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Cryptid

Beast of Busco

For over a century, residents of Churubusco have reported a giant snapping turtle in local lakes. The 1949 hunt drew national attention when the 'Beast of Busco' was spotted but never captured despite draining a lake.

July 1, 1898
Churubusco, Indiana, USA
500+ witnesses

Indiana’s Giant Turtle

Since 1898, residents of Churubusco, Indiana have reported sightings of an enormous snapping turtle they call “Oscar” or the Beast of Busco. The 1949 hunt drew national media attention and ended without capture—the turtle’s legend only grew.

First Sighting

1898:

  • Oscar Fulk
  • Saw giant turtle
  • In his lake
  • Estimated 500 pounds
  • Story began

The Lake

Fulk Lake:

  • Near Churubusco
  • Private property
  • Murky waters
  • Perfect habitat
  • Turtle’s home

The 1949 Hunt

National phenomenon:

  • Gale Harris saw turtle
  • Media descended
  • Capture attempted
  • Never caught
  • Famous event

The Size

Estimates varied:

  • 400-500 pounds
  • Shell 4-6 feet
  • Enormous turtle
  • Multiple witnesses
  • Consistent descriptions

The Hunt

1949 efforts:

  • Traps set
  • Divers sent
  • Lake partially drained
  • Turtle evaded
  • Never captured

Media Circus

National attention:

  • Newspapers
  • Radio
  • Visitors flooded
  • Town transformed
  • Famous briefly

Gale Harris

Primary witness:

  • Saw turtle repeatedly
  • Drove capture efforts
  • Never succeeded
  • Believed until death
  • Key figure

The Draining

Desperate measure:

  • Lake pumped
  • Mud exposed
  • Turtle not found
  • Escaped?
  • Tunnels?

Scientific Possibility

Could exist:

  • Alligator snapping turtles
  • Live 100+ years
  • Grow continuously
  • Large specimens documented
  • Not impossible

Town Identity

Churubusco embraced:

  • “Turtle Town USA”
  • Annual festival
  • Turtle Days celebration
  • Town mascot
  • Economic benefit

Ongoing Sightings

After 1949:

  • Periodic reports
  • Multiple generations
  • Same lake area
  • Different lakes
  • Continues

The Festival

Turtle Days:

  • Annual celebration
  • Since 1950
  • Community event
  • Embracing legend
  • Tourism draw

Skeptical View

Critics suggest:

  • Large but normal turtle
  • Size exaggerated
  • Hysteria
  • Dead by now
  • Legend only

Significance

Long-running cryptid case with documented hunt and community embrace of the legend.

Legacy

The Beast of Busco shows how a cryptid can become community identity—Churubusco has celebrated its giant turtle for over 70 years, whether or not Oscar still lurks in local waters.

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