Original subtitles

Cliff: Deep in the heart of louisiana swamps,

legend has it there's a beast that lurks in the shadows.

Some say it's half man, half wolf.

It's huge, at least 8 foot tall.

Others claim it's a shape-shifting monster.

It can easily outrun a man.

There are dark secrets hiding here.

Locals believe it can take your life or steal your soul.

[ whispering ] something's definitely come through here.

Oh, what the hell is this?

Oh, this is a pelvic bone.

♪

[ normal voice ] I'm cliff simon.

I had my first paranormal encounter when I was young,

and I've been fascinated with otherworldly beings ever since.

As a military man, adventurer, and survivalist,

I've explored the far reaches of the physical world.

Now I'm using those skills to investigate the unknown

in places so remote few have dared to venture.

♪

♪

I'm in southern louisiana to investigate reports

of an elusive monster said to roam these vast swamps.

Look at this place.

There's just a strange stillness to it.

♪

almost too still.

♪

the atchafalaya basin is the largest swampland

in the united states,

covering an area 20 miles wide and 150 miles long.

♪

♪

it's like something's watching me.

[ insects and birds chirping ]

♪

according to cajun legend, the beast that lurks here

was born under a full moon in europe

in the heyday of the werewolf

and found its way to north america

in the 17th century.

"loup" is french for "wolf,"

and "garou" means "shapeshifter,"

which somehow evolved into "rougarou."

described as a blood-thirsty creature with a human body

and head of a wolf,

it's said to prowl the swamps of louisiana.

♪

the moment I heard about this half man, half beast,

with its fearsome reputation,

I knew I had to make the pilgrimage to atchafalaya.

♪

♪

I'm determined to find out if this beast

is merely a mythical creature or something terrifyingly real.

♪

to start my quest, I'm meeting with a local woman

who's heard about this creature all her life.

Hey, dana!

Dana holyfield's family has lived on the outskirts

of the atchafalaya since before the civil war.

Great to meet you. Nice to meet you.

Thank you for meeting with me. It's a real honor.

Cliff: For as long as they have lived here,

dana's relatives have tangled with black bears,

wild boar, and alligators in the swamp.

But there's one beast that's kept them

on their toes for generations.

Cliff: I really appreciate your time,

and I know you've got a great story for me.

In 1963, my grandfather harlan was on a hunting trip,

and they came across this thing that was down on all fours.

And at first they thought it was, like, a wild hog.

And it heard their voices, and it turned around,

stood up, and faced them on two legs.

My grandfather was 6'4",

and this thing was taller than he was.

The eyes were these big, amber-color eyes that was very,

he said, "sinister-looking."

that must have been terrifying.

He didn't want to shoot it 'cause it looked too human,

but he said it was scary enough he would have shot it

if it had come towards him, but it took off running.

Wow.

Cliff: The sighting took place on honey island,

about 90 miles southwest of new orleans,

prompting harlan to nickname the creature

the "honey island swamp monster."

he probably thought he'd never see it again, but he was wrong.

That was in '63, and then it wasn't until 1974

that they came up on the same area,

and they found a dead hog in the trail

that had its throat ripped out.

And then they found tracks.

He figured whatever made these tracks

was probably this creature, and they were unusual tracks,

like nothing he'd ever seen before,

because they were three toes

and, like, a little fourth dewclaw.

And he went back and poured plaster of paris of them.

♪

wow. That's amazing.

♪

so I can definitely see claws.

Dewclaw.

It's absolutely huge. Wow.

He had some experts look at it.

They estimated it'd be like 400 pounds.

It stood about 7 foot, the one he saw,

so it was pretty big.

Also, it appears to be webbed.

This animal has adapted to its environment totally.

It's got to be able to swim,

as well as be very nimble on land, so...

Cliff: After finding the footprint,

dana's grandfather spent months staked out in that same area,

convinced he was on the trail of the swamp creature.

That's not the end of the story,

'cause years later we found another piece of evidence

after my grandfather died.

It was a 8-millimeter film reel,

and we discovered that he may have gotten closer

than what we thought.

Cliff: Oh, 8-millimeter film.

I have it digitized since then so we could watch it.

♪

♪

cliff: For a few seconds I can't see anything but bush,

and then the bush starts to move.

Something tall and hairy, walking upright,

is moving through the woods at a relaxed pace.

Maybe it's not aware it's being watched.

Maybe it doesn't care.

Cliff: Let's rewind that. I'm gonna to play that again.

Cliff: Up to now I've been hearing, "half man, half wolf,"

but what I'm seeing looks almost apelike.

I've got to wonder why harlan kept the shocking piece

of footage a secret and took it to his grave.

Dana: We don't know why he didn't come forward.

My grandmother said it's probably because

he was afraid somebody was gonna kill it

or kill each other looking for it,

because people would get so spooked in the swamp,

shoot anything they saw.

And she thought maybe he also wanted to get closer,

you know, to learn more about it,

'cause he said it looked so human

he wanted to know what it was.

Cliff: Wow. That's amazing.

I mean, it really helps me a lot.

My whole objective on this trip is to find the rougarou lair.

-So you're going looking for it? -Yep.

Cliff: Perhaps against my better judgment.

I know two people that have disappeared

and died out there while looking for this lair.

Old man williams -- he was a trapper.

He saw two at a time.

And then one day they found his boat,

but they never found him.

Dana's reports of a man seeing two rougarou

makes me wonder how many of them there are.

Could it just be an extremely rare species hiding in the swamp

and not just a legend of the past?

Well, dana, I just want to say thank you so much again.

Oh, it's my pleasure.

All the information you've given me

is really helping me so much, so...

-Good luck out there. -Thank you so much.

-Be careful. -I will. Take care.

Bye. -Bye-bye.

♪

cliff: Dana's film is powerful evidence of something out there.

The footage clearly shows a humanlike figure

walking upright.

Unfortunately, the camera wasn't close enough

to make out any details.

♪

to find out what this beast really looks like,

I need a firsthand account.

Luckily I found an apparent eyewitness,

a woman whose family ties to the atchafalaya

go back more than a century.

♪

long before the french settlers arrived in louisiana,

bringing their tales of werewolves,

native americans were hunting and fishing in this region,

passing down their own stories of a beast in the bayou.

To the chitimacha native americans,

the thing that lives in the swamp is part monster,

part man, with an appetite for all living creatures.

In their stories, if you dare stare into its glowing red eyes,

it'll consume your soul

and turn you into a vicious monster yourself.

♪

to find out more about this legendary being,

I'm meeting with chitimacha chief

shirell parfait-dardar.

♪

I'm meeting her in the exact spot

where she claims to have seen the rougarou,

deep in the atchafalaya swamp.

♪

shirell, great to meet you,

and thanks for coming out here.

Tell me about this rougarou.

Its story has been handed down

for generations by our ancestors.

Parents down these bayous will usually refer to the rougarou

to try to discipline their children.

My own dad would get there and say,

"hey, you guys better cut it out,

or the rougarou's gonna come and get you."

right.

So as a kid, I was absolutely terrified of the rougarou.

I never thought that I would actually see it.

It was still dark out.

You know, it was super early in the morning.

We're on our way to work,

and we traveled this road every day.

Here we are, coming around the curve.

♪

my husband slammed the brakes,

and we were just frozen.

Cliff: According to chief parfait-dardar,

something was lurking in the woods,

something monstrous.

♪

♪

cliff: I'm deep in louisiana's atchafalaya swamp,

with chief shirell parfait-dardar,

who claims she saw the legendary cajun werewolf,

the rougarou, 20 years ago in this exact spot.

Shirell: My husband slammed the brakes,

and we were just frozen.

♪

it's huge, at least 8 foot tall,

and it's very muscular. Cliff: Mm-hmm.

We had the windows rolled down,

and as it stepped... [ grunting ]

...You could hear it grunting every step it took.

[ grunting continues ]

I'll never forget that sound.

And it had a long face, similar to that of, like, a dog.

We just -- we stayed in the vehicle,

absolutely terrified, you know,

not wanting to upset this creature,

because a being of that size -- my goodness.

I would imagine that it could have at least flipped the car.

It would have easily been able to remove us.

I am so grateful that it did not look at us,

because growing up, we had always heard that

if it looked at you,

that it could actually steal your soul,

and you could be trapped and become the rougarou.

♪

cliff: Shirell's story is chilling,

but the more I hear, the more I want to know.

I think I may have a place that I can send you

where you can find him.

They're our native american burial grounds.

According to shirell,

there are dozens of these hallowed spots

throughout southern louisiana,

some dating back more than 1,000 years.

Why do you feel this is a good place for me

to look for the rougarou?

Well...Knowing that these grounds are sacred,

we also understand that the rougarou itself is sacred,

and these areas are in the same type of area

that we believe that rougarou would inhabit.

They're secluded,

and they have all of the natural resources to survive,

and, therefore, we believe that it would be drawn

to a place like that.

I'm really honored that you have told me your story

and for directing me to what I know is a very sacred site.

It's a real honor for me, so thank you very much,

and I appreciate your time. You're very welcome.

And, look, be careful out there, okay?

Thank you. Thank you so much.

-You're welcome. -All right.

Cliff: Shirell is sending me directions

to a nearby native burial site

where she thinks I may have a good chance

at a rougarou encounter.

But first I'd like to get

some scientific perspective on the legend

to find out if such a creature could actually live here.

40 miles away, deep in the bayou,

lives a man who should be able to help me out.

♪

[ accordion playing ]

♪

♪

-cliff! -Hey, tommy!

-Is that you? -[ laughing ] it's me, man.

-All right! -Geez.

Thought I'd give you a little louisiana welcome, brother.

Whoo! You found the place all right?

How are you?

Cliff: Biologist tommy michot has spent decades studying

the gulf coast's wetlands and their inhabitants.

Let's go take a walk.

♪

cliff: So tell me about the physiology of the rougarou.

All we know is from people's eyewitness reports.

Estimate is that they're about 7 to 10 feet tall,

from what people have said.

They walk on their hind legs.

They're carnivorous.

Most carnivorous mammals have large canine teeth,

and also claws on their forelimbs

that can be used for ripping and shredding of prey items.

What about its eyesight?

Rougarou is probably gonna have great night vision.

Their eyes would have greater light-gathering capacity.

Does night vision explain the red eyes,

the glowing eyes? Probably so, yeah,

and a lot of reports have noted that their eyes glow red.

From what I know, the best way to find an animal

is to find its lair, right?

Yeah, if you can find the lair,

then you have a much better chance,

'cause you can stake it out

and then use a wait-and-see attitude.

They need a place to stay, a den of some sort,

and also to reproduce and to rear their young,

and also places to capture prey and to eat the prey.

-How do I find one? -Let's walk down here.

♪

you know what that is over there?

♪

♪

cliff: My investigation into louisiana's rougarou

has taken me to the heart of the atchafalaya swamp

with biologist tommy michot.

You know what that is over there?

He has some scientific theories

as to where a giant swamp beast could be hiding.

Cliff: It looks like some kind of den.

Maybe a gator wallow, yeah?

-That's exactly right. -Wow!

My brother pulled a 12-footer out of here last year

during that gator season.

12 feet? Yep.

Holy crap.

That's one of the larger ones.

Cliff: Seeing this gator wallow has me thinking,

could a lot of those so-called rougarou sightings

be a case of mistaken identity?

Witnesses have described the swamp beast

as having glowing eyes

that pierce through the swamp at night.

Could it simply be the phenomena known as eyeshine,

when the layer behind the eye of an alligator

reflects lights in the darkness?

Or could the swamp monster be real and very reclusive?

♪

those gators, they come out of the water,

and they'll stay in a place like this,

so this would be a great place for a rougarou to hole up.

It's also a great place for an alligator

to take my head, right?

Why would a land animal choose an aquatic wallow,

or an aquatic nest?

Well, the rougarou, yes, it would be a land animal,

but they would want to have a location near the water.

That would be great for it for many reasons --

for protection, also for a vantage point

to be able to see prey items.

And many of the reports have found rougarous

in aquatic or semi-aquatic environments --

swamps, bayous.

This would be a great place for a rougarou.

I'm gonna go check it out.

I've never been in an alligator wallow.

-Just be careful. -Yep.

♪

wow. Look at this place.

It's perfect.

You could definitely imagine a 10-foot-tall,

fur-covered creature hiding out in this wallow.

♪

♪

oh, wow.

There's definitely more than enough space

in there for a big animal.

Is there anything else or anywhere else

where the rougarou might hide?

Yeah, I have one more place up here in the trees.

Let's go check it out. I'll show it to you.

All right. Great.

♪

if a rougarou was gonna find a place to make a nest or a den,

another option would be in a tree.

Now, that would be a great place if I were a rougarou.

You could find a big tree where you can climb up

and crawl inside or come in from the bottom,

or a place where maybe two or three branches come together.

♪

and what a great vantage point.

Cliff: But louisiana black bears are also known to make dens

in the elevated hollows of giant cypress trees,

and -- wouldn't you know? -- Their eyes glow red at night.

Could people just be mistaking a black bear for the rougarou?

♪

despite the lack of definitive proof,

it's surprising to me how persistently this legend

lives on in the hearts and minds of so many locals.

♪

-I'm on the bayou a lot. -Yeah?

You know, I go out trawling. I got out crabbing.

I do different things. I fish at night. Right.

You know, I'm on the water a lot by myself at night.

Out in the woods, you always hear something.

-Yeah. -Something you can't explain.

Cliff: Jeff's a local gator hunter

and knows the swamp's legends and dangers well.

If you're going after this thing,

you got your work cut out for you.

My grandfather saw it, and he told me the stories about it.

He's a big believer. Have you seen it?

I've never run across it personally.

Any advice you can give me about this thing?

-You're on its turf... -Yeah.

...Its own -- it lives here. Right.

You're going into its territory.

It could be marsh you find it in.

It could be water you find it in.

It could be land you find it on.

Right, right.

You're fighting something that can steal your soul,

so if he can steal your soul,

that's a big difference from fighting anything physical.

Cliff: Jeff's the second person to warn me

about the rougarou's menacing supernatural powers.

Shirell: Because growing up, we had always heard that

if it looked at you,

that it could actually steal your soul,

while I'm not sure I believe it, it never hurts to be prepared.

♪

I'm headed to terrebonne parish

to meet up with a voodoo priestess

who john thinks can prepare me

for any possible encounter with the rougarou.

♪

voodoo is an afro-caribbean religion

brought to the u.S. From haiti in the 17th century.

Its lore, which has a strong foothold in the bayou,

is steeped in mysticism,

and followers believe in their own versions of a swamp monster,

either evil sorcerers wearing animal skins,

or their red-eyed victims, possessed by evil spirits.

Voodoo priests and priestesses are said to have the power

to protect people from such a fate.

♪

ava kay jones is a priestess of local renown,

and before I venture further into the lair of the rougarou,

I'm putting myself in her hands.

Cliff: So how best can I prepare myself for this encounter?

You're going to need some very strong spiritual protection.

Cliff: Ava gives me 13 shells

that will distract the rougarou if he comes near.

I present this to you, cliff,

to protect you from all harm and evil,

protection from possession by the rougarou.

♪

I have prepared for you a special louisiana charm,

but we here in bayou country call it "gris-gris."

gris-gris -- the most popular talisman in voodoo,

made with herbs, bones, hair, even fingernails.

Each bag is designed to ward off a specific form of evil.

Most of the herbs in here are bitter herbs.

Evil spirits do not like bitter herbs.

It is a repellent to them.

♪

carry it knowing that you are well-protected

against any encounter with the rougarou.

I will do a prayer of protection for you now.

♪

♪

one final step.

♪

as in many religions, followers of voodoo

believe that water has a cleansing power,

and around here, there's a lot of it.

Spiritual baths are said to heal illness and bring good fortune.

Step into the bayou

until the water is chest-deep.

♪

now turn and face me.

♪

these waters will fortify the powers of the rituals

that I have performed upon you.

♪

now immerse your head.

♪

♪

cliff: Now that I've been through a voodoo protection ceremony,

I'm finally ready to enter the louisiana swamps

in search of the elusive rougarou.

I've heard stories that this mythical creature

can shapeshift from an aquatic creature to a land dweller,

so I'm gonna start my search on the water.

♪

so I'm heading to what's probably the best spot

for me to be in.

It's about 20 minutes straight down the swamp this way.

I'm heading south to two locations

where I've been told the rougarou might be lurking --

the native american burial ground

and harlan holyfield's hunting grounds on honey island,

where he allegedly captured the beast

on 8-millimeter film more than 40 years ago.

Those locations are just five miles apart.

But this is the biggest swamp in the u.S.,

and without a gps compass,

I wouldn't have a chance of finding my way in

or out.

♪

oh, hold on a second. Hold on.

What's that up there?

It looks like an abandoned gator wallow.

I'm gonna go check that out.

This cypress tree is huge.

The base must be over 20 feet in diameter.

♪

this hole --

it looks like it goes all the way up to the canopy.

I mean, if something actually -- a rougarou was inside there,

he could climb right up the inside of this tree

and be hiding out right at the top.

So I've got to go check this out.

♪

while the alligators might have abandoned this wallow,

it's also a perfect home for a cottonmouth,

a venomous water snake that's highly defensive.

♪

[ grunting ]

♪

it stops about halfway up.

I mean, I could stand up in here.

I see no snakes, nor are there any signs

that other predators have been here,

like claw marks or hair.

But there's nothing in here.

No rougarou, no alligators.

Just tons of spiders.

[ breathing heavily ]

all right.

Okay, let's move on.

♪

♪

I'm using my gps compass

to navigate to the native burial ground that

chief shirell parfait-dardar told me about.

She thinks it's a prime location to spot the rougarou,

and because it's on an island, it can only be accessed by boat.

♪

listen to that.

It's dead, dead silent.

It's unbelievable.

At night, travel here becomes slow and dangerous.

A submerged rock or log could damage the boat

♪

there's a feeling to this place, to the air.

There's just this life everywhere.

♪

you know, I want to get familiar

with the normal sounds of the swamp,

because if there's something moving at speed towards me,

be it a gator or rougarou,

I need to know it.

I think I'm gonna get out the hydrophone.

This hydrophone is basically

an underwater microphone on steroids.

If the rougarou is indeed aquatic,

I'll need to be able to distinguish it

from the gators lurking here.

American alligators are extremely vocal,

making an array of sounds to communicate different messages.

A hiss threatens a possible attack.

Whew! Wow.

This bayou's teeming with life.

[ gurgling and grunting ]

♪

♪

wow! Look at those gators.

♪

they're everywhere.

This would not be a good time to capsize.

♪

♪

♪

cliff: I'm on the hunt for louisiana's notorious swamp creature,

the rougarou.

It's close to midnight in the atchafalaya swamp,

and I'm using a hydrophone to listen for any unusual sounds

that could signal the beast's presence.

Alligators are all around me.

Alligators have had millions of years of evolution

to perfect their camouflage.

Their jaws generate 3,000 pounds per square inch,

enough to crush a human skull.

They prowl around, unseen, and then, "snap!"

you won't know they're there until you're in their jaws.

But I'm not picking up anything out of the ordinary,

so it's time to bring up the hydrophone and keep moving.

♪

shirell told me that the ancient burial site

is somewhere in this area.

♪

if the rougarou seeks isolation, I'm in the right place.

If the gps coordinates she gave me are correct,

this should be the location

of the native american burial ground,

but I can't see any markings.

♪

I'm beginning to feel like I shouldn't be here.

♪

I can feel the sacredness of this place.

I can feel the spirituality.

It's very, very powerful.

But I don't want to add to the disruption.

I'm gonna keep moving further along.

But there's no sign of a large creature here at all,

so I'll head across the channel to honey island,

where harlan holyfield claimed he had

multiple encounters with the rougarou.

It's time to leave the safety of the boat and head ashore.

♪

♪

I'm gonna set up a night-vision camera to make sure

I don't miss anything in the dark.

♪

this is the perfect spot for it.

I've got a clear view all around me,

and maybe this thing

will even come down to this water to drink.

That's what I'm hoping for.

♪

♪

♪

voodoo priestess ava kay jones gave me a satchel

of bitter herbs for spiritual protection.

She also advised me that salt is supposed to repel the rougarou,

so I brought some along to ward off any surprise attack.

I'm gonna keep dropping the salt as I walk.

♪

it's hot and buggy, but I push forward.

♪

swamp forests are notoriously tough to navigate,

and the brush is so dense

you might not see the danger until it's too late.

♪

suddenly, I come across an old hunting cabin.

It looks eerily similar to the cabin

I saw in harlan's home videos.

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

[ whispering ] there's nothing in here.

No power, no lights, no footprints.

♪

♪

[ normal voice ] I push on.

The swamp is home to black bears,

venomous snakes, and wild boars

known to charge without provocation.

I've got to be extremely careful.

♪

I'm seeing some kind of animal trail.

♪

look at this. This is broken off right here.

And this branch has been pulled through.

There's another break a lot higher up.

This thing could be bigger than I am.

Keep an eye out.

♪

♪

the deeper I push into the heart of honey island,

the more menacing things become.

♪

[ whispering ] look at this.

This is a pelvic bone.

♪

♪

cliff: Deep in louisiana's atchafalaya swamp,

as I track the legendary rougarou,

I'm finding some unsettling clues --

a trail of snapped branches and animal bones everywhere.

[ whispering ] oh, this is a pelvic bone.

♪

this looks like a jawbone.

Look at this.

♪

oh, man.

♪

[ normal voice ] they're scattered around the base of this giant cypress tree,

which fits with what biologist tommy michot told me earlier.

If a rougarou was gonna find a place to make a nest or a den,

another option would be in a tree.

♪

[ whispering ] I'm gonna get a closer look at it

and see if there's something up there.

♪

♪

♪

♪

I have to try and be as quiet as possible.

♪

[ exhales ]

♪

[ normal voice ] 50 feet up, there's a large hollow inside this tree.

Whatever once lived here, it now looks abandoned.

The bones here are old and bleached clean.

No trace of the rougarou.

Ah!

With the sun about to rise,

I think it's time to get out of this tree

and get out of this bayou.

♪

♪

on my way back to the boat,

I retrieve my night-vision camera.

♪

I review the footage.

It didn't capture anything unusual.

♪

and while I never laid eyes on this creature,

one thing's for sure --

the legend of the rougarou lives on.

♪

♪

the dozens of cajuns and native americans I've met here

all know someone who's had an encounter.

My grandfather saw it, and he told me the stories about it.

He's a big believer.

Chief shirell parfait-dardar shared her vivid encounter.

♪

we stayed in the vehicle, absolutely terrified,

you know, not wanting to upset this creature.

And I followed in the footsteps

of dana holyfield's grandfather harlan,

who filmed some of the most compelling evidence

of a possible rougarou sighting.

He didn't want to shoot it 'cause it looked too human,

but he said it was scary enough he would have shot it

if it had come towards him.

I'm not convinced it's a bear,

since all accounts suggest that the creature

was taller than the witnesses and walked upright.

Estimate is that they're about 7 to 10 feet tall,

from what people have said.

The rougarou didn't reveal itself to me on this trip,

but so much about this legendary creature remains unexplained.

I'm convinced louisiana's swampland is still holding tight

to some strange secrets.