Recently I recounted my own personal story of Bigfoot; a moment in my life, while not extraordinary, that led to a passion to know more and find the elusive “mythical” creature. Some of you, however, have asked why a monkey blog, such as this one, is covering something not typically associated with the modern day ape.
A fair question. And one I hope to expand upon here. So, please, take my hand, and follow me past the jump to discover not only my reasons for its coverage, but also the colorful history of this great American icon.
Let me begin with the why.
That there is Charles Darwin, father of the theory of evolution. And while his theory has been greatly expanded upon in recent decades the underlying truth remains:
Evolution is real. To debate it in this day and age is a futile gesture and a sad waste of time. (Please don’t confuse that statement with the notion that I am dismissing religion. I am not. I simply believe that both God and Science can coexist, and what better way to prove the existence of a greater power than the unbelievable power of life that evolution conveys?) Evolution shows that humanity evolved from apes (a gross oversimplification, I know, but I don’t want to dwell too long on this topic. We’re all here for Bigfoot, I know). So, with that construct in mind, let me ask you this:
If Bigfoot is real, then what is it?
Most describe it as a combination of man and ape. Its upright posture and bipedal locomotion are hallmarks of humanity. The hair and lack of any discernable society is distinctly simian. In other words, Bigfoot may just be the fabled “Missing Link” between humans and their distant ancestors that people have long been searching for. And if not, they’re certainly, should they exist, a genetic offshoot of the tree that both species fall on. If real, Bigfoot would be a find of extraordinary value, not only for those who are drawn to unknown species, but to simian researchers as well.
To discover Bigfoot is to discover more about ourselves and our ape brothers and sisters. And in that spirit of discovery, let’s go over some longstanding beliefs about the creature and its history, shall we?
First of all, Bigfoot isn’t exclusive to North America. In name it might be, but the famed Yeti of the Himalayas is believed to be the same type of creature, and similar sightings have been reported all over the world. It also has a long past, starting in North America with the Native Americans who called him Sasquatch, or “hairy giant”.
The first sighting by a white North American was in Jasper, Alberta, Canada, way back in 1811. The term Sasquatch gained popularity as sightings, as well as hoaxes, became rampant and newspaper coverage was common. This lasted sporadically over a hundred years until the 1920s when reports of Bigfoot attacks found themselves firmly embedded in the imaginations of those that read them. It was said that Bigfoot would throw stones at the wooden cabins of prospectors who would later find the creature’s signature large footprints. But it wasn’t until the 1950s that the Bigfoot craze really took off.
The modern age of Bigfoot began in 1958 when a Californian by the name of Jerry Crew became the first to provide a plaster cast of the creature’s footprint. The name “Bigfoot” was coined then as newspapers around the country ran wild with the story. But it was when Bob Gimlin and Roger Patterson (for whom I’m named) filmed the creature in 1967 that the country really got excited with the prospect of a large hairy creature roaming the North American woodland. The video, as shown in my last post (link provided above) is easily the most famous footage of the creature ever taken and confirms belief in the creature amongst those that trust it to exist. Many have tried to prove the film to be a hoax (and a hoax it certainly may be), but the power of the film is undeniable.
Today sightings continue to roll in. Most are hoaxes, like those involving the discovery of a corpse, but perhaps some retain some truth to them after all. Nevertheless, the country, if not the world, remains fascinated with a creature completely unproven to science. Here, at Chimps Ahoy, I will bring you reports of the creature wherever and whenever I can find them so you can be your own judge.
Do I believe in Bigfoot? Not necessarily. Do I want to believe in Bigfoot? Yes, I do. Perhaps here the both of us can determine where our beliefs should lie.
–Patterson
Tags: bigfoot, charles darwin, evolution, patterson film, sasquatch
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