There have been thousands of sightings of Bigfoot-type creatures around the world, from the jungles of Brazil to the Australian bush; high in the Himalayas; across China, Eurasia, into North America – and even in our own backyard, in the British Columbia wilderness! But no one has ever analyzed these sightings from a global perspective – until now. BIGFOOT: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE connects the dots and offers a fresh approach to the enduring Bigfoot mystery. Premiering Sunday, May 15 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery Channel, this two-hour original Canadian special draws together the world’s leading scientific experts and examines the diverse strands of information including fossil records, primate evolution and even first-hand accounts of beastly encounters – to write the newest chapter in the timeless story.
There have been more than 10,000 recorded sightings around the world of an unidentified creature which walks on two legs and is covered in hair. But what is it, exactly? Working with an interactive global map – layered with historical, geographical, environmental and even cultural data – five experts in primatology and archaeology investigate the existence of Bigfoot based on reported encounters and physical evidence. Using this data, the team looks at unexplained clusters of sightings around the world – habitats where a giant primate could live – and offer their verdicts on the North American Sasquatch, the Himalayan Yeti, the Florida Skunk Ape, and the Sumatran Orang Pendek.
These experts span a range of scientific disciplines: Dr. Anna Nekaris is working to identify a new species of ape; Dr. Bill Sellers studies ancient humans; Dr. Ian Redmond is an expert on the habitats and behaviours of the great ape; Dr. Jack Rink specializes in fossil records; and Dr. Jeff Meldrum leads the search for unidentified hominids. Remarkably, this scientific panel also represents the full range of the “believer / sceptic” spectrum about whether – or not – Bigfoot is real. Does the creature exist? And if it does where is it? And how can it survive without being detected?
The team concentrates on a fundamental principle: If Bigfoot is real, it must fit into our understanding of the natural world and it must do everything other animals do, from feeding to finding a mate. With their expert knowledge of nature, they can dismiss nearly 90% of the sightings, but what also emerges is an intriguing series of patterns centered in a number of global hotspots – including the coastal forest areas of BC, especially near Chilliwack and Vancouver Island. These cannot be otherwise explained and strongly suggest that “something is out there.” The team examines these locations to search for explanations, including new theories that suggest we may have been looking for the wrong creature all along.
