
00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:09,000
Okay.

452
00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:18,000
Wait, I thought I just saw something.

453
00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:20,000
I thought I just saw an eye-shine over there.

454
00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:24,000
Oh, I just saw it too.

455
00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:25,000
Right?

456
00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:26,000
I just saw it too.

457
00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:27,000
Yeah?

458
00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:28,000
Definitely an eye-shine.

459
00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:29,000
It was red.

460
00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:30,000
Let's get close.

461
00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:36,000
Oh!

462
00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:37,000
What is it?

463
00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:38,000
Oh, f***.

464
00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:39,000
What was that?

465
00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:41,000
Were you a bear spray?

466
00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:50,000
Oh, f***.

467
00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:51,000
What is it?

468
00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:52,000
Oh, f***.

469
00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:53,000
What was that?

470
00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:54,000
Were you a bear spray?

471
00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:55,000
Yeah, I've got it.

472
00:27:56,000 --> 00:28:01,000
When the biologist asks for bear spray, it's really time to worry.

473
00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:02,000
Sh, sh, sh.

474
00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:25,000
We're at a serious disadvantage in these woods.

475
00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:27,000
I don't know what I'm doing.

476
00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:28,000
I'm just trying to get to the right place.

477
00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:31,000
We're at a serious disadvantage in these woods.

478
00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:34,000
There are plenty of large and dangerous animals out here,

479
00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:37,000
including bears and maybe mountain lions,

480
00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:40,000
which have much better night vision than we humans do.

481
00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:46,000
Bears tend to attack head-on,

482
00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:48,000
but large cats are ambush predators,

483
00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:51,000
striking from behind or above.

484
00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:55,000
Victims seldom know what hits them until it's too late,

485
00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:58,000
and the large animal Stephanie spotted, it was up in a tree.

486
00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:00,000
So while we scan the forest floor for print,

487
00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:01,000
scat or other evidence,

488
00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:04,000
we need to remember to look up as well.

489
00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:08,000
Wait, sh, sh.

490
00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:13,000
That sounds like the hell.

491
00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:20,000
Let's set up that camera trap.

492
00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:21,000
Yeah.

493
00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:30,000
So, check out what I got.

494
00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:32,000
Did you bring pot out to the woods?

495
00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:33,000
No, I'm not.

496
00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:34,000
What did you bring?

497
00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:35,000
Oh, is that...

498
00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:37,000
Did you bring catnip?

499
00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:38,000
I brought catnip.

500
00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:39,000
No way.

501
00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:42,000
Catnip is an herb in the mint family.

502
00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:43,000
Cats roll around in it,

503
00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:45,000
releasing the oil from the leaves,

504
00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:47,000
and then they're taken out of the pot.

505
00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:49,000
They're taken out of the pot.

506
00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:51,000
They're taken out of the pot.

507
00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:53,000
They're taken out of the pot.

508
00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:55,000
They're all gathered in the pot.

509
00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:57,000
They're wrapped around in it,

510
00:29:57,000 --> 00:29:59,000
releasing the oil from the leaves.

511
00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:00,000
As they inhale it,

512
00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:02,000
they essentially get a high.

513
00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:03,000
You got a cat at home,

514
00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:05,000
what happens when you put out catnip?

515
00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:06,000
Make it all rubby and weird

516
00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:08,000
and little squirrely and...

517
00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:09,000
Oh, right.

518
00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:11,000
Yeah, the same thing happens with big cats.

519
00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:12,000
Really?

520
00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:13,000
And the rubby part.

521
00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:14,000
That's what you could take an edge of.

522
00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:16,000
We got some tape, so...

523
00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:18,000
What I'm going to do is put the sticky side out,

524
00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:20,000
and wrap it around this tree,

525
00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:21,000
with the hopes that...

526
00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:23,240
And it leaves behind some of its hairs

527
00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:26,440
so we can analyze the DNA, figure out who this thing is.

528
00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:30,440
That is a great trap, per se.

529
00:30:30,440 --> 00:30:32,720
I'm going to give it a go, spread.

530
00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:35,760
And now, what we need is some tape.

531
00:30:38,640 --> 00:30:40,800
So I think if we use the fox bro

532
00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:44,400
and send out some animal distress sound,

533
00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:49,000
maybe there's a chance it'll be curious enough to come take a look.

534
00:30:51,200 --> 00:30:53,400
The Fox Pro can mimic the cries of animals

535
00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:57,320
and it features some selections we suspect are on the Howler's dinner menu.

536
00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:02,560
I'll have my FLIR cam ready to detect any incoming creatures.

537
00:31:02,560 --> 00:31:04,760
We got some options here.

538
00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:07,560
One option is lost sheep.

539
00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:11,080
A bit of giant chunk out of one of their sheep.

540
00:31:11,080 --> 00:31:12,200
Totally do it.

541
00:31:12,200 --> 00:31:13,200
Ready?

542
00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:28,720
I'm not picking anything up on the FLIR.

543
00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:30,600
With no reaction to the prey animal,

544
00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:34,320
we cue up the sound that did seem to stir something up last night.

545
00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:35,600
The Howler recording.

546
00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:49,000
Shit, near that cave.

547
00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:50,000
Was that coyotes?

548
00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:53,000
Yeah, they're moving.

549
00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:11,000
That sound was coming from over there.

550
00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:12,000
Let's head that way.

551
00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:16,000
Ready?

552
00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:17,000
Yeah.

553
00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:24,000
Holy s***, check this out.

554
00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:28,000
I mean, that's s*** fresh too.

555
00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:29,000
That is so fresh.

556
00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:31,000
You can see it's dislocated right out of there.

557
00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:33,000
This is something big, like a deer or a hog.

558
00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:34,000
Where's sheep?

559
00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:37,000
Also look at the, look where the flies are.

560
00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:38,000
Yeah.

561
00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:40,000
Spread all over it so this is really fresh.

562
00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:44,000
Let's also look up in the trees right now

563
00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:47,000
because lots of times when big cats hunt prey,

564
00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:49,000
they will drag them up.

565
00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:51,000
This could even fall from a tree branch.

566
00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:55,000
Look at that this side.

567
00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:58,000
There's some scratch marks that could be from teeth.

568
00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:00,000
Which could have saliva, which could have DNA.

569
00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:02,000
A little swab here.

570
00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:06,000
Oh yeah, those are definitely teeth marks.

571
00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:10,000
I mean, here's the thought that would a bear have killed this?

572
00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:13,000
Well, a bear, I can see coming back to the rest of its food.

573
00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:14,000
A big cat too.

574
00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:16,000
Lots of times they drag piece by piece.

575
00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:20,000
I think we should go because I'm not feeling terribly safe right here.

576
00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:23,000
I got the bear spray.

577
00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:27,000
So what, leave the camera traps up tonight?

578
00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:31,000
Oh yeah, between the catnip, fresh berries and that giant chunk of meat.

579
00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:32,000
Yeah.

580
00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:33,000
There's gonna be some activity.

581
00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:34,000
Oh yeah.

582
00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:42,000
Based on the paw print, the descriptions from eye witnesses

583
00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:44,000
and the sounds we captured,

584
00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:48,000
I'm thinking what people are calling the howler is some kind of big cat.

585
00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:50,000
I've contacted Stephanie Schuttler,

586
00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:55,000
a fellow biologist who's doing research on big cat populations in the eastern US.

587
00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:56,000
Who is this?

588
00:33:56,000 --> 00:33:57,000
This is trained.

589
00:33:57,000 --> 00:34:00,000
He is our detector dog.

590
00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:06,000
He's trained, like his name says, trained to look for mountain lion scouts.

591
00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:11,000
Well, that's perfect because we are after, we don't really know who we're after.

592
00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:13,000
I'm after the Ozark howler.

593
00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:15,000
I don't know who you're after, but...

594
00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:16,000
Let's just show her what we got.

595
00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:17,000
All right.

596
00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:20,000
We play the howls, Steve recorded.

597
00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:26,000
Have you heard a noise like that before out here?

598
00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:28,000
No, I haven't.

599
00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:31,000
My expertise is not in vocalizations,

600
00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:33,000
but that doesn't sound as screechy to me as a fox,

601
00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:37,000
but I've heard coyotes, but not like that.

602
00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:39,000
Okay, that's interesting.

603
00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:42,000
There's something else though, a photo from a witness.

604
00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:45,000
This is the best image that they have.

605
00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:47,000
What do you think of this one?

606
00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:48,000
I mean, it's definitely a cat.

607
00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:52,000
It's pretty long, which is usually indicative of larger cats.

608
00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:54,000
It can't be a black mountain lion.

609
00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:59,000
There has never been a documented case of melanistic mountain lions.

610
00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:02,000
It is caused by a gene.

611
00:35:02,000 --> 00:35:04,000
It's when the coat becomes all black.

612
00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:06,000
So that's what a black panther is.

613
00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:08,000
And if you see it in good light,

614
00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:11,000
you'll actually see the spots underneath.

615
00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:14,000
But it's just, its legs are way too short.

616
00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:16,000
It's just too low to the ground.

617
00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:19,000
If it's what we call a black panther, which is a melanistic jaguar,

618
00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:22,000
its shoulders would be much higher.

619
00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:23,000
So that's the thing.

620
00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:25,000
If there were a melanistic big cat out here,

621
00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:28,000
it would have to either be a jaguar or a leopard,

622
00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:30,000
which definitely has never lived here.

623
00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:31,000
Yeah.

624
00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:34,000
If there were, it would definitely be an escapee bee.

625
00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:39,000
So why would you use a dog like this to try and find scat?

626
00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:42,000
Dogs obviously have a good sense of smell,

627
00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:44,000
and they're able to smell it out.

628
00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:47,000
That's critical data to have those scat samples, right?

629
00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:48,000
Yeah, absolutely.

630
00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:51,000
Like what it's eating, what it's interacting with.

631
00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:54,000
Yeah, and the genetics, so we can tell if individuals

632
00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:57,000
are related to each other, where they come from.

633
00:35:57,000 --> 00:35:59,000
I think he's ready to go.

634
00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:01,000
Let's see what you can do, Trayne.

635
00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:03,000
Okay, Trayne. Go find it.

636
00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:05,000
Oh, and he's off?

637
00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:14,000
Look at him go.

638
00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:17,000
He's got a scent trail.

639
00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:21,000
Did he just find something?

640
00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:30,000
It is said that famous frontiersman Daniel Boone

641
00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:32,000
wrote a letter to his sister-in-law

642
00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:34,000
in which he claimed to have encountered a, quote,

643
00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:36,000
black and swarthy creature.

644
00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:38,000
But did he really see a howler?

645
00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:42,000
Here to help us unpack this story is historian John Mac Farragher.

646
00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:44,000
It's not beyond speculation.

647
00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:46,000
He saw whatever was out there.

648
00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:49,000
What is beyond speculation is whether he wrote about it or not.

649
00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:52,000
And why is that? What makes the letter suspect?

650
00:36:52,000 --> 00:36:55,000
The letter purports to end with the phrase,

651
00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:57,000
your humble servant.

652
00:36:57,000 --> 00:37:01,000
Boone used that phrase in his business correspondence.

653
00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:04,000
We have, in fact, only one existing personal letter

654
00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:07,000
that Boone wrote, and that was to his sister-in-law.

655
00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:10,000
And it ends farewell, dear sister.

656
00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:13,000
So no good evidence that he wrote about the howler.

657
00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:15,000
If there was such a letter, we would know about it.

658
00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:17,000
So there you have it.

659
00:37:17,000 --> 00:37:19,000
No real proof that this letter exists,

660
00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:21,000
which is too bad because it would have been a real Boone

661
00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:23,000
to the howler legend.

662
00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:30,000
Did he just find something?

663
00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:32,000
Show me.

664
00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:36,000
It looks like there's something right here.

665
00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:38,000
Oh, we got scat.

666
00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:39,000
There it is.

667
00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:41,000
Oh, wow.

668
00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:43,000
What do you think, just looking at it?

669
00:37:43,000 --> 00:37:45,000
It's carnivorous, some kind.

670
00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:50,000
I mean, this is definitely carnivorous scat.

671
00:37:50,000 --> 00:37:53,000
This definitely ate another animal.

672
00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:56,000
Because we are seeing fur in there, bones in there.

673
00:37:58,000 --> 00:37:59,000
It's evidence.

674
00:37:59,000 --> 00:38:01,000
We know something is wandering around here,

675
00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:03,000
eating people's farm animals.

676
00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:05,000
So we've got our specimen.

677
00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:07,000
We shouldn't be able to get some DNA from it.

678
00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:09,000
Yeah, we'll send it to the lab for a DNA test.

679
00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:10,000
Awesome.

680
00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:12,000
Well done.

681
00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:17,000
If we're to believe the various witnesses over the centuries,

682
00:38:17,000 --> 00:38:20,000
a mystery beast is prowling and howling

683
00:38:20,000 --> 00:38:22,000
deep in the forests of the Ozarks.

684
00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:27,000
So when we analyze the volume of evidence

685
00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:29,000
that Phil and Jess gathered,

686
00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:34,000
is there enough to positively ID the so-called Ozark howler?

687
00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:37,000
The Gamecam photo is compelling,

688
00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:39,000
but with the animal's head obscured

689
00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:41,000
and nothing to indicate scale,

690
00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:44,000
it's impossible to determine whether it's something large,

691
00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:46,000
like an escaped jaguar,

692
00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:49,000
or as small as a common house cat.

693
00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:53,000
DNA testing on the single hair that Phil gathered

694
00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:58,000
from a log on the game trail came back as a bear.

695
00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:02,000
However, there's the partial print Phil captured

696
00:39:02,000 --> 00:39:04,000
with the 3D scanner.

697
00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:08,000
Closer inspection confirms there are no claw marks

698
00:39:08,000 --> 00:39:10,000
around the paw pads.

699
00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:15,000
Retractive claws are a trait that is almost exclusively feline.

700
00:39:16,000 --> 00:39:18,000
There are only two types of wild cats

701
00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:20,000
that are known to prowl the Ozarks.

702
00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:23,000
Mountain lions, which are extremely rare

703
00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:25,000
and definitely not black,

704
00:39:26,000 --> 00:39:28,000
and the bobcat.

705
00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:31,000
Bobcats can be melanistic,

706
00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:33,000
meaning on extremely rare occasions,

707
00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:35,000
they do have black fur.

708
00:39:35,000 --> 00:39:38,000
There have been fewer than 20 documented sightings

709
00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:40,000
of a melanistic bobcat.

710
00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:43,000
One was captured on video recently in Vermont.

711
00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:47,000
Is it possible the witnesses have been seeing and hearing

712
00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:50,000
not a mysterious hellhound beast,

713
00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:52,000
but a bobcat?

714
00:39:55,000 --> 00:39:58,000
We analyze the DNA from the saliva sample

715
00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:00,000
from the partially consumed deer.

716
00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:03,000
The culprit? Bobcat.

717
00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:07,000
And the scat sample found by an elite canine?

718
00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:10,000
DNA analysis reveals that it is...

719
00:40:10,000 --> 00:40:12,000
bobcat.

720
00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:15,000
And Phil had several colleagues listen to the recordings

721
00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:17,000
he and Jess captured,

722
00:40:18,000 --> 00:40:21,000
as well as the ones recorded by our witnesses.

723
00:40:24,000 --> 00:40:26,000
While the identity of the animal is uncertain,

724
00:40:26,000 --> 00:40:29,000
most said that if they had to take a guess,

725
00:40:29,000 --> 00:40:31,000
bobcat.

726
00:40:31,000 --> 00:40:33,000
If you're still not convinced,

727
00:40:33,000 --> 00:40:35,000
remember the catnip lure the team placed

728
00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:37,000
on our witnesses' property?

729
00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:39,000
While the sticky tape traps my team deployed

730
00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:42,000
didn't collect any fur samples,

731
00:40:42,000 --> 00:40:45,000
take a close look at the photo the camera snapped.

732
00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:48,000
It may be difficult to see because of its signature

733
00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:50,000
spotted coat,

734
00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:53,000
but it appears to be a bobcat.

735
00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:57,000
Though they might seem a bit smaller than the huge

736
00:40:57,000 --> 00:41:00,000
beast that supposedly is the Ozark howler.

737
00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:05,000
Amazingly, bobcats can jump as high as 12 feet

738
00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:09,000
and take down prey as big as an adult deer.

739
00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:13,000
Coming across this large, agile cat in the shadows

740
00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:16,000
of the dark woods would startle anyone.

741
00:41:16,000 --> 00:41:19,000
And it might even seem almost like a monster

742
00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:21,000
from the old folktales.

743
00:41:21,000 --> 00:41:24,000
A nightmare come to life.