Bigfoot

Is there a giant ape loose in the wild?

- 

Sightings of a giant, hairy, apelike creature have been reported in North America for centuries. Known today as Bigfoot, the creature is said to walk upright and be larger than a human. Despite the stories – and photos and videos – there is still no conclusive proof of its existence. Could there really be a strange animal living totally undetected in the mountains and forests of the US? Let's head off into the wilderness to investigate.

An ancient creature

Reports of large apelike creatures go back to the original Native American tribes of North America. Later settlers also recorded similar stories. They describe a creature with human and animal-like features that acts as a guardian of the forest. Its original name was “Sasquatch”, translating roughly to “hairy man” or “wild man”.

Speaking to The Week Junior Science+Nature’s Mysteries of Science podcast, author Susan Martineau described Sasquatch as “up to 10 feet tall” with “massive shoulders, big arms and covered in dark hair or fur” – and with a disgusting smell.

Caught on camera