Elusive Primates Of North America

 Thank You to the TBRC for allowing us the use of their FQA

Taxonomy can be a subjective game, subject to changing rules. However, as implied by the term “missing link,” the sasquatch or bigfoot gives every indication of being a primate, one that might be characterized as a hominoid, a member of the taxonomic grouping that includes humans, gibbons (the lesser apes), and pongids (the great apes), together with their extinct ancestors and relatives. Most academicians who have studied the evidence fall into the camp that speculates the sasquatch is an undocumented species of great ape. This position is supported in part by analyses of hundreds of casts of purported bigfoot tracks by Idaho State University biological anthropologist and primate anatomist Jeff Meldrum and Washington State University physical anthropologist Grover Krantz, who argued that the inferred foot anatomy and mechanics were apelike, in spite of superficial similarities to the human foot.

One of the most startling, and disconcerting to some, aspects of the sasquatch phenomenon concerns the bipedal mode of locomotion typically reported by those who claim to have seen the species.

Primate anatomy experts who have studied the so-called Skookum Body Cast (collected in September 2000 in Washington state), such as Daris Swindler, a prominent University of Washington anthropologist and primate taxonomist, have determined that part of the imprint, allegedly made by a sasquatch, showed a huge heel and Achilles tendon, physical features indicative of a bipedal species.

Primate bipedalism is interpreted by some anthropologists as a unique characteristic of the genus Homo. However, Carlton Coon, former president of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists and one of the few anthropologists who have publicly expressed confidence that the sasquatch exists, argued that walking on two legs was not necessarily a sign that the sasquatch was close kin to humans, stating that, “More than one primate can have found it advantageous to stand and walk erect.”

Other lines of reasoning support the position that the sasquatch does not represent an intermediary form, or missing link, between humans and apes. This would include the absolute absence of credible reported observations of rudimentary cultural traits beyond what might ordinarily be expected from a great ape, such as the construction of crude “nests” or shelters or the throwing of objects. This subject is discussed more fully by Dr. John Bindernagel in his book, North America’s Great Ape: the Sasquatch.

Physical remains of a huge ape species have been found, but not yet in North America. Some researchers, including prominent primatologist Daris Swindler, are convinced that the evidence serves to indicate that the sasquatch is a modern-day descendent of Gigantopithecus blacki, a widespread Asian ape of gigantic proportions that possibly lived as recently as 250,000 years ago, according to the fossil record.

Of course, when most people ask this question they are usually limiting their inquiry to Canada and the United States. There is no definitive answer regarding the absence of physical remains in contemporary times. The best we can conjecture is that the sasquatch is a very rare species and that, like most animals that perish in the wild, their remains do not last long in the heavily wooded areas they seem to prefer. Even the remains of common known animals that died from natural causes or were not killed due to contact with humans are rarely found in the wild.

Any large species of animal can be potentially dangerous. In 1998 a tapir attacked a zoo keeper in Oklahoma City and bit off her arm. Deer have been known to attack and even kill humans. In March 2004, at the Dallas Zoo, a male gorilla escaped, injuring several people onsite before he was shot down by local law enforcement. Each year zoo animals, wild animals, and pets injure humans.

One should not presume that the sasquatch is incapable of endangering a human; however, thousands of reports accumulating over the last two hundred years or so almost universally indicate that the sasquatch is a timid and wary animal, preferring to retreat or hide when near humans. However, like other primates, particularly the great apes, sasquatches also appear to be highly intelligent and curious, and anecdotal evidence suggests that they will occasionally approach human structures or vehicles, particularly under cover of darkness, perhaps motivated by the possibility of finding food. We are not aware of any credible reports of injuries resulting from sasquatch aggression, including the alleged attacks in 1924 at Ape Canyon in Washington state, and we do not believe there is any reason to fear the species. A number of TBRC researchers have seen and been near the creatures; while a sasquatch may sound intimidating, and apparently they will sometimes exhibit seemingly aggressive intimidation behavior (very much like the great apes), in our experience they do not present a serious threat.

As with most questions pertaining to the species, we can only speculate regarding why a bigfoot has not been killed, inadvertently or intentionally, to produce a corpse.

There are apparently credible accounts of sasquatches being hit by vehicles, and possibly injured. Needless to say, no bodies have been recovered. One such account from Oregon was investigated by wildlife biologists LeRoy Fish and Alton Higgins. Both men corresponded and spoke with the reporting witness extensively over a period of months and found him to be credible. Unfortunately, neither investigator was able to interview the second witness, with whom the reporting witness had lost contact.

A rather large number of individuals claim to have shot a bigfoot, or at least shot at one. It’s likely that many, if not most, people who have fired a gun at a sasquatch probably missed their target. Wildlife biologist John Bindernagel investigated a report of a wounded bigfoot. The witness claimed he shot the creature in the arm. In the following years Dr. Bindernagel reports that he investigated several sightings from independent sources where witnesses reported seeing a sasquatch with an apparently damaged arm.

However, there are a few accounts of sasquatches being fatally wounded. One of the most thorough investigations of a claimed sasquatch killing was performed by Curt Nelson, a senior research scientist at the University of Minnesota.

Reliable reported observations of the sasquatch do seem to indicate that it is an omnivore; that is, it is an animal that feeds on both plants and other animals. Using the anecdotal data supplied by the thousands of reported sightings from North America, it is reasonable to propose that the sasquatch’s diet consists of nuts, leaves, berries, fruit, fish, shellfish, crawfish, insects, small rodents, squirrels, rabbits, deer, elk, wild hogs, and domesticated farm animals such as chickens and hogs.

Other primates, such as humans (Homo sapiens) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), consume animal flesh, and as such, are both omnivores as well. While gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) and orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) are strict herbivores, recent studies suggest that Gigantopithecus blacki was an opportunistic omnivore, aptly fitting reported observations of the sasquatch.