Devil Monkeys

Given the sheer number of Sasquatch sightings throughout North America, it certainly seems plausible that an uncategorized large ape is roaming the forests. With that in mind—if a large ape exists in North America—could there be other primates as well? Could there be some sort of smaller monkey yet to be discovered? Believe it or not, and as strange as it sounds, this might be the case—devil monkeys.

There are reports of strange, baboon-like primates that lurk in the forests of Appalachia and beyond. These creatures, nicknamed “devil monkeys,” appear from time to time leaving behind intrigue and mystery—and sometimes carnage.

Devil Monkey sightings in the Appalachians can be traced back as far as the 1920s. Descriptions of the creatures vary; however, certain characteristics are commonly reported: dark hair with white hair on the neck and belly, a dog-like snout, pointed ears, and long claws and teeth. Some reports state that the creatures look like a wild dog from a distance. The size of devil monkeys varies greatly; witnesses have described the creatures being anywhere from three to eight feet in height. Sometimes tails are reported, but, again, descriptions vary.

A commonly reported trait among devil monkeys is aggressiveness. They seem to be very territorial and are vicious predators. During the 1930s, the deaths of livestock, cats, and dogs were blamed on devil monkeys in Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky.

Crazed Monkey in Saltville, Virginia

Probably the best devil monkey accounts come from Smyth County, in southwestern Virginia. In 1959, a devil monkey attacked motorists! Paulette Boyd’s parents were driving early in the morning when something sprang toward their car window. The creature pressed its face against the passenger window, grasped the side of the car with its claws, and kept speed with the vehicle for a while. The animal had taffy-colored hair and a white underbelly. It had muscular legs and its front legs (or arms) were shorter than the back legs. After the incident, Boyd’s parents examined the car—three scratches, down to the base metal, ran the length of the car.1

Several days later, two nurses in Saltville, Virginia were attacked by the vicious monkey while driving home from work. The monster ripped the convertible top from their car! Luckily, the pair escaped before being harmed. Locals formed a search party to look for the creature. Strangely, though, the dogs brought in to track the monkey refused to follow its trail.2

In 1973, driving along a mountain road between Tazewell and Marion, Virginia, a man was attacked by a devil monkey. He was driving with his window down and his arm was hanging out the window. Suddenly, something matching devil monkey descriptions rushed his car and swiped at his arm.3

Devil monkeys were sporadically reported in and around Smyth County, Virginia through the 1990s. 

Goochland County, Virginia Reports

Several hours to the east, in Goochland County, devil monkeys were being spotted by residents in 2010.4Something similar was again spotted in 2014 in Goochland.

Also in 2010, Lacie Hall, who lives in a small town in West Virginia, saw something that looked like a lemur run out in front of the vehicle she was riding in.5 Interestingly, some of the Saltville, Virginia area reports describe the creature as looking similar to a lemur.

More Sightings

In Dunkinsville, Ohio, in 1997, Debbie Cross spotted a monkey outside her home. The animal stood between three and four feet tall and had long arms and a short tail.6

Far to the north, in New Hampshire, a devil monkey was on the loose in 2001. David Kimball, the Fire Chief of the town of Danville, and 11 other people saw the creature in town. From head to tail, the creature was about eight feet long with dark, wooly hair. Vivian Wicker claimed to hear the animal screaming; it was unlike anything she had heard before. Local residents became concerned about the creature and search parties were formed to try and find it. Like other devil monkey stories, the animal was never found.7

What are we to think of these devil monkey stories? How do we explain them? Are the creatures escaped lab animals? Escaped zoo animals? Exotic pets released into the wild? Or, and this is a chilling thought—is there a small, breeding population, possible a native population, of aggressive monkeys living in the forested hills of Appalachia?

If you would like to read more, I devoted a section to devil monkeys in my books, Strange Tales from Virginia's Mountains, Strange Tales from Virginia's Foothills to the Coast, and Wild & Wonderful (and Paranormal) West Virginia. 

Notes

  1. “Kanawha ValleyMysteries and Legends.” Kanawha Valley Mysteries and Legends. Accessed December 22, 2016. http://mysteriouskanawhavalley.weebly.com/.
  2. Chad Arment, “Virginia Devil Monkey Reports,” North American BioFortean Review2, no. 1 (2000).
  3. Ibid.
  4. Ibid.
  5. The Goochland Devil Monkey Official Sightings Blog, accessed December 22, 2016, https://goochlanddevilmonkey.wordpress.com/.
  6. Rob Morphy, “DEVIL MONKEYS: (NORTH AMERICA),” Cryptopia, December 06, 2010, accessed December 22, 2016, http://www.cryptopia.us/site/2010/12/devil-monkeys-north-america/.
  7. “NH’s Devil Monkey,” Strange New England, accessed December 22, 2016, http://strangene.com/monsters/dmonkey.htm.

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