Mythical Wetland Willy spotted at nature center

Photo taken Sept. 16 at Baytown Nature Center by Marilyn L.

The legendary Wetland Willy has appeared again. And this time a photographer got a photo.

The sighting of the elusive creature caused a bit of excitement this week at BNC.

High-schoolers on a field trip saw a dark form that seemed to be crouching in the tall grasses across from the Brownwood Pavilion at Baytown Nature Center.

They pointed and squinted.

Was it a bear?
A gorilla?
A log?

It must be Wetland Willy, sometimes called Baytown's little Sasquatch or the Burnet Bay Yowie.

The mysterious creature has had many names through the years. In the 1700s, there were reports of the secretive Kakau Kic, perhaps a female version of Wetland Willy.

In recent times the legend of Wetland Willy has waned, but the phantom of the wetlands may have found the perfect home at BNC.

Although little is known about its habits, WW seems to be a nocturnal creature, rather short in stature and usually glimpsed in the tall marsh grasses. When humans are near, it will often stand still for hours to blend with the environment.

And according to legend, Wetland Willy is most active during the fall, particularly toward the end of October.