Beast of Busco — Cryptid Encyclopedia

In 1898, a farmer named Oscar Fulk reported seeing an enormous snapping turtle in the lake on his property near Churubusco, Indiana. The creature was dismissed as a tall tale — until 1949, when two men fishing in the same body of water, now known as Fulk Lake, saw something surface that made them drop their poles and run.

Gale Harris, who had purchased the property, became obsessed with capturing the turtle after spotting it himself. He estimated it at roughly six feet across the shell and weighing well over 500 pounds — far larger than any known snapping turtle species. Harris drained the lake using pumps, set traps, and even enlisted the help of a deep-sea diver. Thousands of spectators descended on the tiny town of Churubusco, turning the turtle hunt into a national media circus.

"I got close enough to see it clearly," Harris told reporters. "It's the biggest turtle I've ever seen in my life. It's real, and it's in my lake."

Despite Harris's efforts — which included partially draining the lake and deploying weighted nets — the Beast of Busco was never captured. The pumps failed. The nets tore. The turtle, seemingly aware of the pursuit, refused to surface again. Harris eventually gave up, financially and physically exhausted.

The town of Churubusco embraced its identity as "Turtle Town USA," erecting statues and holding an annual "Turtle Days" festival that continues to this day. Oscar — as the turtle was affectionately named — became the town's unofficial mascot.

While a six-foot snapping turtle seems impossible, it's worth noting that alligator snapping turtles can live over 100 years and never stop growing. A turtle that hatched in the 1800s and lived undisturbed in a private lake could, theoretically, reach enormous proportions. Oscar may be less impossible than he seems.