The Gumberoo is a creature from turn-of-the-century North American folklore.
Description[]
Roughly similar in size to a black bear, this Fearsome Critter is thankfully rare. With a smooth black skin, the Gumberoo is completely hairless except for a bushy beard and thick eyebrows. They are reported to be spread all along the coast from Washington State right down to California, and make their lairs in the hollowed-out remnants of cedar trees.
One of the most unusual attributes of the Gumberoo is its incredibly tough hide. Possessing a high degree of elasticity, the animal’s skin makes it nearly impervious to harm; bullets and arrows simply bounce off, and are more likely to ricochet back on the attacker than to do any actual harm to the Gumberoo. It’s only real weakness is fire, and one of the main reasons why Gumberoos are so rare is the frequency of forest fires in its ranges; highly combustible, one will literally explode if a flame even touches it.
Behaviour[]
In a permanent state of hunger, the Gumberoo nonetheless only ventures from its nest infrequently to forage for food, although when it does it is capable of eating enormous amounts in a single sitting. Said to be able to devour a whole horse at a time, this distends the creatures stomach massively, although it causes a Gumberoo no discomfort.
Further reading[]
"The Gumberoo" from Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods (1910) by William T. Cox
"The Gumberoo" from Fearsome Critters (1939) by Henry H. Tryon