The Tuttle Bottoms Monster is a legendary creature said to inhabit a swampy area, north of Harrisburg, Illinois, on the Saline River watershed, usually described as ape-like and hairy with a long snout similar to an anteater.
The Tuttle Bottoms Monster legend is familiar to generations of Saline County residents.
The young man put his rifle in his car and left, and later Thompson ran across about a dozen boys, armed with shotguns and other weapons and all looking for the “monster” in the bottoms.
"[3][better source needed]A local resident named Virgil Smith told the Register he believes the creature is not a monster out of myth but was an actual animal "released by the federal government" that has long since died.
[1] Smith said the creature was a hairy primate, stood on two legs, and was not scared of humans, adding that one couple reported the animal walked right up to them.