Do you believe Bigfoot exists?

[Tupac]

You forgot your ball.

?

[Tupac]

I hear John Lithgow is one of the leading sasquatch experts these days.

[lyric1]

No remains.

Not a single confirmed reported sighting.

Not a single person has proven Saola exists.

You expect me to believe something that is in controversy in every part of the world?

I'm not going to believe Saola exists just because a few people have claimed to have seen this creature. I want actual proof. Not some video from half a century ago that is still over debate. We all have our own beliefs, its just a matter of trying to tell someone an apple is a banana. Sure. You can poke and shove at me all you want - you're still not going to get be to believe Saola exists until the proof is on the table.
I saw it too! There was a commie standing next to Saola and took him away in his time machine after Elvis got done pooping!

For centuries the exact same things were said about the Saola mythological,no proof,just the natives superstitions.

Then they found one.

Some times the myth is real.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saola

[jimson]

This guy thinks the film couldn't have been a human wearing a monkey suit.

I find it to be unlikely because no harder evidence has ever been found, but I still say it's possible
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKUwdHex1Zs

Of course you can then read this and still not draw any definitive conclusion

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patterson-Gimlin_film

I'd say that the film may be a fake, or maybe not. Who the hell knows?

I'm going to bed.

[Slate]

  The Legend is not from the 1960's. The Native Americans have many stories of encounters with them.

 "The Bigfoot figure is common to the folklore of most Northwest Native American tribes. Native American Bigfoot legends usually describe the creatures as around 6-9 feet tall, very strong, hairy, uncivilized, and often foul-smelling, usually living in the woods and often foraging at night. Native American Bigfoot creatures are almost always said to be unable to speak human languages, using whistles, grunts, and gestures to communicate with each other. In some stories, male Bigfeet are said to be able to mate with human women. In some Native stories, Bigfoot may have minor supernatural powers-- the ability to turn invisible, for example-- but they are always considered physical creatures of the forest, not spirits or ghosts."

  Now some parts of legends are not true but most are based on some facts. We are so civilized and smart we think we know it all.   

[ink]

  The Legend is not from the 1960's. The Native Americans have many stories of encounters with them.

 "The Bigfoot figure is common to the folklore of most Northwest Native American tribes. Native American Bigfoot legends usually describe the creatures as around 6-9 feet tall, very strong, hairy, uncivilized, and often foul-smelling, usually living in the woods and often foraging at night. Native American Bigfoot creatures are almost always said to be unable to speak human languages, using whistles, grunts, and gestures to communicate with each other. In some stories, male Bigfeet are said to be able to mate with human women. In some Native stories, Bigfoot may have minor supernatural powers-- the ability to turn invisible, for example-- but they are always considered physical creatures of the forest, not spirits or ghosts."

  Now some parts of legends are not true but most are based on some facts. We are so civilized and smart we think we know it all.   

that last line is dead on

[saggs]

 The Legend is not from the 1960's. The Native Americans have many stories of encounters with them.

 "The Bigfoot figure is common to the folklore of most Northwest Native American tribes. Native American Bigfoot legends usually describe the creatures as around 6-9 feet tall, very strong, hairy, uncivilized, and often foul-smelling, usually living in the woods and often foraging at night. Native American Bigfoot creatures are almost always said to be unable to speak human languages, using whistles, grunts, and gestures to communicate with each other. In some stories, male Bigfeet are said to be able to mate with human women. In some Native stories, Bigfoot may have minor supernatural powers-- the ability to turn invisible, for example-- but they are always considered physical creatures of the forest, not spirits or ghosts."

  Now some parts of legends are not true but most are based on some facts. We are so civilized and smart we think we know it all.  

The natives of the Tibet/Himalayan region of Asia have similar legends (Yeti) going back hundreds of years as well.  Among the Tibetan Buddhists the Yeti is considered a sacred creature with supernatural abilities.   There is even a Buddhist monastery in the Himalaya that claims to have among it's sacred objects a "Yeti scalp".  Though, because it is sacred they will let no scientists take samples for testing, so it could just be a misshapen Yak hump... ...

As others have pointed out, almost every legend has some small kernel of truth at it's beginning.

[saggs]

Inspired by this thread, I just downloaded this book to my Kindle.

Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science by Dr. Jeff Meldrum (who I mentioned earlier)

I've seen Dr. Meldrum on a documentary before, and he is one of a few serious primate/anthropology researchers investigating the phenomenon.  He takes it seriously and actually follows the scientific method, using hard science and theories from both believers and skeptics.  (Unlike those idiots on the Animal Planet show   )

Amazon description:

In this landmark work on a subject too often dismissed as paranormal or disreputable, Jeffrey Meldrum gives us the first book on sasquatch to be written by a scientist with impeccable academic credentials, an objective look at the facts in a field mined with hoaxes and sensationalism. Meldrum reports on the work of a team of experts from a wide variety of fields who were assembled to examine the evidence for a large, yet undiscovered, North American primate. He reviews the long history of this mystery--which long predates the "bigfoot" flap of the late fifties--and explains all the scientific pros and cons in a clear and accessible style, amplified by over 150 illustrations. Anyone who has pondered the mysteries of human evolution will be fascinated and eager to join Dr. Meldrum in drawing their own conclusion.

Reviews say it is the best scientific book on the subject, so I'm looking forward to a good read.

[RTHolmes]

Now some parts of legends are not true but most are based on some facts. We are so civilized and smart we think we know it all.   

legends are just stories. some may have roots in reality but you wouldnt recognise that reality in the story. classical greek mythology is a good example - ancient gods, heros, giants and monsters. the reality is that some humans very advanced for their age (but not for ours) found a few dinosaur bones and rationalised their discoveries by creating the legends that we are still enjoying 2,500yrs later.

bigfoot? possible I suppose, although there would have to be 100s in each population to make them sustainable. the only evidence seems to be film of a bloke in a gorilla suit and some plastercasts that even a schoolkid could have faked ...

[saggs]

some plastercasts that even a schoolkid could have faked ...

I'll agree most footprint casts are likely hoaxes, (see the whole Ray Wallace family hoax)

But there are some casts out there that display accurate dermal ridges, metatarsal breaks and other large primate details that the average joe wouldn't even know to fake.  If these are fakes they where not made by schoolkids, but by people with decent knowledge of large primate anatomy, and sophisticated equipment.

Not saying they're genuine, just saying don't be so quickly dismissive.  Just because many are obvious poor hoaxes, doesn't mean all are.

[Slash27]

the only evidence seems to be film of a bloke in a gorilla suit and some plastercasts that even a schoolkid could have faked ...

Not exactly.

[Widewing]

I'll just say that I have an open mind on this topic.

However, if Al Gore were to announce that he had proof positive of Bigfoot, I'd immediately know the creature was a legend....

[Slash27]

Manbearpig!

[skorpx1]

Not exactly.

What other evidence do you have?

All I saw in Bigfoot's defense was that video.

[Ack-Ack]

What Photoshop version was available in 1967 exactly? And the '60's were known for it's groundbreaking special effects. Which is why we have the Patterson-Gimlin film with the most realistic "man in a gorilla suit" ever. It's so good no one has been able to re-create what they did.

You've never heard of Philip Morris (maker of the suit used in Patterson's film) or Bob Heironimus (the guy that wore the suit).

ack-ack