The Beast of Busco

In 1949, the small town of Churubusco, Indiana, became the center of national attention when a farmer claimed to have seen an enormous turtle in his lake. The hunt for the “Beast of Busco” drew thousands of spectators and turned the town into a media circus.

The Sighting

Farmer Gale Harris reported seeing an enormous snapping turtle in Fulk Lake on his property. He estimated the creature at 500 pounds with a shell the size of a dining table. Other witnesses corroborated the sighting.

The Hunt

What followed was an increasingly elaborate attempt to capture the turtle. Divers searched the lake. The water level was lowered. Various traps and nets were employed. Thousands of spectators arrived daily, and vendors sold turtle-themed souvenirs.

Oscar

The turtle was nicknamed Oscar after a local citizen. Though never captured, Oscar was reportedly spotted multiple times during the hunt. Each sighting renewed enthusiasm for the search.

The Legacy

The hunt eventually ended without capture. Oscar was never found, dead or alive. Churubusco embraced its brief fame by adopting the turtle as its mascot and hosting an annual “Turtle Days” festival that continues to this day.

Assessment

The Beast of Busco represents an unusual cryptid case: a known animal type of exceptional size rather than an unknown creature. Whether Oscar was real or a tall tale that got out of hand, the search became a piece of American pop culture history.