Bigfoot: The Missing Link

          Before you read the title and laugh about the thought of the famed and acclaimed Bigfoot being real, consider this: how much more evidence is needed? Ever since the 1930’s when the first Bigfoot sighting occurred (Simpson 251), people have wondered if Bigfoot is real, and if so, what does he really look like? Common sense says the Bigfoot looks like a gorilla in a human form. There are pictures of the Bigfoot that support this theory. Skeptics find reasons to shoot evidence like the picture of Bigfoot walking down, but the amount of evidence in favor of Bigfoot has become insurmountable.

Bigfoot, famously part of the Patterson-Gimlin
film, which many believe to be fake

            Most scientists don’t believe in a Sasquatch. They believe in what the numbers and data prove. Sasquatch is an “unknown,” (Simpson 251) and science is generally not in the business of investigating the unknown, but rather in working out minor details of principles that are already accepted. With a lack of scientific evidence that supports the claim of a Bigfoot, scientists tend to ignore any unproven facts. Of course, with a lack of evidence, they cannot disprove Sasquatch either.  It’s a two way street. Until the scientific community can solidly disprove that a large hairy man-like beast that is known to roam the rural mountains and forests of the world, there will always be believers.

            Part of the reason for the lack of scientific evidence in support of the Bigfoot is because many in the scientific community look down upon anyone who expresses any belief in it whatsoever. Funding for a Bigfoot expedition would be practically impossible to obtain. If a member of the scientific community were to express an interest in a Bigfoot expedition, he or she would be laughed at by their colleagues. No one wants to be branded a believer in mythical beings, as it would damage their reputation in the scientific community. A loss of ethos would severely damage any credibility a scientist worked all his/her career to obtain. This bias towards possible believers has made it possible for the continued discussion to be made on whether or not a Bigfoot does exist, as anybody who would try to disprove it would be looked down upon and considered wasting time. Also, scientists don’t want to admit that they could have somehow missed such a huge phenomenon that could be the missing link to the evolution of humanity. Such a mistake would embarrass many in the scientific community who have opposed the idea of a Sasquatch their whole lives. A discovery could undermine their whole careers.

            In 2003 BBC sponsored a search of Loch Ness to find the Loch Ness Monster. Despite using 600 separate sonar beams and satellite tracking that was able to pinpoint a small buoy, no traces of a Loch Ness Monster was found.  This should be enough evidence to disprove most believers. If there was a full-blown highly funded search for the Bigfoot that provided enough data and evidence that made the possibility of Sasquatch too improbable, or impossible, believers may be forced to look in the mirror. Chances are that will never happen. Unlike a search for the Loch Ness Monster that would only have to cover one secluded place, Bigfoot sightings have occurred all over the world, including many in all parts of the U.S.A (McLeod). An extensive search funded by a large network would have to be much larger than the Loch Ness counterpart. Right now, the closest thing is the popular Animal Planet show Finding Bigfoot (only need to watch first 5 minutes.)

Pictures like this one have baffled even the most serious Bigfoot skeptics

            Many skeptics are like Jackson Conway, who wrote an essay entitled: Sasquatch, Bigfoot, The Yeti: They Do Not Exist And Here Are Reasons Why. He claims that lack of physical evidence like a body proves Bigfoot doesn't exist. There are many species out in the wilderness that have escaped the human eye. How do we know Bigfoot isn't extremely smart? Jackson claims that a Sasquatch would've fallen into some sort of hunter’s trap, been shot, or captured on camera by now (which it has) if it was real. Sasquatch’s could have super smelling, like many animals, and may be able to avoid these traps. They can probably communicate to each other what smells are bad and to avoid them, if they are a super-intelligent race.

            The evidence in favor of Bigfoot is too much to ignore. Instead of branding the people who believe as fools, why not do some research yourself? It’s like politics; nobody wants to compromise, they only believe what they think is right, often without doing the research to make the right choice. In this case the choice is clear. Do the research, watch the videos read some of the eye witness accounts, read the books. Bigfoot is real.