Encounter Atlas
The Beast of Busco is a giant snapping turtle said to live in a small lake on a farm outside Churubusco, Indiana. Farmer Oscar Fulk first reported it in 1898. In July 1948 two fishermen said they saw it again, and estimated it at around 500 pounds, with a shell the size of a dining table.
When the story hit the wire services in early 1949, crowds descended on Gale Harris's farm and state police had to direct traffic. Harris tried traps, a diver, and draining the lake with pumps, but a dam broke and the water came back. The turtle, nicknamed Oscar, was never caught.
Churubusco now calls itself Turtle Town USA and holds Turtle Days each June.
What witnesses report
- A shell the size of a dining table
- A huge head breaking the surface
- Large drag marks on the bank
Famous cases
- 1898Oscar Fulk sighting
Churubusco, Indiana - 1948Fishermen sighting
Fulk Lake, Indiana - 1949Lake drained in turtle hunt
Churubusco, Indiana
Seen the Beast of Busco?
Tell us what happened. Every report is read by a person before it goes on the map, and you can stay anonymous.
