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William shatner:
It hides in the shadows.
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A giant, hairy creature
that walks on two feet
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and watches us
with glowing eyes.
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Does bigfoot really exist?
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Part ape, part man?
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As crazy as it seems,
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there are many who believe
that not only
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is such a creature real
but they've seen it,
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tracked it,
even photographed it.
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But then, if bigfoot
does exist, what is it?
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Where does it come from?
How many are there?
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And perhaps more importantly...
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(creature snarling)
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...Should we be afraid of it?
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Well, that is what
we'll try and find out.
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Bigfoot researcher
matt moneymaker and a colleague
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are investigating
reported bigfoot sightings
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in a wooded area
near the town of kent.
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After spending years
pursuing bigfoot
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in hopes of seeing one himself,
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matt is eager to find out
whether there really is
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a giant creature in these woods.
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Matt moneymaker:
We were staked out
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along a road, the guy I was
with was about 60 feet away.
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And at about 2:30 a.M.,
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something comes walking
down the road.
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I see something.
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He sees it first
through night vision.
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Shatner:
Matt rushes over to investigate,
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and is stopped dead in his
tracks by the sound of...
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-(growling)
-...Inhuman growling.
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Moneymaker:
This thing steps out.
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A very big, tall,
hair-covered thing...
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...Standing out there
growling at me.
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When you've got
something that big
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that close to you, you could
see it well enough to know
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that must be a bigfoot.
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So I just kind of backed up
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and walked away.
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I was pretty happy
at that point,
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because I'm thinking,
"if this one's gonna do that,
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"reliably, then this is a place
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"that we're gonna get
some video footage of them
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if we're coming here
with the right kind of gear."
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shatner:
But when matt returned
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with camera equipment
to document the encounter,
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the creature had vanished.
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Although matt was not
able to photograph
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the large, hairy beast
that he witnessed,
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he remains convinced that what
he saw was, in fact, bigfoot.
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It's one of those things
that sounds so over-the-top,
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but after I had
a face-to-face encounter,
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I knew it was exactly
the same thing
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that all the witnesses
around there had described.
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Shatner:
The encounter inspired matt
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to found the bigfoot field
researchers organization,
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or bfro.
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Moneymaker:
The roots of it are people
who were sharing information.
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We were sharing
sighting reports, mainly,
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from different parts
of the country.
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And I came up
with the idea that,
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"why don't we put all these
into a website?"
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you know, sort it
by county and state
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so people can look up reports.
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And when we did that,
it worked really well.
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Lots of people started
submitting reports.
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Shatner:
According to the bfro,
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there have been more than
3,500 credible bigfoot sightings
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since 1960.
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Although science has yet
to prove the existence
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of the legendary man-beast,
that hasn't stopped bigfoot
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from becoming
a full-fledged phenomenon.
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Christopher bader:
Bigfoot is literally everywhere.
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There are bigfoot stories
in nevada.
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There are
bigfoot stories in nebraska,
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florida, texas.
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Literally every part
of the country
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has its own stories and legends
of bigfoot.
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It's likely, wherever you live
in this country,
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you are within a hundred miles
of a place
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that purportedly has a bigfoot.
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Shatner:
If these sightings
are of a real creature,
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then what exactly is bigfoot?
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And how did this
phenomenon begin?
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Tok thompson:
Bigfoot is generally
reported to be
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a very large, very furry, uh,
hominid creature.
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Something like a person,
uh, but not a person,
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seen very often remotely
in the forest.
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And with various stories
about sightings
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or about footprints that
really are pretty widespread
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in many, many communities in
the united states and in canada.
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Before 1958, people didn't
use the word "bigfoot."
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but it was in 1958
in northern california,
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guys building a road
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found footprints
around their gear
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when they would come
back in the morning.
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And a guy named jerry crew
made plaster footprints
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of these tracks and showed them
to a reporter in eureka,
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and they dubbed it "bigfoot."
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that was where the name
first originated
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and got
into american vocabulary.
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Shatner:
Photos of jerry crew's cast
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of giant footprints made
headlines across the country.
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Many americans came
to believe that a tall,
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bipedal, apelike creature
roamed the forests
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of the pacific northwest.
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I grew up in washington state,
where it's hard
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to underestimate
bigfoot's power.
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Bigfoot is the mascot
of different companies.
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Bigfoot is all over billboards.
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As a young boy
in washington state,
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I fully believed
in bigfoot's existence.
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Shatner:
In 1967, interest
in bigfoot surged
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when an investigator
named roger patterson
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captured incredible footage
of a creature
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that matched
the description of bigfoot
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near bluff creek
in northern california.
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Patterson's film became
an instant sensation,
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but skeptics claimed
that it had to be a man
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in a monkey suit.
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One of the issues when it comes
to people believing
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in bigfoot existing
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is, let's face it,
mainstream sciences
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shun away from this topic.
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However, amateur researchers
are trying to pick up the slack,
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bridge that gap
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between amateur
and mainstream science.
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Shatner:
Bigfoot researchers claim
that the vast majority
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of bigfoot sightings
are sincere,
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and that hoaxes represent only
a small fraction of reports.
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They also point out that stories
of bigfoot-like animals
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are not merely a recent fad.
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Believe it or not,
more than 3,000 years ago,
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the ancient babylonians
told stories of a creature
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that sounds an awful lot
like bigfoot.
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Except they called it enkidu.
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Sara burdorff:
Enkidu is a...
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Hairy, wild man creature
with super strength,
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and he's fearsome,
he's ready and willing
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to defend this wild territory
that he inhabits.
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The king, gilgamesh,
becomes his soulmate, basically.
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Best friends.
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So, this king becomes
this amazing hero
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through his relationship
with this wild man
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that has shown him
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how to negotiate the boundaries
between humanity and wildness.
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Shatner:
Since that time, descriptions
of so-called "wild men,"
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half-human, half-ape beasts,
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have popped up throughout
history, all over the world.
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Jonathan young:
In the caucasus,
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there was something
called the alma
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that was a big monster,
a nature creature.
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In australia,
there's the aboriginal version
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which is called a yowie.
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There is the yeti
in the himalayas.
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So there are local variations,
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but the story
is more or less the same.
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Very big, seemingly animallike,
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or is it human
or is it some hybrid?
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There's the point.
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Shatner:
In north america,
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there are native american
legends that go back centuries,
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long before the discoveries
made by jerry crew
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or roger patterson.
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Lynne mcneill:
We know that sasquatch,
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the preeminent bigfoot creature
that we have
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in the united states, located
in the pacific northwest,
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that very word, "sasquatch,"
comes from a salish tribal word
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that means "wild man"
or "hairy man."
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young:
The natives of the northwest say
that there are creatures
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that walk upright
and only at night.
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And can speak in their language.
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Neiss:
I found, in speaking
with indigenous peoples,
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that they don't describe them
as an animal at all.
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They call them the first ones,
or the old ones.
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"these were the tribe that was
here before we got here."
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shatner:
An ancient tribe
that predates humanity?
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It's a fascinating notion,
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one that bigfoot researchers
are eager to investigate.
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And there are some who will risk
going into the deepest
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and darkest forests to try
and capture the huge creature,
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even though it may not
want to be found.
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(low growl)
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shatner: Future u.S. President
teddy roosevelt
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publishes the wilderness hunter,
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a book about
his youthful adventures
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in the dakota territory.
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His memoir contains a story
that was told to him
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by an old mountain man,
who, years before,
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had encountered an apelike
creature deep in the woods.
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There were some trappers
and they kept having
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encounters kind of in the dark
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with what they thought
were these huge creatures
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that were leaving
huge manlike footprints.
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One of the guys decided
to go off and check traps,
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and the other one
would hide back at camp
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and see what was
coming in every time
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that they would leave camp.
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When the guy came back
from checking traps,
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he found his friend dead,
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his body broken over a log,
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and it looked like
it had just been pummeled.
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And they attributed it to
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an eight-foot-tall,
600-pound ape.
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Shatner:
The disturbing encounter
recorded by roosevelt
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is one of the earliest accounts
of american pioneers
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coming face-to-face
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with what many
native americans called...
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Sasquatch.
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If the story is true,
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it seems like sasquatch wasn't
very friendly
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towards humans who
encroached on its territory.
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(low growling)
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there are vastly different ideas
within the bigfoot subculture
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00:11:55,966 --> 00:11:57,924
about bigfoot's disposition.
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Some believe that bigfoot is
an angry, homicidal predator.
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And if you come into its domain,
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00:12:05,225 --> 00:12:07,267
it will try to kill you
if it can.
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00:12:07,352 --> 00:12:10,687
Others believe that bigfoot
is merely an animal.
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And just like a grizzly bear
might become aggressive
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under the right circumstances,
it could.
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Shatner:
Over the past century, more
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00:12:22,451 --> 00:12:24,325
of the american wilderness
has been settled,
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with the construction
of new housing, industry,
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00:12:27,497 --> 00:12:29,748
and infrastructure.
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00:12:29,833 --> 00:12:32,667
But if we have been encroaching
on bigfoot's habitat
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for so long,
then how come no one has ever
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recovered the body of one?
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It's been estimated perhaps
2,000 of these things exist
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throughout
the pacific northwest.
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Sounds like a lot,
but it really isn't.
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Considering two
of the major ranges,
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the cascade range
and the coast range,
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make up 68,000 square miles,
mostly uninhabited.
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When you distribute
2,000 of anything
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in 68,000 square miles...
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You'd be lucky to run
across one in your life.
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Bader:
People who believe
that bigfoot is
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00:13:13,460 --> 00:13:15,126
a biological creature
will simply
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00:13:15,212 --> 00:13:16,628
talk about how stealthy it is,
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that it's very good at moving
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00:13:18,715 --> 00:13:20,590
through the woods
without making any noise
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00:13:20,675 --> 00:13:23,593
and therefore
can slip away at will.
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Shatner:
Is bigfoot simply
too elusive to be captured?
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Perhaps.
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00:13:30,936 --> 00:13:34,020
But that hasn't stopped an army
247
00:13:34,105 --> 00:13:36,356
of so-called "bigfoot hunters"
248
00:13:36,441 --> 00:13:39,400
from trying to track it down.
249
00:13:39,486 --> 00:13:41,986
Jeff meldrum:
The role of citizen scientists
250
00:13:42,072 --> 00:13:44,948
is potentially
a very significant one.
251
00:13:45,033 --> 00:13:48,535
It may well be
that major discoveries
252
00:13:48,620 --> 00:13:51,913
will be made
not by scientists in this arena,
253
00:13:51,998 --> 00:13:54,499
but by citizen scientists.
254
00:13:54,543 --> 00:13:56,793
Bader:
Modern bigfoot hunters
255
00:13:56,837 --> 00:13:59,420
use techniques
such as wood knocking...
256
00:13:59,506 --> 00:14:01,005
(whoops)
257
00:14:01,049 --> 00:14:03,842
...Playing purported bigfoot
screams while in the woods.
258
00:14:03,927 --> 00:14:06,845
These are things that many
modern bigfoot investigators
259
00:14:06,930 --> 00:14:10,056
believe will draw
any nearby sasquatch to you.
260
00:14:11,393 --> 00:14:14,018
Moneymaker:
I think the future
of bigfoot research,
261
00:14:14,062 --> 00:14:17,856
in a lot of ways, rests with new
optics with thermal imagers.
262
00:14:20,026 --> 00:14:22,527
And especially with drones,
263
00:14:22,571 --> 00:14:24,988
thermal imagers
attached to drones.
264
00:14:25,031 --> 00:14:28,825
I really do see a future
where the next
265
00:14:28,869 --> 00:14:30,869
big, profound piece of footage
266
00:14:30,954 --> 00:14:33,079
is gonna be gotten by a drone.
267
00:14:33,164 --> 00:14:35,874
Bader:
Many bigfoot hunters
268
00:14:35,959 --> 00:14:38,209
are very much devoted
to the idea
269
00:14:38,295 --> 00:14:40,044
that the creature
that they're looking for
270
00:14:40,130 --> 00:14:41,796
is an undiscovered animal.
271
00:14:41,882 --> 00:14:44,382
They believe
that if they try hard enough,
272
00:14:44,467 --> 00:14:46,676
they could capture
sufficient evidence
273
00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:48,303
to prove the issue
once and for all.
274
00:14:48,388 --> 00:14:50,722
Shatner:
Bigfoot hunters have set
their sights
275
00:14:50,807 --> 00:14:53,266
on catching the beast itself.
276
00:14:53,351 --> 00:14:56,060
But the most compelling pieces
of evidence
277
00:14:56,146 --> 00:14:59,063
that we have right now
are the huge footprints
278
00:14:59,107 --> 00:15:01,566
that have been found
for decades.
279
00:15:01,651 --> 00:15:05,028
And according to anthropologist
dr. Jeff meldrum,
280
00:15:05,113 --> 00:15:07,488
these impressions in the ground
281
00:15:07,574 --> 00:15:10,116
prove that there really is
282
00:15:10,201 --> 00:15:12,785
an enormous primate
roaming the forest.
283
00:15:12,871 --> 00:15:16,664
Meldrum:
My research expertise
centers around
284
00:15:16,750 --> 00:15:19,500
the adaptations
of the human body
285
00:15:19,586 --> 00:15:23,212
for bipedalism-- the habit
of walking on two legs.
286
00:15:24,466 --> 00:15:27,759
So that put me
in a very apropos position
287
00:15:27,802 --> 00:15:30,553
to address what is probably
288
00:15:30,639 --> 00:15:32,805
the most prolific and,
in my opinion,
289
00:15:32,891 --> 00:15:35,433
by far the most compelling
body of evidence
290
00:15:35,477 --> 00:15:38,144
for the existence of sasquatch,
291
00:15:38,229 --> 00:15:40,396
namely the footprints.
292
00:15:41,816 --> 00:15:44,734
Shatner:
Dr. Meldrum's interest in
bigfoot footprints started
293
00:15:44,819 --> 00:15:48,321
in 1996 when he
and a colleague came across
294
00:15:48,406 --> 00:15:51,115
a remarkable line of footprints
295
00:15:51,159 --> 00:15:54,577
in southeastern washington.
296
00:15:54,663 --> 00:15:58,206
As we walk out there,
here's this unmistakable line
297
00:15:58,291 --> 00:16:00,750
of footprints in the mud,
298
00:16:00,835 --> 00:16:03,586
these 15-inch footprints,
299
00:16:03,672 --> 00:16:07,256
and the hair stood up
on the back of my neck
300
00:16:07,300 --> 00:16:09,300
as I realized
a sasquatch actually
301
00:16:09,344 --> 00:16:11,302
walked by here last night.
302
00:16:11,388 --> 00:16:13,846
The evidence was really
unmistakable to my eye
303
00:16:13,932 --> 00:16:16,599
with my background and training.
304
00:16:17,894 --> 00:16:19,644
Shatner:
Dr. Meldrum immediately made
305
00:16:19,688 --> 00:16:21,854
several casts
of the intriguing footprints.
306
00:16:21,940 --> 00:16:23,815
The first of many such casts
307
00:16:23,900 --> 00:16:26,442
that he has made
throughout his career.
308
00:16:26,528 --> 00:16:29,278
Based off his research,
309
00:16:29,364 --> 00:16:32,949
he has concluded that by
analyzing a variety of factors,
310
00:16:33,034 --> 00:16:36,744
such as how the foot imprints
irregularities into the ground
311
00:16:36,830 --> 00:16:40,206
or the spacing
of the toes in the dirt,
312
00:16:40,291 --> 00:16:43,376
it is possible to determine
when footprints have been faked
313
00:16:43,461 --> 00:16:48,006
and when they were really made
by a 15-inch foot.
314
00:16:50,427 --> 00:16:53,094
So here we are
over 20 years later, and
315
00:16:53,179 --> 00:16:56,014
in addition
to the seven footprint
316
00:16:56,099 --> 00:16:58,683
casts that I made
on that afternoon,
317
00:16:58,768 --> 00:17:01,936
there are over 300 casts
to keep them company here
318
00:17:02,022 --> 00:17:04,355
in the specimen drawers
in my laboratory.
319
00:17:04,441 --> 00:17:06,315
It's just been an amazing road
320
00:17:06,401 --> 00:17:11,195
that has yielded, due to this
extraordinary sample,
321
00:17:11,281 --> 00:17:13,906
the emergence
of a model of a foot
322
00:17:13,992 --> 00:17:16,993
that is not simply
an enlarged facsimile
323
00:17:17,078 --> 00:17:19,871
of a human footprint
but rather shows
324
00:17:19,956 --> 00:17:23,082
all the distinctions
of a foot adapted
325
00:17:23,168 --> 00:17:26,502
to transport
a 800-to-1,200-pound
326
00:17:26,588 --> 00:17:28,129
bipedal primate
327
00:17:28,214 --> 00:17:31,841
through the rough,
irregular, incline terrain
328
00:17:31,926 --> 00:17:33,634
of the mountainous forests
329
00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:36,596
they are said to inhabit.
330
00:17:36,681 --> 00:17:39,432
Shatner:
If bigfoot is making
331
00:17:39,517 --> 00:17:41,684
giant footprints in the forest,
332
00:17:41,770 --> 00:17:44,270
then is it a creature
that can be explained
333
00:17:44,355 --> 00:17:46,064
by conventional science?
334
00:17:46,149 --> 00:17:49,650
Bigfoot researchers believe
the answer is yes.
335
00:17:49,736 --> 00:17:53,738
And they claim
that bigfoot is an animal...
336
00:17:53,782 --> 00:17:56,407
That has already been found.
337
00:18:07,629 --> 00:18:11,714
Shatner:
Explorer robert von beringe
is leading an expedition
338
00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:14,092
up mount sabyinyo
339
00:18:14,177 --> 00:18:16,677
when he comes upon
a troop of gorillas.
340
00:18:16,763 --> 00:18:19,138
Which is extraordinary,
because according
341
00:18:19,224 --> 00:18:22,225
to mainstream scientists
at the time, gorillas aren't
342
00:18:22,310 --> 00:18:24,268
supposed to live
in the mountains.
343
00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:27,271
Bader:
For years, when reports came out
344
00:18:27,315 --> 00:18:29,232
about mountain gorillas,
people said,
345
00:18:29,317 --> 00:18:31,067
"they're lying,
they're hoaxers,"
346
00:18:31,152 --> 00:18:33,861
until we finally had specimens.
347
00:18:33,947 --> 00:18:35,947
(gorilla hooting)
348
00:18:37,075 --> 00:18:39,075
and now
the mountain gorilla are part
349
00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:41,619
of the public
and historical record.
350
00:18:41,663 --> 00:18:43,412
Meldrum:
The discovery of the gorilla
351
00:18:43,498 --> 00:18:45,665
is actually a very good example
352
00:18:45,750 --> 00:18:48,292
of the manner in which
353
00:18:48,336 --> 00:18:51,587
the existence
of an unknown primate species
354
00:18:51,631 --> 00:18:55,758
was eventually recognized
by western science.
355
00:18:55,844 --> 00:18:59,345
And science requires
a type specimen
356
00:18:59,430 --> 00:19:01,931
in order to justify
357
00:19:02,016 --> 00:19:04,600
the recognition
of a novel species.
358
00:19:05,687 --> 00:19:07,645
Shatner:
For bigfoot researchers,
the discovery
359
00:19:07,730 --> 00:19:09,730
of the mountain gorilla
is an example
360
00:19:09,816 --> 00:19:12,275
of how the assumptions
of mainstream scientists
361
00:19:12,360 --> 00:19:14,235
are not always correct.
362
00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:17,655
And they argue that if the
mountain gorilla survived
363
00:19:17,740 --> 00:19:21,367
in the african mountains,
unrecognized by science
364
00:19:21,452 --> 00:19:26,330
until 1902,
that it's possible that bigfoot
365
00:19:26,374 --> 00:19:30,001
is alive in the vast forests
of north america.
366
00:19:30,044 --> 00:19:32,795
It just hasn't
been verified yet.
367
00:19:32,839 --> 00:19:36,841
But is bigfoot really
an unknown creature?
368
00:19:36,885 --> 00:19:39,135
Or is it simply
another name for a creature
369
00:19:39,179 --> 00:19:42,138
we've known about for decades?
370
00:19:42,223 --> 00:19:45,933
There's various theories as to
what this type of primate is.
371
00:19:46,019 --> 00:19:50,104
But it most likely is
related to this line of apes
372
00:19:50,190 --> 00:19:53,107
out of southeast asia, the most
famous of which was called
373
00:19:53,193 --> 00:19:57,069
gigantopithecus, the largest
apes that ever lived.
374
00:19:57,155 --> 00:20:00,531
Meldrum:
Gigantopithecus was
a species that existed
375
00:20:00,575 --> 00:20:05,203
during the late pleistocene,
perhaps until as recently as
376
00:20:05,288 --> 00:20:07,413
200,000 to 300,000 years ago,
377
00:20:07,498 --> 00:20:09,540
according to the fossil record.
378
00:20:09,584 --> 00:20:14,045
It was a giant primate of
literally king kong proportions
379
00:20:14,130 --> 00:20:18,549
that could have stood ten feet
tall and weighed in excess
380
00:20:18,635 --> 00:20:21,052
of a thousand, 1,200 pounds.
381
00:20:22,305 --> 00:20:24,722
Shatner:
The theory that what
we call "bigfoot" is actually
382
00:20:24,807 --> 00:20:28,226
gigantopithecus has
profound implications.
383
00:20:28,269 --> 00:20:32,188
If true, it would mean
that the existence of bigfoot
384
00:20:32,273 --> 00:20:35,024
has already been
scientifically verified.
385
00:20:35,109 --> 00:20:37,026
There's just one problem.
386
00:20:37,111 --> 00:20:40,738
According to paleontologists,
gigantopithecus became extinct
387
00:20:40,823 --> 00:20:44,075
a long time ago.
388
00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:47,578
Meldrum:
Gigantopithecus has
often been characterized
389
00:20:47,622 --> 00:20:51,415
as a creature that fed
exclusively on bamboo
390
00:20:51,501 --> 00:20:53,793
and, hence, went extinct
when those bamboo forests
391
00:20:53,878 --> 00:20:55,711
also expired.
392
00:20:55,755 --> 00:20:59,924
But much more
insightful analyses
393
00:20:59,968 --> 00:21:02,385
of the fossilized teeth
of gigantopithecus
394
00:21:02,470 --> 00:21:06,264
suggests that it had a diet
that was quite diverse.
395
00:21:06,349 --> 00:21:09,267
Which is quite interesting,
to have an animal that size
396
00:21:09,352 --> 00:21:12,603
that still had a very diverse,
omnivorous diet.
397
00:21:12,647 --> 00:21:15,273
Shatner:
But even if gigantopithecus
398
00:21:15,358 --> 00:21:20,111
has somehow survived into
the present, questions remain.
399
00:21:20,196 --> 00:21:23,489
Such as, how did
such a large creature migrate
400
00:21:23,574 --> 00:21:25,658
from the bamboo forests
of southeast asia
401
00:21:25,743 --> 00:21:29,453
all the way to north america?
402
00:21:29,539 --> 00:21:32,123
If bigfoots are descendants
of gigantopithecus,
403
00:21:32,166 --> 00:21:33,666
or a line of apes like it,
404
00:21:33,751 --> 00:21:36,627
they probably came over
the land bridge
405
00:21:36,713 --> 00:21:38,838
the same way
that native americans did,
406
00:21:38,923 --> 00:21:41,799
back when siberia and alaska
were connected
407
00:21:41,843 --> 00:21:44,385
and all sorts of animals
were able to cross over
408
00:21:44,470 --> 00:21:45,803
the bering strait.
409
00:21:45,888 --> 00:21:48,723
Shatner:
Bigfoot researchers
are steadfast
410
00:21:48,808 --> 00:21:52,727
in their support
of the gigantopithecus theory.
411
00:21:52,812 --> 00:21:57,023
But most experts reject the idea
due to lack of evidence.
412
00:21:57,108 --> 00:22:00,568
But what if the evidence
does exist,
413
00:22:00,653 --> 00:22:02,695
and scientists simply
aren't looking for it
414
00:22:02,780 --> 00:22:04,989
in the right places?
415
00:22:10,580 --> 00:22:13,331
Naturalist john mionczynski
is spending the summer
416
00:22:13,374 --> 00:22:15,499
working for the u.S.
Forest service.
417
00:22:16,753 --> 00:22:19,545
I was employed
by the u.S. Forest service
418
00:22:19,630 --> 00:22:21,881
and the wyoming game
and fish department
419
00:22:21,966 --> 00:22:23,841
on a cooperative study.
420
00:22:23,885 --> 00:22:28,220
The project was set up so that
I would live in the wild.
421
00:22:28,306 --> 00:22:31,182
-(owl hooting)
-shatner: Late one night,
422
00:22:31,225 --> 00:22:34,226
john feels what he thinks
is a large bear
423
00:22:34,312 --> 00:22:38,272
pressing against
the outside of his tent.
424
00:22:38,358 --> 00:22:44,195
I was approached by something
that cast a shadow.
425
00:22:44,238 --> 00:22:47,031
The moon was just coming up,
it was almost a full moon.
426
00:22:48,493 --> 00:22:51,660
I clearly saw a hand
with four fingers
427
00:22:51,746 --> 00:22:54,288
and an opposed thumb,
like a human hand.
428
00:22:54,374 --> 00:22:56,290
And it was large.
429
00:22:56,376 --> 00:22:58,250
It was twice the size
of my hand.
430
00:22:58,336 --> 00:23:01,337
It was getting aggressive
with its movements
431
00:23:01,381 --> 00:23:03,547
on the side of the tent.
432
00:23:03,633 --> 00:23:05,216
I hit it
with the back of my hand.
433
00:23:05,259 --> 00:23:07,510
(growling)
434
00:23:08,846 --> 00:23:11,222
whatever it was had backed off.
435
00:23:11,307 --> 00:23:14,558
It ran back behind some trees.
436
00:23:14,644 --> 00:23:16,769
So I was totally perplexed.
437
00:23:16,854 --> 00:23:19,230
I have to say that,
the thought of sasquatch
438
00:23:19,273 --> 00:23:21,649
never occurred to me
at that moment.
439
00:23:21,734 --> 00:23:25,277
Shatner:
When john reported the encounter
to the forest service,
440
00:23:25,363 --> 00:23:29,407
he learned that there had been
a rash of similar reports.
441
00:23:29,492 --> 00:23:31,158
His boss, afraid the sightings
442
00:23:31,244 --> 00:23:32,952
might be the work
of a prankster,
443
00:23:33,037 --> 00:23:36,205
asked him to investigate
and interview the witnesses.
444
00:23:36,290 --> 00:23:38,165
Mionczynski:
I eventually interviewed
445
00:23:38,251 --> 00:23:40,042
about 25 people.
446
00:23:40,128 --> 00:23:45,047
The most interesting one
was a young man
447
00:23:45,133 --> 00:23:47,258
in a little cabin
up against the mountains.
448
00:23:47,301 --> 00:23:48,300
(creature growls)
449
00:23:48,386 --> 00:23:49,844
he had reported
450
00:23:49,929 --> 00:23:52,972
seeing one of these
behaving aggressively
451
00:23:53,057 --> 00:23:54,432
in front of his cabin.
452
00:23:56,436 --> 00:23:58,227
And he shot it.
453
00:24:01,190 --> 00:24:02,565
And he'd thought he'd killed it,
454
00:24:02,608 --> 00:24:05,317
but it got up immediately
and ran off.
455
00:24:05,403 --> 00:24:08,612
Shatner:
John visited the cabin
and, incredibly,
456
00:24:08,656 --> 00:24:12,116
found that there were hair
samples left near the house.
457
00:24:12,201 --> 00:24:15,286
He collected the hairs
and brought them
458
00:24:15,329 --> 00:24:18,789
to walter birkby, a well-known
forensic anthropologist
459
00:24:18,875 --> 00:24:22,626
and leading expert
on hair analysis.
460
00:24:22,712 --> 00:24:26,380
The analysis came back
a few days later
461
00:24:26,466 --> 00:24:30,217
and walter birkby said,
and this is a quote,
462
00:24:30,303 --> 00:24:34,263
"this is my first stumper.
These hairs are primate."
463
00:24:34,307 --> 00:24:37,266
and he was certain about that.
464
00:24:37,351 --> 00:24:41,812
The result was controversial
because a hairy primate
465
00:24:41,856 --> 00:24:46,108
is not of an animal
native to wyoming.
466
00:24:46,152 --> 00:24:49,904
That kind of suggested
the idea of bigfoot.
467
00:24:49,989 --> 00:24:53,991
Shatner:
Solid, physical evidence
of a primate in wyoming?
468
00:24:54,076 --> 00:24:56,327
You might think
that the scientific community
469
00:24:56,370 --> 00:24:58,871
would be thrilled
by such a discovery.
470
00:24:58,956 --> 00:25:01,582
But john quickly realized
the perils
471
00:25:01,667 --> 00:25:04,376
of making that assumption.
472
00:25:04,462 --> 00:25:06,378
Mionczynski:
The head
of the research division
473
00:25:06,464 --> 00:25:08,506
actually chewed us out.
474
00:25:08,591 --> 00:25:10,591
Pointing his finger at us
and saying,
475
00:25:10,676 --> 00:25:12,343
"if your names
are ever associated
476
00:25:12,428 --> 00:25:14,512
"with this word bigfoot again,
477
00:25:14,555 --> 00:25:17,515
I will personally see to it
that you're fired."
478
00:25:17,558 --> 00:25:20,059
(low growl)
479
00:25:20,144 --> 00:25:23,020
if hard evidence of bigfoot
really exists,
480
00:25:23,105 --> 00:25:26,649
then why are scientists
so eager to dismiss it?
481
00:25:26,734 --> 00:25:29,401
Maybe it's safer to think
482
00:25:29,487 --> 00:25:35,115
that it's all just a delusion
or a hoax.
483
00:25:36,619 --> 00:25:39,954
Or perhaps bigfoot doesn't fit
into their preconceived notions
484
00:25:40,039 --> 00:25:42,248
of the world.
485
00:25:42,333 --> 00:25:45,209
In any case,
some evidence is difficult,
486
00:25:45,294 --> 00:25:49,755
if not downright impossible,
to ignore,
487
00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:51,840
as you shall see.
488
00:26:00,518 --> 00:26:02,851
Shatner:
Researcher robert collier
489
00:26:02,937 --> 00:26:04,979
is leading a bigfoot expedition
490
00:26:05,064 --> 00:26:08,107
in a remote part
of the wilderness.
491
00:26:08,192 --> 00:26:11,735
Collier:
It was about dusk,
getting a little bit darker.
492
00:26:11,821 --> 00:26:15,739
And all of a sudden we hear
these horrendous footsteps.
493
00:26:15,783 --> 00:26:22,246
As we looked in front of us,
what we saw had two legs.
494
00:26:24,375 --> 00:26:27,585
And it looked like
the conical shaped head,
495
00:26:27,670 --> 00:26:30,129
the broad shoulders.
496
00:26:30,214 --> 00:26:31,922
And it's sitting right there.
I'm looking at it.
497
00:26:33,634 --> 00:26:35,593
Shatner:
Robert and his companions
were astonished
498
00:26:35,636 --> 00:26:38,971
by the two-legged creature
moving near them.
499
00:26:39,056 --> 00:26:40,889
But what happened next
was even more extraordinary.
500
00:26:40,975 --> 00:26:43,726
Collier:
Soon as that happened,
501
00:26:43,811 --> 00:26:46,895
it was like somebody had
parked their car down there
502
00:26:46,981 --> 00:26:49,231
and turned on headlights.
503
00:26:49,275 --> 00:26:50,983
Lit up the whole area.
504
00:26:51,068 --> 00:26:53,319
And I remember looking at that
505
00:26:53,404 --> 00:26:57,823
and the lights stayed on,
one, two,
506
00:26:57,908 --> 00:26:59,992
three, off.
507
00:27:00,077 --> 00:27:02,244
Then it just went silent.
508
00:27:02,330 --> 00:27:04,622
But we were in such shock
and pure amazement
509
00:27:04,707 --> 00:27:06,457
from that, from that sighting.
510
00:27:06,542 --> 00:27:12,296
Shatner:
A sudden, brilliant illumination
deep in the forest?
511
00:27:12,381 --> 00:27:15,341
Just before the mysterious
creature robert saw
512
00:27:15,426 --> 00:27:17,343
seemingly disappeared?
513
00:27:17,428 --> 00:27:22,973
While it may sound
like a fantastical story,
514
00:27:23,017 --> 00:27:26,727
this wasn't the last time
robert observed
515
00:27:26,812 --> 00:27:30,064
such a strange occurrence.
516
00:27:30,149 --> 00:27:31,649
Collier:
This last expedition,
517
00:27:31,734 --> 00:27:33,651
I experienced more lights.
518
00:27:33,736 --> 00:27:37,154
We had some activity one night
and I remember,
519
00:27:37,198 --> 00:27:39,365
at one point,
bigfoot turned its body
520
00:27:39,450 --> 00:27:40,574
and it looked back at me.
521
00:27:40,660 --> 00:27:42,368
And then this blue light--
522
00:27:42,453 --> 00:27:44,328
it was a blue streak
through the forest--
523
00:27:44,413 --> 00:27:46,121
and it shot off to the right.
524
00:27:46,207 --> 00:27:47,998
I still can't wrap
my head around it.
525
00:27:48,084 --> 00:27:50,459
But still other people
experience that
526
00:27:50,503 --> 00:27:52,670
and they're seeing
the same things.
527
00:27:52,713 --> 00:27:55,172
People are starting to see
these white orbs.
528
00:27:55,257 --> 00:27:58,425
The blue lights, the streaks.
529
00:27:58,511 --> 00:28:00,511
So, there's the common
denominator in there.
530
00:28:00,596 --> 00:28:04,473
Shatner:
Robert and others who have seen
these inexplicable lights
531
00:28:04,517 --> 00:28:06,308
may not have all the answers.
532
00:28:06,394 --> 00:28:08,811
However, the phenomenon
533
00:28:08,854 --> 00:28:13,607
suggests
an intriguing possibility.
534
00:28:13,693 --> 00:28:17,653
You see, most researchers
speculate that bigfoot could be
535
00:28:17,697 --> 00:28:20,197
some form of ape and man
536
00:28:20,241 --> 00:28:22,199
or a mix of both.
537
00:28:22,284 --> 00:28:24,368
But what if those theories
are missing the target?
538
00:28:24,412 --> 00:28:27,204
If bigfoot is real,
539
00:28:27,289 --> 00:28:29,415
could it be totally different
540
00:28:29,500 --> 00:28:32,084
from any kind of creature
that we're familiar with?
541
00:28:32,169 --> 00:28:34,920
Perhaps the answer
can be found by examining
542
00:28:35,005 --> 00:28:39,216
one of the most notorious
bigfoot encounters in history.
543
00:28:45,599 --> 00:28:49,768
Gold prospector fred beck
and some miners are working
544
00:28:49,854 --> 00:28:53,105
on a claim not far
from mount st. Helens,
545
00:28:53,190 --> 00:28:56,817
when they hear a bizarre noise.
546
00:28:56,902 --> 00:28:58,026
Bader:
Fred and one of his friends
547
00:28:58,070 --> 00:28:59,778
heard strange whistling sounds
548
00:28:59,864 --> 00:29:02,072
and all of a sudden
saw a hairy creature
549
00:29:02,116 --> 00:29:04,116
peek its head
out from behind a tree.
550
00:29:04,201 --> 00:29:05,743
The men instantly
pulled out their guns
551
00:29:05,786 --> 00:29:07,202
and started shooting
at the creature...
552
00:29:10,416 --> 00:29:13,292
...Which howled and screamed
as it ran away.
553
00:29:13,377 --> 00:29:17,421
And this attack on the creature
seemed to provoke it,
554
00:29:17,506 --> 00:29:18,964
because that evening
555
00:29:19,049 --> 00:29:22,426
fred and his friends
in their cabin were assaulted
556
00:29:22,470 --> 00:29:25,763
by what seemed to be a group
of sasquatch, or bigfeet.
557
00:29:25,848 --> 00:29:28,724
They heard pounding on the roof.
558
00:29:31,145 --> 00:29:35,564
Fred described the creatures
as tall and hairy,
559
00:29:35,649 --> 00:29:38,776
having apelike faces and being
entirely hair-covered,
560
00:29:38,819 --> 00:29:40,778
and between six
to eight feet tall,
561
00:29:40,821 --> 00:29:42,321
running around on two legs.
562
00:29:42,406 --> 00:29:44,615
Shatner:
The men soon realized
that the cabin
563
00:29:44,658 --> 00:29:48,076
would not necessarily protect
them from their attackers,
564
00:29:48,120 --> 00:29:50,621
because the creatures
bombarded the cabin
565
00:29:50,706 --> 00:29:52,998
with huge rocks
from the cliffs above
566
00:29:53,083 --> 00:29:56,460
and then tried to get inside.
567
00:29:56,545 --> 00:29:59,463
Bader:
In one especially terrifying
part of the story,
568
00:29:59,507 --> 00:30:00,839
a creature reached its hand
through the cabin
569
00:30:00,925 --> 00:30:03,926
and tried to grab an ax,
but fred grabbed
570
00:30:03,969 --> 00:30:06,470
the head of the ax and turned it
571
00:30:06,514 --> 00:30:08,472
so the creature
couldn't pull it through.
572
00:30:10,559 --> 00:30:13,352
The next morning,
as it neared daylight,
573
00:30:13,437 --> 00:30:15,312
the attacks finally stopped.
574
00:30:15,397 --> 00:30:18,941
And fred and his friends
decided to make their escape.
575
00:30:19,026 --> 00:30:22,444
And this story made
its way into the papers.
576
00:30:22,530 --> 00:30:26,657
And ever since then, this area
has been known as ape canyon.
577
00:30:29,745 --> 00:30:32,246
Shatner:
For some, the so-called
ape canyon incident
578
00:30:32,331 --> 00:30:34,706
proves that bigfoot
possesses intelligence
579
00:30:34,792 --> 00:30:39,753
that exceeds that of any known
animal and rivals our own.
580
00:30:39,839 --> 00:30:44,466
But to others,
the incident suggests something
581
00:30:44,510 --> 00:30:46,510
much more incredible.
582
00:30:47,972 --> 00:30:49,346
Bader:
If you actually look back
583
00:30:49,431 --> 00:30:52,641
to fred beck's own works,
he did not think these creatures
584
00:30:52,726 --> 00:30:55,185
were actually
undiscovered animals.
585
00:30:55,271 --> 00:30:57,229
He thought they were
spiritual entities
586
00:30:57,314 --> 00:30:58,814
from another plane of existence.
587
00:30:58,899 --> 00:31:01,817
He claimed they would
find a footprint track
588
00:31:01,902 --> 00:31:03,944
that would suddenly end
in the middle of a sandbar,
589
00:31:04,029 --> 00:31:05,863
suggesting that a creature
had just simply disappeared
590
00:31:05,906 --> 00:31:08,156
as it was walking.
591
00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:11,743
So, from his perspective, this
was not an undiscovered ape.
592
00:31:11,829 --> 00:31:14,538
It was a mystical creature
from another dimension.
593
00:31:14,582 --> 00:31:18,625
Shatner:
A mystical creature
from another dimension?
594
00:31:18,711 --> 00:31:22,045
But how is such
a thing possible?
595
00:31:22,131 --> 00:31:25,048
And doesn't that theory
contradict
596
00:31:25,092 --> 00:31:28,594
mainstream bigfoot research?
597
00:31:28,679 --> 00:31:31,555
Bader:
The idea that bigfoot
might be able to disappear
598
00:31:31,640 --> 00:31:34,141
into another dimension,
that is very threatening
599
00:31:34,226 --> 00:31:37,394
to that view that it's
simply an undiscovered animal.
600
00:31:37,438 --> 00:31:40,230
And, in fact, people oftentimes
make fun of bigfoot hunters
601
00:31:40,316 --> 00:31:42,024
and say, "you're just like
ghost hunters,
602
00:31:42,109 --> 00:31:43,734
you're just like people
who see fairies and demons."
603
00:31:43,819 --> 00:31:48,030
and when you add paranormal
elements to a bigfoot story,
604
00:31:48,115 --> 00:31:49,823
you open them up
for that very criticism
605
00:31:49,909 --> 00:31:51,241
that bothers them so much.
606
00:31:51,327 --> 00:31:53,577
Thompson: Most of
the contemporary traditions
607
00:31:53,621 --> 00:31:55,287
assign bigfoot or sasquatch
608
00:31:55,372 --> 00:31:56,747
to the natural world.
609
00:31:56,832 --> 00:31:59,207
In other words, it's not
a supernatural character.
610
00:31:59,251 --> 00:32:00,792
Most of the native traditions
611
00:32:00,878 --> 00:32:02,419
would be more of
the spiritual world
612
00:32:02,504 --> 00:32:04,463
or more of
the supernatural world.
613
00:32:04,548 --> 00:32:06,590
That this figure is
more than simply
614
00:32:06,675 --> 00:32:08,383
a large hominid
living out there.
615
00:32:08,427 --> 00:32:12,512
They've ascribed, uh,
some powers to them,
616
00:32:12,598 --> 00:32:14,097
spiritual powers.
617
00:32:14,183 --> 00:32:17,768
They can change into
different things at times,
618
00:32:17,853 --> 00:32:22,439
which aids in their ability
to seem to vanish on location.
619
00:32:22,524 --> 00:32:24,316
Uh, shapeshifters,
if you will.
620
00:32:24,401 --> 00:32:26,401
And so they have
621
00:32:26,487 --> 00:32:29,613
a whole different respect
for them, spiritually.
622
00:32:32,034 --> 00:32:35,744
Does bigfoot really have
mystical powers?
623
00:32:35,829 --> 00:32:39,164
And could this
fantastical notion
624
00:32:39,249 --> 00:32:41,416
help to explain things
about bigfoot
625
00:32:41,502 --> 00:32:46,588
that have, up till now,
stumped researchers?
626
00:32:46,674 --> 00:32:49,424
There are those who believe
that the answer is yes--
627
00:32:49,510 --> 00:32:51,134
and that one big reason
628
00:32:51,220 --> 00:32:53,595
why bigfoot has
otherworldly abilities
629
00:32:53,681 --> 00:32:57,641
is because he really is
from another world.
630
00:33:07,403 --> 00:33:12,155
Shatner:
Bigfoot researcher joe fex
visits a rural appalachian farm
631
00:33:12,199 --> 00:33:14,116
owned by a woman who claims
632
00:33:14,159 --> 00:33:15,659
that she has encountered bigfoot
633
00:33:15,744 --> 00:33:18,620
not once, not twice,
but many times
634
00:33:18,706 --> 00:33:20,664
over a period of years.
635
00:33:20,749 --> 00:33:24,334
Fex:
Janice carter coy claimed
636
00:33:24,378 --> 00:33:26,336
bigfoot would come
down the mountain,
637
00:33:26,422 --> 00:33:29,089
visit this barn
that was about two miles away,
638
00:33:29,174 --> 00:33:32,843
and that they would come visit
her grandfather's farm.
639
00:33:32,886 --> 00:33:35,345
Shatner:
Eager to find out
640
00:33:35,389 --> 00:33:37,639
whether janice's incredible
story could be true,
641
00:33:37,725 --> 00:33:42,519
joe decided to do a nighttime
stakeout on her farm.
642
00:33:44,064 --> 00:33:47,691
That night, joe and janice
were sitting around a firepit
643
00:33:47,735 --> 00:33:52,738
when joe noticed
something... Strange.
644
00:33:52,823 --> 00:33:54,531
Fex:
As we're talking,
645
00:33:54,575 --> 00:33:58,201
I see between
these barn structures
646
00:33:58,287 --> 00:34:03,331
two very bright, very vivid
lime green lights.
647
00:34:03,375 --> 00:34:06,668
And they're floating
across this open area
648
00:34:06,754 --> 00:34:08,045
between these structures.
649
00:34:08,130 --> 00:34:09,629
I thought,
650
00:34:09,715 --> 00:34:11,590
"wow, tennessee has got
some pretty extremely large
651
00:34:11,675 --> 00:34:13,258
lightning bugs out here."
652
00:34:13,343 --> 00:34:15,052
shatner:
But the green lights
653
00:34:15,137 --> 00:34:16,553
started to come closer to him
654
00:34:16,597 --> 00:34:19,890
and joe realized that what
he thought were fireflies...
655
00:34:19,975 --> 00:34:23,060
Were actually glowing eyes.
656
00:34:23,103 --> 00:34:24,186
Fex:
I could see
657
00:34:24,229 --> 00:34:28,065
the structure of a very large,
658
00:34:28,150 --> 00:34:30,692
long-haired, shaggy--
659
00:34:30,778 --> 00:34:32,736
what looked like
a very muscular ape.
660
00:34:32,821 --> 00:34:34,988
And I looked over at janice
661
00:34:35,074 --> 00:34:37,115
and she's just looking
at me with this grin.
662
00:34:37,201 --> 00:34:38,617
And she says,
663
00:34:38,702 --> 00:34:41,703
"he wants to know if you're
going to go back to colorado
664
00:34:41,789 --> 00:34:44,039
and tell people
you saw fireflies."
665
00:34:44,124 --> 00:34:45,874
how janice would even know that
666
00:34:45,918 --> 00:34:47,834
that thought
even entered my head,
667
00:34:47,920 --> 00:34:50,045
brief as that thought was,
668
00:34:50,089 --> 00:34:51,588
I really have no idea.
669
00:34:51,673 --> 00:34:53,757
Shatner
joe was astonished to see
670
00:34:53,842 --> 00:34:55,425
that janice seemed to be able
671
00:34:55,469 --> 00:34:56,593
to mentally communicate
with the creature...
672
00:34:56,678 --> 00:34:59,221
Which was somehow
reading his mind, too.
673
00:35:00,557 --> 00:35:03,350
Janice said, "he wants you to
come back to the ditch line.
674
00:35:03,435 --> 00:35:05,894
He wants to see you.
He wants you to see him."
675
00:35:05,979 --> 00:35:07,979
and I thought,
"oh, this is insane."
676
00:35:08,065 --> 00:35:10,857
but she gives me
this big flashlight.
677
00:35:10,943 --> 00:35:12,818
So I started
walking over there
678
00:35:12,903 --> 00:35:15,278
and back out
behind the house,
679
00:35:15,322 --> 00:35:17,948
and I pointed
the light forward.
680
00:35:18,033 --> 00:35:20,242
And here, in this open area,
681
00:35:20,285 --> 00:35:21,952
stood this guy that had to be
682
00:35:22,037 --> 00:35:23,662
about eight or nine feet tall.
683
00:35:23,747 --> 00:35:25,789
I've never heard or seen
anything like it
684
00:35:25,833 --> 00:35:27,124
in my entire life.
685
00:35:28,627 --> 00:35:30,961
Shatner:
You'd think that after standing
toe to toe with bigfoot,
686
00:35:31,004 --> 00:35:35,173
joe would remember everything
about such an encounter.
687
00:35:35,259 --> 00:35:39,261
But as it turns out,
joe's memory is a little fuzzy.
688
00:35:41,014 --> 00:35:43,473
I don't know what happened
at the tail end of that.
689
00:35:43,559 --> 00:35:45,475
I just remember standing
690
00:35:45,561 --> 00:35:47,602
back at the camp,
talking with janice.
691
00:35:47,646 --> 00:35:48,979
I don't remember walking away.
692
00:35:49,064 --> 00:35:51,773
I don't remember...
How did that end?
693
00:35:51,859 --> 00:35:54,985
Which is, to me-- even now,
all these years later--
694
00:35:55,070 --> 00:35:56,987
is really bizarre.
695
00:35:57,072 --> 00:35:59,322
Shatner:
To many observers,
696
00:35:59,408 --> 00:36:02,659
joe's description of bigfoot
sounds less like a primate
697
00:36:02,744 --> 00:36:05,996
and more like
something... Paranormal.
698
00:36:07,457 --> 00:36:08,999
Bader:
Joe fex's story actually
699
00:36:09,042 --> 00:36:12,210
sounds a lot like
a ufo abduction account to me.
700
00:36:12,296 --> 00:36:15,005
When you claim that
there's some period of time
701
00:36:15,090 --> 00:36:17,007
that you simply
cannot account for...
702
00:36:17,050 --> 00:36:19,843
In alien abduction lore,
this is called "missing time,"
703
00:36:19,928 --> 00:36:22,512
and it's believed that the
aliens will erase your memory
704
00:36:22,598 --> 00:36:24,514
for a certain period
of the encounter.
705
00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:27,267
There are other stories
within the bigfoot realm
706
00:36:27,352 --> 00:36:29,561
where people claim to have had
encounters with ufos
707
00:36:29,646 --> 00:36:31,396
or even had an abduction.
708
00:36:32,566 --> 00:36:36,693
Shatner:
Could bigfoot actually be
an extraterrestrial?
709
00:36:37,905 --> 00:36:41,031
Some bigfoot researchers
would argue the answer is yes,
710
00:36:41,074 --> 00:36:43,366
and that the strongest evidence
lies not in what happened
711
00:36:43,452 --> 00:36:46,244
during joe's bigfoot encounter
712
00:36:46,330 --> 00:36:48,330
but what happened after.
713
00:36:50,459 --> 00:36:54,044
Fex:
Two weeks later, at maybe 10:30,
11:00 in the morning.
714
00:36:54,087 --> 00:36:55,212
I go into the shower
715
00:36:55,297 --> 00:36:57,005
and I come back
out of the shower,
716
00:36:57,090 --> 00:36:58,548
uh, dry off real quick,
717
00:36:58,634 --> 00:37:00,467
relax for a minute.
718
00:37:00,552 --> 00:37:02,344
I have a cup of coffee.
719
00:37:02,387 --> 00:37:04,554
I unconsciously reached
back here
720
00:37:04,598 --> 00:37:06,932
and I could feel something.
721
00:37:07,017 --> 00:37:10,393
I realized there was
a relatively deep hole
722
00:37:10,437 --> 00:37:12,229
that I could fit my pinky into.
723
00:37:12,314 --> 00:37:14,773
It didn't feel like a wound.
724
00:37:14,858 --> 00:37:16,233
It felt perfectly fine.
725
00:37:16,318 --> 00:37:18,735
It didn't hurt at all.
There was no sensation.
726
00:37:19,780 --> 00:37:22,447
Shatner:
An inexplicable hole
in your head
727
00:37:22,532 --> 00:37:25,784
isn't something
that's easy to understand.
728
00:37:25,869 --> 00:37:29,663
But after considering
every possibility,
729
00:37:29,748 --> 00:37:34,084
joe recognized that what
happened to him was bizarre
730
00:37:34,127 --> 00:37:36,670
but not exactly unheard of.
731
00:37:36,755 --> 00:37:39,589
All of these things
are extremely familiar
732
00:37:39,633 --> 00:37:41,091
in the field of ufos
733
00:37:41,176 --> 00:37:44,636
and the subfield
of ufo abductions.
734
00:37:44,721 --> 00:37:48,306
They have similarities
in their patterns of behavior,
735
00:37:48,392 --> 00:37:51,726
similarities in the environment
and the circumstances,
736
00:37:51,812 --> 00:37:54,479
similarities in
the side effects.
737
00:37:54,564 --> 00:37:56,982
I don't know
if these things are related,
738
00:37:57,067 --> 00:37:58,817
but there is a correlation.
739
00:37:59,987 --> 00:38:03,571
Shatner:
Joe fex may not have
any definitive answers
740
00:38:03,615 --> 00:38:06,658
about bigfoot
or about his experience.
741
00:38:06,743 --> 00:38:08,785
But what he does have
742
00:38:08,870 --> 00:38:11,121
are some intriguing
possibilities to consider,
743
00:38:11,164 --> 00:38:14,499
thanks to the information
that he has exchanged
744
00:38:14,584 --> 00:38:17,210
with other bigfoot researchers.
745
00:38:17,296 --> 00:38:20,964
And there are some who believe
that this kind of cooperation
746
00:38:21,049 --> 00:38:25,427
will finally prove
that bigfoot is real.
747
00:38:31,351 --> 00:38:33,059
Shatner: The oregon coast
mountain range.
748
00:38:33,145 --> 00:38:37,272
Here, not far from the shore
of the pacific ocean,
749
00:38:37,357 --> 00:38:41,276
lies a densely wooded area
that, once a year,
750
00:38:41,361 --> 00:38:44,154
is the site of
an invitation-only conference
751
00:38:44,197 --> 00:38:47,991
attended by international
experts in their field.
752
00:38:48,076 --> 00:38:50,785
It's called...
753
00:38:50,871 --> 00:38:53,496
Beachfoot.
754
00:38:53,540 --> 00:38:55,582
Neiss:
It was in 2003
755
00:38:55,667 --> 00:38:57,625
that I had this thought,
756
00:38:57,711 --> 00:38:59,794
"you know, what would happen
if you could get
757
00:38:59,880 --> 00:39:02,255
"all of these
well-known researchers
758
00:39:02,341 --> 00:39:05,759
locked in the same room
at the same time?"
759
00:39:05,844 --> 00:39:09,429
the amount of brain trust
there would be amazing.
760
00:39:09,514 --> 00:39:12,640
Mionczynski:
The beachfoot gatherings,
761
00:39:12,726 --> 00:39:15,393
where scientists get
to discuss openly
762
00:39:15,479 --> 00:39:17,771
their research and findings
763
00:39:17,856 --> 00:39:19,022
concerning bigfoot...
764
00:39:19,107 --> 00:39:22,150
I think it's
a very important step
765
00:39:22,194 --> 00:39:25,695
which will open up the subject
766
00:39:25,739 --> 00:39:28,365
to other scientists
who are interested
767
00:39:28,450 --> 00:39:29,991
in studying
this kind of phenomenon.
768
00:39:31,286 --> 00:39:33,119
Meldrum: One of my most
enjoyable activities
769
00:39:33,205 --> 00:39:34,662
at such an event is, sometimes
770
00:39:34,748 --> 00:39:38,166
I teach a workshop
on "tracking 101."
771
00:39:38,251 --> 00:39:42,462
those are opportunities
where non-academics,
772
00:39:42,547 --> 00:39:46,925
non-phds, can strive to emulate
the scientific method
773
00:39:47,010 --> 00:39:49,219
in their own search
774
00:39:49,262 --> 00:39:52,222
for the evidence
they presume to find.
775
00:39:52,307 --> 00:39:54,974
Shatner:
Gatherings like beachfoot
776
00:39:55,060 --> 00:39:58,311
prove that the legend of bigfoot
is alive and well.
777
00:39:58,397 --> 00:40:00,688
But how is that possible
778
00:40:00,774 --> 00:40:04,234
when no conclusive evidence
of bigfoot has ever been found?
779
00:40:05,779 --> 00:40:10,532
What drives our interest
in this enduring mystery?
780
00:40:10,617 --> 00:40:12,409
The reason I believe
781
00:40:12,452 --> 00:40:14,869
that the sasquatch subject
has such staying power
782
00:40:14,955 --> 00:40:18,331
is that there's
so many witnesses out there.
783
00:40:18,417 --> 00:40:21,209
There's many parts
of the country where, if you go
784
00:40:21,294 --> 00:40:23,044
and ask people
if they've ever seen one,
785
00:40:23,088 --> 00:40:25,046
so often you'll hear,
786
00:40:25,132 --> 00:40:27,674
"no, I haven't,
but I know somebody who has."
787
00:40:27,759 --> 00:40:29,676
so, there's many people
out there
788
00:40:29,761 --> 00:40:32,387
who at least know
someone they trust
789
00:40:32,472 --> 00:40:34,848
who has told them
that they've seen these things.
790
00:40:34,933 --> 00:40:36,766
And that has had
the effect of changing
791
00:40:36,852 --> 00:40:38,893
people's opinion
about the subject
792
00:40:38,979 --> 00:40:42,355
of what would otherwise be just
total skepticism everywhere.
793
00:40:44,234 --> 00:40:46,860
Burdorff:
Bigfoot matters because
794
00:40:46,945 --> 00:40:50,780
it would be tangible proof
of a solved mystery.
795
00:40:50,824 --> 00:40:53,158
Finding a real bigfoot,
796
00:40:53,243 --> 00:40:54,576
a real creature,
797
00:40:54,661 --> 00:40:58,580
would be like discovering
798
00:40:58,665 --> 00:41:01,040
another piece of the world.
799
00:41:01,126 --> 00:41:05,253
And it's... It's us reaching
for another piece
800
00:41:05,338 --> 00:41:07,380
of that unknown
801
00:41:07,466 --> 00:41:09,632
that's always
just beyond our reach.
802
00:41:11,344 --> 00:41:14,846
So, now, what do you think? Huh?
803
00:41:14,931 --> 00:41:16,431
Is bigfoot real,
804
00:41:16,516 --> 00:41:20,226
or is it all just part
of an elaborate hoax?
805
00:41:20,312 --> 00:41:23,062
I guess that depends on what
kind of a person you are.
806
00:41:23,148 --> 00:41:25,815
If you're the open-minded type
807
00:41:25,901 --> 00:41:28,526
who believes that the world
is filled with wonder,
808
00:41:28,612 --> 00:41:30,862
then you probably believe
it's real.
809
00:41:30,947 --> 00:41:34,532
If you are the hard-nosed,
cynical type,
810
00:41:34,618 --> 00:41:38,244
then you're convinced
it's all nonsense.
811
00:41:39,498 --> 00:41:42,332
But then there is a third type.
812
00:41:42,375 --> 00:41:45,835
The type who has
actually seen bigfoot
813
00:41:45,879 --> 00:41:47,837
in the fur-covered flesh.
814
00:41:47,881 --> 00:41:50,632
For you, bigfoot is real,
815
00:41:50,717 --> 00:41:53,343
and your experience
has convinced you
816
00:41:53,386 --> 00:41:55,428
that there is much
about this mysterious creature
817
00:41:55,514 --> 00:41:59,766
that, for now,
remains unexplained.
818
00:41:59,851 --> 00:42:00,850
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