He's tall, he's hairy and you don't want to run into him at night. No, it's not your dad going for a midnight snack. He's known by many unique names, with the ones used most often being Bigfoot, Sasquatch and Yeti. This creature has been a mystery of the woods for hundreds of years. But does he really exist?
Though the name of the beast has changed from place to place, it is clear that all the legends share the same fundamental characteristics. It's known as the Yeti or Abominable Snowman in the Asian mountain range of the Himalayas, Bigfoot in the American Northwest and the Sasquatch in Canada. There have been recorded sightings of this creature all over the world for hundreds of years.
It is said to forage for food at night and sleep during the day. This nocturnal beast stands between seven and eight feet tall and can weigh over 450 lbs. (200 kg.) Most people who have encountered Bigfoot or his counterparts have described the creature as being half-man/half-ape, with dark, long fur all over its body. Of course, no one is ruling out a female Bigfoot. Many people have reported seeing whole Sasquatch families. There have also been Bigfoot and Sasquatch encounters where the hairy creature is described as being all white, and the Himalayan species of Yeti is often said to be white.
The legend of Bigfoot is so popular around the world that there have been several Bigfoot-inspired characters in Hollywood films:
- Sully from Disney's Monster's Inc. isn't your typical Bigfoot, but he could surely be a distant cousin!
- Harry from Harry and the Hendersons, a 1987 movie starring Third Rock from the Sun star, John Lithgow.
- The Fouke Monster of the 1972 documentary-style thriller, The Legend of Boggy Creek.
- Who could forget the Abominable Snowman from the animated classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?
Last week's Believe it or Not was about Lake Monsters. No one has ever captured a lake monster, but there have been tons of sightings and even some pics (though they're usually pretty blurry!) Check out what other people though about the lake monster legend.
Do you Believe in Lake Monsters?
- Yeah! I even have pics! 37%
- No way. There's no such thing as lake monsters 6%
- Maybe Nessie is real, but not the others. 31%
- No, but I'll be on the lookout for 'em, just in case. 25%
Give us your opinion
So what do you think? Are there hulking, hairy creatures lurking around our forests late at night? Let us know what you think below!
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