KARALMANNA (Palakkad): Peter Jackson's King Kong is set on a mysterious, uncharted island. He might as well have shot it in Kerala.
Or so it would seem, if - and that's literally a big if - claims by a team of amateur anthropologists are proved true.
The team claims to have discovered footprints of a "giant-man" who had a shoe size of 29 inches, lived in a shelter 50 metres high and weighed well over 400 kg.
Going by the footprint size, the creature may have been as tall as 17 feet, which would make it easily the "largest human form to roam the earth". Announcing the 'discovery' on Monday, the team said the signs of the mammoth creature - found in a remote village some 60 km from Palakkad town in Kerala - "confirmed" the existence of 'Bigfoot'.
Ever since reports began in the mid-19th century of 'sightings' of the Yeti or Abominable Snowman in the Himalayas, there has been enormous fascination and speculation around the world about the fabled man-like being.
But most sightings reported in various countries, notably in the US, turned out to be either hoaxes or cases of overactive imaginations.
However, on December 30 last year, farmers in the forests of Malaysia claimed to have spotted a family of three.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1555063/posts
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Notes:
1) This is an archaeological find, not a recent one. You can see a picture of one print at: http://blogs.cyberciti.biz/hm/
I don't know where the pic originated, however. (Perhaps the subscriber part of the online paper.) The image of the print itself is not particularly impressive.
2) Information on the leader of the amateur anthropologists is scarce, but an article on another item of interest to him is at
http://www.the-week.com/25feb27/currentevents_article2.htm
3) Kerala is also where the alleged pygmy elephants were seen (see list archives).
4) Another oddball India news item on giant footprints does crop up as follows:
`Giant footprints' draw curious onlookers
Our Staff Correspondent
Wednesday, Sep 29, 2004
BIJAPUR, SEPT. 28. Giant footprints reportedly found in the compound of a district judge's house in Navabag locality led to a law and order problem here today.
Police had to repeatedly resort to mild lathi-charge to control the curious onlookers thronging the place. The footprints were found outside the house of the Principal Civil Judge (Senior Division), A.C. Singoti.
Around 5 p.m. on Monday, Mr. Singoti's son, Syed Majid, said that he went through a "strange experience" and saw a giant human-like figure.
People from the surrounding areas started gathering in front of the house to get a glimpse of the "gigantic footprints."
However, the police said that someone had played a prank. The Navabag area, where many officers' quarters are located, has a number of sandalwood trees. The police are not ruling out the hand of land grabbers and sandalwood smugglers in the episode.
http://www.hindu.com/2004/09/29/stories/2004092904640300.htm
This article is c/o StrangeArk.com