Last updated on January 18th, 2022 at 10:55 am
For centuries large ape sightings have been reported in North America. Indigenous peoples created a great variety of names for these animals, as did early settlers and residents in many rural communities. Often referred to in the past as the “Hairy Man,” “Booger” or “Wildman,” and often referred to in the modern vernacular as the sasquatch or “Bigfoot,” the North American Wood Ape Conservancy refers to them as wood apes.
Some contemporary observers dismiss all such accounts as the products of imagination or misidentification, while others ascribe metaphysical origins to the sightings and stories. The North American Wood Ape Conservancy maintains that the source of these legends and the more recent accounts is a primate, as yet undocumented by science. Although wary in the extreme and undoubtedly intelligent, described wood ape behaviors are consistent with what should be expected of a living species.
While wood ape sightings are often identified or associated with northwestern states and provinces, the species also appears to be resident in the most remote and heavily forested regions of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. Opinions on the question of the relatedness of the animals vary, some arguing that individuals in the southern wood ape population may be slightly smaller on average. However, based on witness descriptions, tracks, photographs, and other forms of evidence, the creatures observed in the Pacific Northwest appear to be the same species as those observed in Texas and adjacent states.
Additional material regarding the appearance and behavior of these animals is available through the Bigfoot Description link. Examples of regional witness sightings and locations can be studied more specifically in our Reports database. The Evidence page summarizes some of the data and other forms of documentation supporting the existence of an uncatalogued bipedal primate in North America. A variety of commonly raised issues are addressed in the FAQs section, and the Additional Resources page features links to many articles and papers covering a diversity of topics of interest to scientists and others interested in more in-depth information regarding the wood ape phenomenon.
“I’m sure that they exist.”
– Dr. Jane Goodall
