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Gumberoo

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Gumberoo
Illustration by Coert du Bois from Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods (1910)
Creature information
GroupingLegendary creature
Origin
CountryUnited States
DetailsForest

In American folklore, the Gumberoo is a fearsome critter with hide so tough that bullets bounce off of it.

Description

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The gumberoo was described by early lumberjacks to be larger than a bear with a tough, shiny, black hide[1] that nothing could pierce. The only way to kill it was said to be fire, which caused the creatures to explode.[2][3] It is said that a man named S. W. Allen once took a picture of a gumberoo but the negative then exploded.[4]

References

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  1. Cox, William T. with Latin Classifications by George B. Sudworth (1910). Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods. Washington, D.C.: Judd & Detweiler.
  2. Bane, Theresa (2016). Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 146. ISBN 978-0-7864-9505-4.
  3. Botkin, B.A. (1998). The American People: Stories, Legends, Tales, Traditions, and Songs. Brunswick, New Jersey: Transaction Publishers. p. 251. ISBN 1-56000-984-5. gumberoo.
  4. "BLOG: 9 Cryptids That Are (Probably) Too Absurd to Be Real". The Confessionals. Retrieved 2025-06-11.