Beast of Busco

The Beast of Busco is an enormous snapping turtle named Oscar which terrorized the citizens of Churubusco, Indiana in 1949.

Story
Despite a month–long hunt that briefly gained national attention, the Beast of Busco was never found. The story goes that a farmer began to notice his chickens going missing. Believing it to be caused by known pests, he paid no mind to it. After a few months, larger and larger livestock was disappearing, even a calf in one instance; all the disappearances occurred near the lake on his property. One day, he reportedly saw a colossal snapping turtle, estimated at 15 feet in length, basking on the lakeside. Terrified, he called the police; when they arrived, the giant reptile was still there. A plan was devised to drag the beast from the water with chains pulled by 4 Clydesdale horses; when initiated, the turtle and horses were evenly matched, but the chains broke. "Oscar" escaped, never to be seen again. Being cold-blooded, he presumably died of exhaustion from the struggle.

Art/Fiction
Oscar's memory lives on in Churubusco's Turtle Days festival held each June. It includes a parade, carnival and turtle races.
A turtle shell labeled "Beast of Busco" hangs in the Two Brothers Restaurant in Decatur, Indiana.