Hunt for 'Bigfoot'
R. Sittamparam
JOHOR BARU, Dec 28:
The Wildlife Department plans to catch the Malaysian "Bigfoot" on camera.
The department's Biodiversity Conservation Division director, Siti Hawa Yatim, said the Johor Wildlife Department would be directed to install cameras in selected areas in the jungle after it had compiled the accounts of those who had reportedly seen the creature or had evidence of its existence.
Siti Hawa said the department would also survey areas where the sightings were reported.
Interest in the Bigfoot was triggered when three workers claimed they saw two huge creatures and a young one as they were building a fish pond in Kampung Mawai, Kota Tinggi, last month.
The workers returned to the area and saw several footprints, some large and others small, including one 45cm long.
A member of the Johor branch of the Malaysian Nature Society, who was carrying out a fish survey nearby, took photographs of the footprints.
His investigations indicated that the creatures were about three metres tall, based on the height of a tree branch that was broken off at the site.
From hair reeking of body odour recovered in the area, it is believed the creatures are covered with brown hair.
Johor MNS adviser Vincent Chow welcomed the willingness of the Federal and State Governments to look into the possible existence of Bigfoot in Johor's jungles, as this could spur ecotourism in the State.
He said such a study would attract the large international community of Bigfoot researchers, in particular cryptozoologists from America and Australia..
Cryptozoologists are those who study animal phenomena like Bigfoot in a very serious way.
"We are sitting on a wonderful opportunity by way of the Bigfoot research to spur ecotourism in Johor, taking the cue of Loch Ness in Scotland," Chow said.
He said the Bigfoot of Endau-Rompin could be promoted like the Loch Ness monster, which brings in millions of tourism dollars for Scotland through tours and souvenirs.
"Malaysia, in particular Endau-Rompin, came into the cryptozoologists' view after the publicising of researcher Harold Stephens' find of large footprints on the lower Endau River in the 1960s," he said.
"Sightings in Malaysia are not often reported for fear of ridicule. Occasionally, curiosity seems to be overwhelming and reports have trickled into the pages of the nation's Press."
Chow said such news was picked up in Western countries where Bigfoot is popular, especially in America where the "Sasquatch" has a large following with clubs, organisations and merchandising that brings in millions.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Thursday/National/20051229075857/Article/indexb_html