Is Bigfoot Real?

A cryptid is an animal that has been claimed to exist, but never proven to exist. And today, we are going to talk about the United States' most famous cryptid. Can you guess what it is? Do you know what we're going to talk about today? It's Bigfoot. And if you guessed Bigfoot, excellent job. Pretty much everyone knows about this creature, from kids to seniors. But what exactly is Bigfoot? Is this creature even real? Does it exist? And if it does exist, then what are some theories that might explain it? Let's find out. Bigfoot Basics. Also known as Sasquatch, the Bigfoot is a bipedal, ape-like humanoid that allegedly lives in the forests of North America. It is much larger than the average human with a feet. Bigfoot is also covered in a coat of reddish-brown hair, although this creature's face is apparently quite visible. Some have stated that it looks more human than animal, and that its face looks very similar to ours. At night, Bigfoot's eyes reportedly glow yellow or red. A foul stench is said to emanate from the creature that apparently smells like a mixture of garbage dumps and skunks. But perhaps the most well-known characteristic of this cryptid is its large footprint, much larger than that of a human being. These footprints are also said to contain claw marks on occasion. The History of Bigfoot. Although European settlers quickly spotted Bigfoot after arriving in North America, legends of this creature go back much further. The indigenous people of these lands have legends of Bigfoot that go back thousands of years. Depending on the tribe, native people refer to this creature as Hairy Man, Dark Watchers, Wild Man, or Sasquatch. The word Sasquatch means wild man in the Salish language of British Columbia. Other names include Emoquess, Siyaha, and Kwikwia. According to the Iroquois people, these creatures had rock-hard skin and they were highly aggressive. The Chinook people told stories of a group of cannibalistic creatures living on the peak of Mount St. Helens in Washington. And in 1924, a group of gold prospectors apparently fought with these creatures. The Europeans added their own Bigfoot legends after settling in North America. U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt famously wrote about Bigfoot in the book The Wilderness Hunter. In 1840, Reverend Elkana Walker wrote stories of giants living in Spokane, Washington. How Bigfoot Got His Name. But it wasn't until 1958 that Bigfoot got his name. That year, human-like footprints were discovered in Humboldt County, California. These tracks were far too big to be left by a man. The crew of a logging company started referring to the mysterious creature as Bigfoot and the name stuck. Famous Sightings of Bigfoot. There are far too many Bigfoot sightings to list and over 10,000 people, including me, the narrator, claim to have seen this creature over the years. Most of these sightings have been recorded in the Pacific Northwest and Bigfoot seems to live in Washington, Oregon, North Carolina, and British Columbia. Honestly, the research that we've done gave us these states, but as I said, I have been chased by Bigfoot and this event took place in Wisconsin, believe it or not. The most well-known photograph of Bigfoot was taken in 1967 by Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin. That year, the pair were riding horses through Bluff Creek, California, when they spotted a Patterson used his old Kodak camera to snap a shot of Bigfoot and the image soon became world famous. To this day, no one can be sure whether the image is fake or real. Some say the creature is simply a man wearing some sort of ape suit, while others say it's the real deal. And that would be a story newsworthy enough that there's people that live out in the middle of nowhere that just happen to wear ape suits out in the woods. In the mid-2000s, a former military man named Michael Green managed to catch Bigfoot on tape in North Carolina. After spotting the creature once, Green decided to camp in the exact same spot and set up night vision and thermal cameras. That night, his thermal camera captured the cryptid wandering through his camp and stealing Green's food. One of the most notable Bigfoot encounters occurred all the way back in 1924, when a group of gold prospectors, as we mentioned before, were attacked by a group of cryptids on Mount St. Helens. Six of these prospectors came back with the same story. They had almost been killed by a 7 foot 8 man who had thrown boulders at them incessantly. One of the prospectors apparently managed to shoot and kill one Sasquatch, but they were forced to flee when the others literally started tearing holes in their log cabin. The Mainstream Explanation Mainstream researchers tell us that Bigfoot is not real. According to these skeptics, most Bigfoot sightings can be explained by bears walking on their hind legs. Others state that many people who claim to have seen Bigfoot were actually witnessing gorillas and orangutans that escaped from nearby zoos. Some also say that Sasquatches are simply humans that have chosen to live in the wilderness. Mainstream critics also point to hoaxes, claiming that many alleged Bigfoot sightings simply involved humans wearing ape suits. The Conspiracy Theories But what if these critics are wrong? What if Bigfoot really does exist? If this is true, then how can we explain such a bizarre creature? There are many conspiracy theories. One theory states that Bigfoot is actually the last remnant of an extinct group of humanoid apes such as Gigantopithecus blacki from Southeast Asia. Scientists say that this massive creature could have walked on two feet. Others point to the other extinct hominid apes such as Paranthropus robustus or even Neanderthals. There are also those who believe Bigfoot is actually an extraterrestrial species and it is much more advanced than many assume. Some believe that Bigfoot is capable of teleporting to our world using portals, while others believe they have their own UFOs. Some have pointed out that there seems to be a connection between UFO sightings and Bigfoot sightings. Final Thoughts One thing is for sure. No one can deny the fact that tens of thousands of people have seen this creature with their own two eyes and yours truly has been chased. With so many Bigfoot sightings, it seems unlikely that every single one of these witnesses is part of a hoax. Something is out there. While it might be incredibly elusive, it has been visiting us for thousands of years, since long before the Europeans arrived in North America. Perhaps someday we'll find conclusive evidence of this creature, evidence that hardened skeptics can no longer deny. What do you think? Have you been chased by Bigfoot? Please tell us in the comments. Happy sightings!