Be not afraid: There is no man-eating snapping turtle in Lake Monroe.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — If you have heard a story swimming around about what could possibly be Indiana’s next lake monster, think again.
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife is telling the public to “rest easy” as a viral Facebook post claimed that a 300-year-old, 9-foot snapping turtle killed a man at Lake Monroe.
The viral Facebook post, which had over 16,000 shares before being deleted, claimed that a Purdue University forensic biologist found the remains of a man killed by a giant snapping turtle.
One of the first to react to the man-eating snapping turtle hoax was Monroe County Coroner Joani Stalcup, who debunked the story in a Monday morning Facebook post.
“The story about a supposed 300-year-old, 9-foot snapping turtle taking a life at Lake Monroe in Bloomington and the remains being found is a totally fabricated story. There have been no remains found, no giant snapping turtle found and I am only assuming someone wanted to get their 10 mins of Facebook fame by making up such a story.”
Stalcup ended her post with some valuable advice: “If you cannot find a reputable source to confirm a post made by an individual chances are, the post is just a hoax. Just because someone puts it out on social media does not make it true.”
The Indiana DNR Department of Fish and Wildlife also wrote about the hoax on Facebook, debunking the viral story with a post that began, “Things we never thought we’d need to post…”
The department told Hoosiers they can relax, as there is not a giant man-eating snapping turtle roaming Monroe Lake, and promised the attack was “completely false.”
The post served as a polite reminder of the “importance of checking sources when reading something shocking or out of the ordinary.” It also encouraged that if anyone has wildlife-related questions or curiosities regarding these sorts of “tall tales,” don’t be afraid to ask.
While the giant man-eating snapping turtle is only a “tall tale,” the alligator snapping turtle is — and this massive monster is native to Indiana.
The alligator snapping turtle is one of the largest freshwater turtles in the world. Indiana DNR says these-prehistoric looking reptiles weigh up to 250 pounds and sometimes have shells more than two feet in length.
