Bigfoot

1. Bigfoot Myth or Monster? Written by Mrs. Bollegraf Room 100

2. Facts About Bigfoot • Bigfoot is a large, bi-pedal, humanoid creature. • It is said to be between 6-10 feet tall and weigh over 500 pounds. • It is covered in hair, which is usually dark brown. • Bigfoot is said to have enormous feet, up to a foot and a half long.

3. Facts About Bigfoot • Bigfoot lives in North America, mostly in the North-western states and provinces, like California, Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Alberta.

4. Facts About Bigfoot • Many different Aboriginal groups have creatures in their myths and legends that sound like a Bigfoot. • In the 1920s, a Canadian historian named JW Burns was researching Aboriginal myths of the Northwest and was amazed by how many different tribes had similar stories of a “hairy giant” in them. In his research, he called the hairy giant “Sasquatch”. • The name Bigfoot became popular after a newspaper article in 1958 describing footprints that were found.

5. Stories About Bigfoot • The first recorded sighting of a Bigfoot came in 1811 near what now is the town of Jasper, Alberta Canada. A trader named David Thompson found some strange footprints, fourteen inches long and eight inches wide, with four toes, in the snow. • In 1924, gold miner Albert Ostman claimed he was kidnapped by a Bigfoot family and lived with them for a week until he escaped. • In 1967, two friends Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin took a short film that clearly shows a Bigfoot.

6. Evidence Supporting Bigfoot • The most famous piece of evidence supporting Bigfoot’s existence is the Patterson-Gimlin film taken in 1967. • This film clearly shows a large, hairy creature, distinctly different from any known animal. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvEERL2Efdk&feature=player_embedded

7. Evidence Supporting Bigfoot • Footprints are another common piece of evidence. • Since 1958, thousands of large bipedal footprints have been found throughout North America. • A plaster cast or photograph of the prints are often taken.

8. Evidence Against Bigfoot • The sightings of Bigfoot may just be hoaxes; people dressed up in ape suits. • Also, although there have been tens of thousands of sightings, no one has ever found bones or remains of a Bigfoot or captured a Bigfoot.

9. Theories About Bigfoot • One of the Bigfoot theories is that Bigfoot is an ancient ape called Gigantopithecus (a giant cousin of the orangutan) that has been presumed extinct. • Another theory is that Bigfoot is just an unknown species of bear. • One of the most unusual theories taken from Aboriginal myths is that Bigfoot is a shape-shifter, capable of turning himself invisible, which is how it hides from people so well.

10. My Personal Opinion • After considering the facts, I believe that Bigfoot does exist. • Firstly, there have been too many sightings from too many people for Bigfoot to be a myth. • Also, if you compare the footprints found next to a human’s, mountain lion’s or bear’s, they are distinctly different. • Finally, the Patterson-Gimlin film has been examined by film makers and scientists and has been found to be authentic.

11. Works Cited • "Bigfoot Sightings." Squidoo : Welcome to Squidoo. Web. 24 Oct. 2010. <http://www.squidoo.com/bigfootsightings>. • "Bigfoot." The Skeptic's Dictionary - Skepdic.com. Web. 25 Oct. 2010. <http://www.skepdic.com/bigfoot.html>. • "A Guide to Bigfoot Hunting - History of Bigfoot." A Guide to Bigfoot Hunting - BigfootHunting.com. Web. 24 Oct. 2010. <http://www.bigfoothunting.com/info/bigfoot_history.shtml>. • "A Guide to Bigfoot Hunting - History of Bigfoot." A Guide to Bigfoot Hunting - BigfootHunting.com. Web. 24 Oct. 2010. <http://www.bigfoothunting.com/info/bigfoot_history.shtml>. • "Possible New Bigfoot Print Found | Ghost Theory." GhostTheory.com - Paranormal Reports & Interviews. Ghosts, Hauntings and Everything Paranormal. Web. 25 Oct. 2010. <http://www.ghosttheory.com/2009/05/29/possible-new-bigfoot-print-found>.