In search of the mysterious 'Forest Man'

Societies around the world and down the centuries have one thing in common - countless sightings of their own version of a forest-dwelling Bigfoot. Sumatra in Indonesia is no exception, and three British explorers are on the hunt.

- JAMES RAMPTON reports

AMERICAN writer and comedy star Allen Covert once declared: “Anytime there is a Bigfoot show, where they supposedly have recordings of him, I am watching. I love the idea of Bigfoot. I want him to be out there somewhere...

He’s not alone.

Many of us are besotted by the myths of mysterious, giant hominids lurking undiscovered in the wilderness.

Persisting in every corner of the globe, these large, bipedal, hairy primates have loomed large in our imaginations over many millennia. And these legends carry immense cultural importance.

Far more than mere fairytales to keep unruly children in check, these folkloric creatures have personified the fears and dreams of many different communities.

The myths are everywhere.

Sasquatch is said to haunt the deepest forests of North America. Legend has it Yeren stalks the far-flung peaks of the central Chinese mountains.

The Chupacabra is thought to reside in the Amazonian rainforest. And the legendary Yeti is rumoured to tramp the wilder regions of the Himalayas.

However, the cryptid (an animal whose existence is disputed) that has perhaps been most frequently "sighted", and many think is most likely to be found next, is Orang Pendek (Forest Man).

For thousands of years, inhabitants of the remotest jungles of Sumatra have reported seeing this shy creature.

Residents have recounted stories of glimpsing an upright, apelike figure striding through foliage.