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American Bestiary

Legendary creatures of North America

Beast of Busco

Indiana
Lake Monster / Reptile
Beast of Busco
Fig 1. Beast of Busco
An exceptionally massive, Volkswagen-sized snapping turtle whose ability to remain submerged indefinitely has allowed it to easily evade town-wide capture efforts.
Etymology

Nicknamed 'Oscar' after Oscar Fulk, the original 1898 owner of the farm where it was sighted, and formally dubbed the 'Beast of Busco' by local columnists.

Anatomy

It is biologically classified as a gigantic snapping turtle of entirely unprecedented proportions, with eyewitnesses estimating its weight at a staggering 500 pounds.

Ecology

Inhabits the seven-acre, freshwater expanse of Fulk Lake near Churubusco, Indiana.

Behavior

It acts as a highly evasive aquatic survivor, successfully avoiding massive capture efforts including deep-sea diving expeditions, the introduction of alluring female turtles as bait, and a partial draining of the lake.

Mythology

Gaining national prominence in 1949 via a UPI wire story, 'Buscomania' gripped the town, drawing massive mobs of sightseers. Though never captured, the beast's legacy lives on in Churubusco's annual 'Turtle Days' festival and a concrete statue in the town center.