We all know the legend of Nessie the creature who inhabits Loch Ness, but did you know Indiana has its own "Loch Ness" monster?

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The United States is Full of Cryptids

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Cryptids as

"an animal (such as Sasquatch or the Loch Ness Monster) that has been claimed to exist but never proven to exist"

I've always thought that cryptids were pretty fascinating.  Many people have similar experiences and sightings of these creatures with no hard evidence to back them up. It's pretty interesting, and with so many people sharing similar experiences it makes you wonder could the truth be somewhere between the lines of fantasy and reality?

CashnetUSA.com went through each state in the U.S. and found the most famous mythical creature from each state, and it turns out, there are a LOT of cryptid legends from around the country.  Indiana's however, caused an entire town to go into a frenzy.

The Legend of the Beast of Busco

Some call him Oscar, but others refer to him as the Beast of Busco, and he is Indiana's most legendary cryptid.  In fact, when Oscar was first sighted, he caused an entire town to turn into a media circus.

According to UnkownExplorers.com, in 1948 two men went fishing in Fulk Lake in northern Indiana. While fishing they spotted a beast that looked like a turtle, but it was massive.  So massive in fact that they claim the top of the beast's shell was the size of a Volkswagen.  When the fisherman told the owner of the lake what they had seen, the hunt for the Beast of Busco was officially on.

A Media Circus Began

UnkownExplorers.com goes on to explain that the owner of the lake believed the fisherman and even claimed to have seen the giant turtle once again at the beginning of 1949 so the owner set out to capture the beast.  Traps were placed in the lake to no avail.  That's when word got out about the hunt for the Beast of Busco and reporters began showing up. At one point the farm where Fulk Lake is located turned into a media circus. After a few months of attempting to catch Oscar public interest tapered off, and alas the Beast of Busco was never found.

A Mammoth Turtle Beast or Large Snapper?

Unfortunately, there have been no more sightings of Oscar, with the last reported sighting happening in 1949.   The lack of sightings has left many wondering if a turtle the size of a Volkswagen could truly exist at all.  A local turtle expert, Rusty Reed said that a large turtle probably did exist in Fulk Lake, but he doubts it was as big as originally claimed.  He believes the men probably saw an alligator snapper. UnknownExplorers.com have the full story of the Beast of Busco in great detail, I highly recommend you check out their article here.

The legend of the Beast of Busco is still alive and well in Churubusco, Indiana as you can see from the video below. Who knows, if you ever decide to visit, you just may catch a glimpse of the beast for yourself!