Bigfoot: The Sasquatch
Its existence has been continuously debated for years. To some, Bigfoot is simply a myth. To others, it is an obsession.
Amidst the controversy, Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, has become a staple in North American nature folklore. The creature has been described as a very large primate, standing seven to nine feet tall. At those heights, Bigfoot would tower over the average human being. He (or she for that matter) is also said to be covered in thick hair from head to toe, though there is debate as to its color. Not surprisingly, Bigfoot is also known for its extremely large feet, which are believed to reach up to 13 inches in length. While such a creature might be considered a monster, a majority of those researchers who believe in Bigfoot believe that it is a gentle, shy, and intelligent primate.
Who Believes in Bigfoot
Among the anonymous online forum contributors and young Bigfoot enthusiasts, there are also some more famous and influential believers. Olympia Brewing Company (a subsidiary of Pabst Brewing Company) has a standing offer of $1 million to anyone who can capture Bigfoot. There are rules to this offer, of course. Thankfully those beer brewers aren’t violent Bigfoot enthusiasts; they want him alive and well. But if a seven-figure offer weren’t enough, Olympia is also helping to fund The Falcon Project, which hopes to use a flying drone to search for Bigfoot from the skies day and night. While the contest could be a marketing ploy for the Washington state company and The Falcon Project’s technology could be used in other wildlife studies, these groups are not the only ones who take the Bigfoot stories seriously.
More recently some respected researchers have come out in support of the idea of Bigfoot’s existence. Back in 2002, renowned chimpanzee researcher, Jane Goodall, surprised many when she said that she believed strongly that large, undiscovered primates exist. Others have simply admitted that they are open to the possibility.
The Bigfoot Skeptics
But there may just be as many skeptics or Bigfoot agnostics as there are believers. Though people have claimed to have produced footprints, hair, feces, and even some famous photographs and video of Bigfoot, many, if not all, have been debunked in some form or another. Then there those who simply ruin the fun like the two men in 2008 who claimed to have a dead Bigfoot in a freezer. It turned out to be a rubber suit filled with road-kill. Perhaps the most convincing evidence to the nonexistence of Bigfoot is the lack of evidence. No one has ever produced a corpse of a deceased Bigfoot or even a single piece of fossil evidence, which unless there is some paranormal activity involved, casts some serious doubt on the existence of such a creature.
What If Bigfoot Exists?
Still, there is something to be said for the tales of Bigfoot. Humans are naturally inclined to be interested in the blurred lines between fantasy and reality, and given our understanding of evolution and human’s relationship to other primates, Bigfoot is certainly one of the more reasonable tales. Some would say that the lack of evidence proves nothing, neither for nor against Bigfoot’s existence.
The sad truth of Bigfoot is that if one were to be discovered, the world would certainly not be a welcoming place. In fact, it is safe to assume that there would likely be violence and mistreatment. From capture and removal from its natural environment to scientific testing to becoming a circus show or zoo exhibit, life for Bigfoot after discovery would be less than ideal. So we wonder if Bigfoot is better off left to the forests of North America or to the realm of myth and folklore. He is certainly safer there.
Are you searching for Bigfoot? Check out The Olympia Brewing Co’s Contest Site.
The weasel watched copies of The Patterson Film (1967), but he is no expert. Check out Bill Munns’ Analysis of the most famous Bigfoot video.