[WorldUrbanLegend] Bigfoot
Bigfoot, commonly referred to as Sasquatch, is a large, hairy, humanoid creature said to inhabit the forests of North America, particularly the Pacific Northwest. It appears in folklore from the United States and Canada and has become a cultural icon since the mid-20th century, permeating popular culture and becoming a topic of unique subcultures.
Dedicated fans of Bigfoot have presented various dubious pieces of evidence in an effort to prove the creature's existence as part of a pseudoscience known as cryptozoology. This includes eyewitness testimonies, photographs, videos, audio recordings, hair samples, and casts of large footprints. However, the general consensus in the scientific community is that Bigfoot and the evidence surrounding it are a combination of folklore, misidentifications, and hoaxes.
Folklorists trace the Bigfoot phenomenon to a mix of European wild men, folklore, and indigenous culture. Similar tales of wild men exist worldwide, including the Skunk Ape in the southeastern United States, Almasty in Asia, Yeren, Yeti, and the Yowie in Australia. Increased cultural interest in environmental issues and social awareness are also pointed out as additional factors.
Bigfoot is often described as a large, muscular creature walking on two legs, resembling either a human or an ape, covered in black, dark brown, or dark reddish hair. According to descriptions, it is estimated to be about 7 to 10 feet (2.1 to 3 meters) tall, with some accounts describing it as growing up to 15 feet (4.6 meters). Some sightings suggest that Bigfoot appears more human-like than ape-like, particularly regarding its face. In 1971, several people in The Dalles, Oregon, submitted police reports describing an "overgrown ape," with one man claiming that through the scope of his rifle, he saw the creature but could not shoot because it looked "more human."
Common descriptions include broad shoulders, a lack of visible neck, and long arms, with many skeptics attributing this to misidentified standing bears. Some nighttime sightings report that the creature's eyes appeared to "glow" yellow or red. However, since such eye glow is not seen in humans or other known primates, explanations for the glowing eyes observed on the forest floor have suggested owls, raccoons, or opossums perched in trees.
Michael Rug, owner of the Bigfoot Discovery Museum, claims to have smelled Bigfoot, describing it as "the smell of a skunk rolling around a garbage pile like a dead animal."
The enormous footprints associated with this creature are said to measure up to 24 inches (610 mm) in length and 8 inches (200 mm) in width. Some footprint casts have also shown claw marks, which seem to originate from known animals like bears that have five toes and claws.
