The Mystery of Bigfoot Bigfoot is unquestionably North America’s biggest crypto zoological mystery. The idea of Bigfoot has been around for hundreds of years, its history and possible sightings have been documented for years on end. Throughout history, man has battled the topic of Bigfoot and if this creature really does exists. Researchers have found arguable evidence, and numerous sightings have been reported throughout North America. Then again, roughly 70% of sightings reported are a misidentification.
Bigfoot supposedly inhabits forests mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Scientists discount the existence of Bigfoot and consider it to be a combination of folklore, misidentification, and hoax, rather than a living animal. So the question remains, is the existence of this creature fact or fiction? So where does the name “Bigfoot” come anyway? It is said that this Indian-sounding word was coined in the 1920’s by J. W. Burns, a teacher who for fours years collected stories about wild, hairy giants from his Chehalis Indian friends.
Burns combined several similar Native Canadians’ names for these creatures and created the word “Sasquatch”. In recent years, scientists and folklorists looking to bring respectability to the subject but most North Americans still use the name “Bigfoot”. The first use of the now widely used label did not occur until a construction worker named Jerry Crew appeared at a northern California newspaper office with a cast of the alleged Bigfoot’s foot found in the mud in Bluff Creek Valley.
Hundreds of people have reported seeing the Bigfoot or it’s footprints but none have physical evidence to back up their stories. They describe the creature as standing from seven to ten feet tall and weighing more than six hundred pounds. The distinctive footprint shows a track as left by a giant five toed human foot. The average length is fourteen to sixteen inches long. The most controversial evidence of Bigfoot's existence is the infamous Patterson video. It was filmed in 1967 near Bluff Creek California. By Roger Patterson, an amateur Bigfoot hunter and rodeo cowboy.
In the video, which was filmed in a dry creek bed, Bigfoot appears to be walking along the creek bed, and at one point even stared at the camera. The footage has been analyzed many times by scientists, some of which say the footage is realistic while others do not. Many times when people see something like Bigfoot they think that they will be ridiculed by their friends and neighbors, so they keep there encounter secret for many years. Until others tell their stories. The top three questions that come into some ones mind when they hear about Bigfoot are “is he man, myth or creature? . Many do not believe of such a creature lurking the forests and are uneducated on the topic so they come to the quick conclusion that someone disguised himself in a costume for attention perhaps. The majority believes strongly that Bigfoot is evidently a myth or hoax for the simple logic that there is not enough evidence to prove Bigfoot’s existence. The most arguable evidence are footprints that can be easily replicated to furthermore puzzle scientists. Also, the lack of carcasses and excrements just don’t add up.
Lastly, the big question of is it just a creature which means every sighting would have to be a misidentification. Scientists do believe and have partial evidence that Bigfoot could be a relative with an ancient ape named “Gigantopithecus”. Then again, some footprints have been reported with claw marks, which could be a grizzle bear. Many can speculate the existence of Bigfoot but until a body is scientifically examined, the riddle of Bigfoot will continue as one of cryptozoology’s biggest and most famous enigmas. Even if Bigfoot is just one big hoax, the myth will live on forever.
