Bigfoot Facts
Deep within the forests of the Pacific Northwest and beyond exists – perhaps – a large, hairy and hominid-like creature known as Bigfoot (also known as Sasquatch). Scientists dismiss the existence of Bigfoot as a hoax or misidentification. However, many witnesses, some scientists and a long history among the indigenous offer a different and more intriguing perspective. Explore these interesting facts about this legendary creature and you just might discover something fantastic!
1) Bigfoot’s origins go back to the sightings and stories from indigenous groups throughout the Pacific Northwest.
2) Many witnesses claim that Bigfoot is nocturnal and omnivorous.
3) One of the first Bigfoot sightings occurred in 1870 when a hunter returned to his campsite to find it destroyed with large footprints nearby that didn’t resemble bear prints.
4) The word Sasquatch is an Anglicization of the words sasq'ets or sésquac of the indigenous Halq-emeylem language. This and other indigenous names roughly translate as “wildman of the woods.”
5) Physical characteristics: Height ranges from about seven feet to almost ten feet tall. Weight is around 500 pounds. Hair color ranges from reddish to dark brown. Some claim Bigfoot has a putrid stench.
6) Some speculate that Bigfoot is a Gigantopithecus or giant primate with a height over nine feet and weighing nearly 1,300 pounds. The fossil record indicates that Gigantopithecus lived around 100,000 years ago. This time was also when several other hominids existed.
7) Bigfoot’s skunk-like stench is in line with other primates such as mountain gorillas that emit a strong odor as a defense mechanism.
8) A Bigfoot skeptic and genetic researcher named Melba Ketchum repeatedly analyzed numerous hair samples and concluded that the DNA is from a still-undiscovered primate. However, other independent tests have yet to be carried out.
9) Bigfoot is believed to have a primitive language ranging from low growls to loud ape-like screams.
10) The legend of Bigfoot is not confined to the Pacific Northwest. Other similar creatures, such as the Yeti, are believed to exist on every continent except Antarctica.
“The inclination to believe in the fantastic may strike some as a failure in logic, or gullibility, but it’s really a gift. A world that might have Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster is clearly superior to one that definitely does not.”
— Chris Van Allsburg