The Lizard Man has been a part of South Carolina Folklore since he first burst onto the scene in the summer of 1988, devouring car parts, chasing unsuspecting motorists on a dark, lonely stretch of road in Scape Ore Swamp, preying on local livestock while becoming a national media darling that lit the airwaves on fire.
His rampage through the South Carolina countryside near Bishopville, which provoked anxiety, anger, and terror, is legendary.
Lizardmania began when a 17-year-old, Chris Davis, left his restaurant job to stop for a flat tire. After repairing it, he saw the creature walking toward him. Davis jumped in his car and began to drive away, but soon, the beast was on top of the vehicle, causing Davis to hit the brakes, which in turn caused the car to roll off.
It was not long before other reports began to surface, describing the beast and the rampage it had left behind. But was Chris Davis the first to encounter the lizard-like creature? According to online reports, a bicyclist first spotted the Lizard Man in 1987, a year before the incident. The frenzy allowed many around the state to cash in on his popularity.
The debate continues, almost thirty-seven years later, as to whether the Lizard Man was just a figment of a teenager’s imagination that sparked at the right time or if something did emerge from the swamp under the beautiful crescent moon that night, forever changing South Carolina folklore.
It is not up to us to decide, but rather to report, since the anniversary is fast approaching.
Written By: John G. Clark
