“Oh, baby, baby, it’s a wild world.” – Wild World, Cat Stevens (1970)

Turns out, Bigfoot has a worldwide batch of kinfolk.

Or would that be kinfolklore?

The “wildman” has been a staple of folklore around the globe for centuries. But despite thousands of eyewitness reports, there is yet to be an indisputable, recorded appearance or any hard evidence allowing such a creature to cross the bridge from mythology to reality. However, if witnesses are to be believed, it sure looks like Bigfoot has the potential for quite the annual family reunion.

Reports routinely surface across the country and around the world as our subject continues to play a perpetual game of hide and seek.

And, speaking of hide and seek, I can’t help but be reminded of the “Olympic World Hide and Seek Final” which concluded in 1972 with an unfortunate tie between Paraguay’s Francisco Huron and England’s Don Roberts.  I won’t spill the beans on the outcome but if you’ve never seen this Monty Python sketch I’d say it’s definitely worth the five minutes on You Tube. https://youtu.be/Q4upY8UWrsU

While an entertaining, make believe bit of comedy there, I’d certainly say that Bigfoot and his kin have got those fictional fellows beaten, hands down.

“And now for something completely different;” actually more of what I’d originally planned on writing about.

According to the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization website’s (www.bfro.net) “Geographic Database of Bigfoot/Sasquatch Sightings & Reports”, every state except Hawaii has submitted reports of some type of apelike creature roaming the area. Most of the Canadian provinces and a number of other foreign countries have also made contributions to the database. Some of the more common creatures around the world are as follows.

Almas – These wildmen of Central Asia and Mongolia are reportedly five to six and a half feet tall and covered with reddish-brown hair.

Mapinguari – South America’s contribution to the collection is reportedly a sloth like creature in the 7’ range with an anger problem and a foul odor.

Orang-Pendek – These reported primates have short fur, are said to be 30-60” in height and reside on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia.

Yeren – China’s version is covered in reddish hair and ranges from 6-8’ in height.

Purported Yeti scalp and hand from Nepal

Yeti (or Abominable Snowman) – This beast is the Bigfoot of the Himalayas and has made quite a name for himself over the years.

Yowie – From down under, the Australian version is also smelly and can range from 5-7’ tall.

And it doesn’t stop there, but I will, at least for the unknowns from beyond the United States. For its all kind of the same if you simply change the remote geographic locale. However, even within the United States there are numerous regional nicknames, if you will, for Bigfoot. And aren’t our mysterious fellow Americans more fun anyway? After all, what’s the likelihood that you’ll wind up running into a smelly ground sloth in the Amazon anytime soon? But Illinois or Missouri or Florida or Arkansas, well, that’s a whole different ballgame.

(Note: Thanks, Mike, for the tip and link above earlier this week on Facebook regarding today’s event)

Big Muddy Monster – Southern Illinois’ Big Muddy River is the favorite stomping grounds of this creature. And what a cool place for a mysterious beast to call home, rivaling Boggy Creek (see Fouke Monster below).

Bukwus – Among some Pacific Northwest Native American tribes resides the “wild man of the woods.”

Cohomo – Illinois’ Tazewell County was home to this “monster” during the summer of 1972.

Fouke Monster – During the early 1970’s this beast stalked extreme southwest Arkansas and would spawn The Legend of Boggy Creek movie as well as another pair of equally cheesy “Boggy Creek” films.

Grass Man – Ohio’s contribution includes sightings ranging from a two-toned to a white creature.

Jacobs Creature (above) – Pennsylvania joined the fray with some unusual trail cam photos snapped in September of 2007.

Momo – The 7’ tall “Missouri Monster” was sighted during 1971-72 near Louisiana, Missouri.

Skunk Ape – This creature most commonly reported from Florida in the 1960’s and 70’s got its name due to being, oddly enough, smelly and ape-like.

Of course, there is also the ever popular and interchangeable “Sasquatch.” But he still remains elusive no matter what you call him. I believe it was Shakespeare who once addressed this confusion in nomenclature many, many years ago in writing, “What’s in a name? That which we call ‘Bigfoot’ by any other name would smell just as foul.”

Talk to you tomorrow. Troy