by Joel Balsam October 19, 2022. If you werent already aware, New Orleans has a prominent vampire subculture. It was enough just enough working knowledge for me to form an opinion. The line on the trees in this picture taken Nov. 16, 2017, shows the swamp's typical high-water mark, which generally arrives in the spring. The Audobon Zoo in New Orleans has an exhibit dedicated to the Rougarou, which includes a statue of the creature itself. Foret is now director of the South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center, a nonprofit that educates students, in the classroom and on field trips, about the challenges of sea level rise, climate change, and living in a coastal communityone still recovering from 2021s Hurricane Ida. It was a fall evening and this student was walking on a road in back of the property that borders cow pastures and piney woods. Apparently that was a thing they did back then. A student attending St. Josephs seminary college had an experience that cannot be classified as a sighting, but rather and auditory experience. Generations of youngsters have heard the scary tales. The rougarou is like our Smokey the Bear, says Foret. What is the Rougarou? | Louisiana Swamp Base Since Cajun dialect is a mix of French and English and well-known for changing words completely to roll off the tongue easier, the name of the beast changed from loup-garou to Rougarou (also spelled roux-ga-roux, rugaroo, or rugaru). She describes the Rougarou as "an important identification marker for South Louisiana's culture." Full report can be found on bfro.net Report # 56107. However embracing legends, customs and tradition is the very foundation of culture. A 1926 article in the New Orleans States juxtaposes scenes of the wild honeysuckle and vibrant Southern foliage of the area against bushes used as hiding spots for murderers to ambush victims. The sounds stopped just before it would have broke the tree line and became visible. I used to have nightmares including the Rougarou as a kid and seeing this is crazy that its something based on my home state. We can only hope Ruston, LA never decides to build a Grunch Road. She described it also as being tall and hairy and went on to further say that it was almost so white it was glowing. She also described the creature to be staring in her direction. On a different occasion that same Laplace man was out in the swamp with these two Doberman pinchers when he spotted a 7 foot tall bi-pedal creature that caused the dogs to run off. Coming across this story made me reach out to Mr. Nameless to see if he would entertain the idea answering some questions about the experience he had in the early 90s. This will perplex it, and it will keep recounting until the sun comes up and it must flee. That's how I knew it wasnt a bear, another witness reported. Enjoy these allegedly. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. Southeast Louisiana Bigfoot Sightings - Rougarou's Cursed blog Two dead squirrels and a dead rabbit were found under the house where the creature had been rummaging. The officers came around the corner of the house and saw a creature standing up, pressed against the side of the house, trying to maintain cover. People say, behind the disguises, theyre really the spirits of babies who died before baptism. One recent supposed sighting came from a woman in Harvey, Louisiana, who claimed she saw a Grunch eating one of her neighbor's dogs. Turns out voodoo is still in. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. These Louisiana monsters claim they feel lethargic and drained if they dont get the proper serving size of blood in on the regular. Nope, not The GrinchThe Grunch. About four weeks ago, PB and his 5-year-old daughter were walking along their long dirt driveway that leads to their home. 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Its essentially a werewolf with a cajun spin on it. The student would take evening walks while saying the rosary. Ready for the creatures that will haunt you in your sleep? Rougarou Sightings According to a lady from Louisiana, a local child was being chased by a dog when he decided to cut it with his pocketknife. During this time, however, the Rougarou was called Loup-garou. Lapin, the trickster rabbit rooted in African folklore traditions that were brought to Louisiana by enslaved people, has also seen a transformation. Some months prior to this her entire family told her they hear a woman screaming at the top of her lungs, followed by a gurgling noise coming from the woods. The creature is described as half-man, half-dog. They are a defining characteristic of Louisiana culture and make the state a truly unique place to live. Despite the fact that it was originally a legend, there are still claimed sightings of the Rougarou to this day, though it has died off a bit in the past decade. For Foret and many other Cajun residents in the area, the real possibility that climate change will eventually force them from their homes is particularly upsetting. When they reached the paved section of the driveway, PB noticed a dead 90 lb male Bobcat laying along the edge. There was thick wet swamp on both sides. According to reports, this Louisiana monster looks human, except for his sharp teeth, goat legs, and many abnormalities. We cant make this stuff up. The court would ask the public if they believed the accused to be a loup-garou, and usually the public agreed (mainly for fear that theyd be outed as a witch or a loup-garou themselves). The villagers would capture people they believed to be a loup-garou and then hold a public trial. Then my son started asking me about the rougarou legend and I was like a wha t? Despite the fact that it was originally a legend, there are still claimed sightings of the Rougarou to this day, though it has died off a bit in the past decade. According to Breaux, as Hubert retold the story, he began clenching his teeth and breathing rapidly as if he were reliving a terrifying experience. I think its fascinating,'' said Brettel. Lurking in the woods and wetlands of southern Louisiana, according to Cajun legend, theres a ferocious monster that attacks the wayward and the wanderer. Some legends of the beast say it can only be killed by fire, others say it can be killed while its in its vulnerable human form. Audobon's website also has Rougarou t-shirts for sale. 9 REAL Sightings of the Rougarou | Darkness Prevails - YouTube Thats no werewolf, though. Theres an annual Rougarou Festival in Houma every year, and the Audobon Zoo in New Orleans has a Rougarou exhibit, which includes a statue of the creature in all its swampy glory. They take up residence in your home and play harmless tricks on you, so you shouldnt be too alarmed. troy landrey talked about it on swamp people. Who knows what it is? The Rougarou, also known as the loup-garou, is essentially Louisiana's bayou-dwelling werewolf, and it's a prominent figure in Cajun folklore. It was getting late so I was heading back to my dads house for the evening. In Assumption Parish it is common place for house to be built substantially off the ground to withstand inevitable flood waters. The Legend of the Louisiana Swamp Werewolf Known as the Rougarou, or sometimes as the Loup-Garou This Legend is said that the creature has prowled for hundreds of years in the swamps Show more. 7910 park ave houma, la (985) 580-7289 . The only way to arrive at the truth is to keep your mind open to weirdness. The commuter stated Unlike the sloth, it was man-like. Full report can be found on bfro.net Report #514. Also in Harvey, residents say they've seen it knocking over trashcans and chasing cats. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. There also exist more supernatural explanations for the origins of the Rougarou. Frogs croak their songs in the distance and mosquitos buzz as they fly around looking for their next meal. Over the last century, hurricanes, sea level rise, and problematic development projects, such as damming the Mississippi River, have caused Louisiana to lose more than 2,000 square miles of land. When French settlers came to Louisiana, the story came with them. There are quite a few roads that are known to be haunted or spirited in Louisiana, but none is quite as infamous as Bayou Sale Road, a long curvy road that connects Dulac, LA to Cocodrie, LA. The friend described a chilling encounter one warm morning. How did one Louisiana town's name get a bizarre pronunciation? If your keys go missing without explanation, it could be a Lutin! The cryptid, usually described as a towering, hairy monster, is allegedly a human cursed to take beastly form. He let his mind wander. one football field of coastline was lost per hour. A 9ft tall man with a black beard and what appeared to be a cloak of brown fur hanging from his neck by a rope. Some even suggest a mix of biological and fringe. When this is done on the 101st after the curse was initially placed, the former Rougarou is freed from the curse and allowed to take human form permanently. But now, the story of the once-terrifying rougarou is changing, along with the coastal wetlands it has long called home. Your email address will not be published. In the legend, this beast is often described as having the body of a man and the head of a wolf or a dog and prowls Louisiana swamps looking for misbehaving children.