In September 2020, residents of Coffee County Alabama, Joe Blackburn and Tanner Medley met with a local reporter to discuss strange incidents that had been happening in the woods. Both men, experienced outdoorsman, reported a loud shriek night, and the men reiterated that it wasn’t a coyote or any animal they were familiar with. In addition to the loud screeching, the men had reported hearing knocking in the woods. Other individuals hunting and riding ATVs too had reported seeing and hearing mysterious sounds and figures. While the men believed it was some sort of ape-like creature, and harmless, many in the community suggested it could be the legendary creature that is said to roam these forests, a legend known as the Alabama White Thang.
The Alabama White Thang dates back to the early 1900s with the first recorded sighting in the late 1930’s. Ottis Thomas, heard stories about the “white thang.” over the years but never actually saw it. Then one day that would all change.
While playing in a saw dust pile in an abandoned sawmill, Ottis and his brother Edward would have an experience that would change them forever. The two were near the south end of the glades, close to Brown’s Creek. For some time, the two played normally, when suddenly Edward spotted the creature and screamed to Ottis in disbelief. The brothers took off running as fast as they could barefoot, too scared to look back. After a couple hundred yards, they turned back and looked and saw nothing.
(Read About the Fouke Monster Here)
How is the Alabama White Thang Described?
In Huntsville, the “Alabama White Thing” is described as a humanoid or ape-like creature, or even a possible alien figure spotted in caves or drainage ditches in Jones Valley, along Governor’s Drive and on Monte Sano Mountain. The creature is described as having no eyes or ears and being completely white and standing over 7 feet covered in thick white hair. It is often called an Albino bigfoot.
Legend has it that the White Thang has the ability to move extremely quickly and is known for his eerie screech that is similar to the sound of a woman’s scream.
Like its southernly legendary creature the Florida Skunk ape, the creature is known for having a terrible foul smell.
(Read About South Carolina’s Lizard Man here)
Perhaps the most popular time period surrounding activity for the creature was the early 1970’s. In 1971, many people reported they saw a Bigfoot like creature in the hills of north Alabama. Many calls and reports to the police were made within just a few months of one another. It is rumored that a large, bigfoot like creature walked right through the Huntsville area, with many witnesses spotting the creature and truly believing it was another species.
In the 1930’s, according to local resident Feneda Smith, Martin and Jessie Thomas also witnessed the creature. The two were riding bikes down Enon road, when they saw it grazing like a cow on the side of the road. Although it didn’t try to hurt them, they turned around and biked the other direction in order to avoid it.
Activity and sightings around The Alabama White Thang and creatures have dropped significantly since the 1970’s. Still, one has to wonder what people may have witnessed. Some suggest that the Florida Skunk Ape may have migrated north. Others suggest that the Alabama White Thang is Bigfoot that is suffering from Albinism. Albinism is the congenital absence of melanin in an animal or plant resulting in white hair. Many animals are affected by this including alligators, mice and birds. If the White Thang is biological in nature, then it is certainly plausible that it could be a big foot suffering from albinism.
Still others believe that this creature could be extraterrestrial in nature or perhaps coming from another dimension. That could explain the animal’s ability to appear and disappear so suddenly. Perhaps today, the creatures are aware of the abilities of cell phone cameras and humans’ technological advances. Due to this, they might decide to seldom come out.
(Read about Sheepsquatch here)
Still, the existence of ape-like creatures continues to be explored and researched in depth. Even if the White Thang is never discovered, perhaps the discovery of sasquatch or another ape-like creature will lend credence to the fact these creatures did in fact exist.
