Curious About Bigfoot

PODCAST 123: CURIOUS ABOUT BIGFOOT
RELEASE DATE:  FEBRUARY 7TH, 2021

D:  HELLO, AND WELCOME BACK TO THE CURIOUS KID PODCAST.  A QUICK WARNING BEFORE WE GET INTO THIS EPISODE.  WE ARE RECORDING THIS EPISODE DURING A TROPICAL STORM HERE IN NEW JERSEY.  AT THIS VERY MOMENT, TROPICAL STORM ISAIAS IS CREATING VERY HEAVY RAIN, STRONG WINDS, AND THUNDERSTORMS.  WE APOLOGIZE IF YOU ARE ABLE TO HEAR ANY RAIN OR THUNDER AS YOU LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE.  THE TOPIC FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE IS A BIT SPOOKY, SO WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE KIND OF COOL TO RECORD IT WITH SOME RAIN AND THUNDER IN THE BACKGROUND.  HOPEFULLY WE DON’T LOSE POWER BEFORE WE COMPLETE THIS RECORDING.  I AM REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS EPISODE, BECAUSE IT IS SO DIFFERENT FROM OTHER EPISODES WE HAVE DONE BEFORE.  THIS WEEK, WE ARE GETTING CURIOUS ABOUT ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR CRYPTIDS IN THE WORLD.  THE DICTIONARY DEFINITION OF A CRYPTID IS “AN ANIMAL THAT HAS BEEN CLAIMED TO EXIST BUT NEVER PROVEN TO EXIST”.  THIS IS GOING TO BE SO MUCH FUN!

O:  MAILBAG!

D:  MAILBAG!

“HELLOOOOOOO, MY NAME IS DAVID.  I LOVE YOUR PODCAST.  I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD MAKE A CURIOUS ABOUT BIGFOOT.  I’M REALLY CURIOUS ABOUT BIGFOOT.  ME AND MY FAMILY LISTEN TO THE PODCAST IN THE CAR WHEN WE GO PLACES.  WE LOOOOOOOOOOVE YOUR PODCAST.”

DAVID, AGE 9, OF ELK GROVE, CALIFORNIA”

O:  DAVID, WE LOOOOOOOOOOVE THAT E-MAIL.  WE ARE GOING TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT BIGFOOT THIS WEEK FOR YOU.

D:  IN THE E-MAIL, WHEN HE SAYS THAT HE LOVES THE PODCAST, DAVID SPELLS THE WORD LOVE WITH TEN O’S… HE MUST REALLY LOVE CURIOUS KID PODCAST.  WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR THE LOVE AND SUPPORT AND CAN’T WAIT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BIGFOOT, SO LET’S GET TO IT.  

O:  AFTER YOU LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE, PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU BELIEVE THAT BIGFOOT IS REAL.

D:  WE HAVE POLLS UP ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER RIGHT NOW THAT ASK IF YOU BELIEVE IN BIGFOOT, BUT IF YOU DON’T FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU CAN ALWAYS E-MAIL US TO LET US KNOW IF YOU BELIEVE IN BIGFOOT.  I’M REALLY INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT OUR LISTENERS THINK.  SO, THERE IS A COUNTY CALLED WHATCOM COUNTY, AND IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THE PEOPLE OF WHATCOM COUNTY MIGHT BELIEVE IN BIGFOOT, OR AS IT’S SOMETIMES CALLED, SASQUATCH.  IN 1992, WHATCOM COUNTY WAS OFFICIALLY DECLARED A SASQUATCH PROTECTION AND REFUGE AREA.  THAT MEANS THAT, AS OF 1992, YOU WERE NOT ALLOWED TO HUNT BIGFOOT IN WHATCOM COUNTY.  

O:  THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK IS, WHAT STATE IS WHATCOM COUNTY LOCATED IN?

D:  YOU ARE GOING TO GET A BIG HINT IN JUST A MOMENT, SO PAY ATTENTION.  ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WHATCOM COUNTY DECIDED TO PROTECT BIGFOOT IS BECAUSE HUNDREDS OF RESIDENTS ACTUALLY SIGNED A DOCUMENT THAT STATED THAT THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF BIGFOOT.  IN RESPONSE TO THE SIGNATURES, THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO PROTECT BIGFOOT.  THEY WEREN’T THE FIRST COUNTY IN THE STATE TO PROTECT BIGFOOT EITHER.  IN 1969, SKAMANIA COUNTY MADE HUNTING BIGFOOT ILLEGAL.  BREAKING THE BIGFOOT-HUNTING LAW COULD RESULT IN A FINE OF AS MUCH AS $10,000 OR FIVE YEARS IN JAIL.  CAN YOU GUESS WHICH STATE WHATCOM AND SKAMANIA COUNTIES ARE LOCATED IN?

O:  HERE’S YOUR HINT:  MOST BIGFOOT SIGHTINGS HAPPEN IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST.   

D:  THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST IS THE PART OF THE UNITED STATES WITH THE PACIFIC OCEAN TO THE WEST AND THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS TO THE EAST.  IT INCLUDES IDAHO, OREGON, WASHINGTON, AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

O:  ISN’T OUR LISTENER DAVID FROM NORTHERN CALIFORNIA?

D:  HE IS, WHICH MAY BE WHY HE IS SO CURIOUS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BIGFOOT.  SOME OF THE MOST CREDIBLE BIGFOOT SIGHTINGS HAVE HAPPENED IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, INCLUDING THIS ONE FROM 22 YEARS AGO.  IN MARCH OF 1999, A MAN WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 5, AND DECIDED TO EXIT THE HIGHWAY LATE AT NIGHT TO FIND A BITE TO EAT.  HE HAD TROUBLE FINDING A RESTAURANT, SO HE PULLED OVER AND ATE SOME SNACKS HE HAD IN HIS CAR.  HE THEN TOOK A NAP, RIGHT THERE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.  IT WASN’T LONG BEFORE HE HEARD A LOUD NOISE THAT WOKE HIM UP.  HE BRAVELY GOT OUT OF HIS CAR TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON.  HE SAW A LARGE ROCK ON THE HOOD OF HIS CAR.  THAT’S WHEN HE DECIDED HE SHOULD DRIVE AWAY.  HE TURNED THE KEY TO POWER UP THE CAR, AND TURNED THE HEADLIGHTS ON SO HE COULD SEE AT NIGHT.  THAT’S WHEN HE SAW A CREATURE IN FRONT OF HIS CAR.  IT WAS ABOUT 8 FEET TALL AND IT WAS COVERED IN HAIR THAT WAS DARK AND THICK.  THE CREATURE, WHATEVER IT WAS, WATCHED HIM FOR A MINUTE AND THEN WALKED OFF INTO THE WOODS.               

O:  WHAT IN THE WORLD DID HE SEE THAT NIGHT?

D:  WELL, HE SAW SOMETHING THAT FITS THE DESCRIPTION OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT SAY THEY HAVE SEEN BIGFOOT.  

O:  PEOPLE DESCRIBE BIGFOOT AS BEING A CROSS BETWEEN A HUMAN AND A GORILLA.

D:  THEY USUALLY RANGE FROM 7 TO 15 FEET TALL AND THEY WALK ON TWO LEGS, SIMILAR TO HOW A HUMAN WALKS.

O:  THE ONLY DIFFERENCE, IS THAT THEY WALK WITH THEIR LEGS BENT.

D:  THE HAIR OF BIGFOOT IS REDDISH-BROWN AND THEY ARE VERY, VERY HAIRY.

O:  SOME PEOPLE ALSO SAY THEY SMELL REALLY BAD.  

D:  SOME PEOPLE REPORT HEARING BIGFOOT AND DESCRIBING THE SOUNDS IT MAKES AS GRUNTING OR HOWLING.  

O:  A MEETING WITH BIGFOOT SOUNDS LIKE A PRETTY SCARY EXPERIENCE.

D:  IT DOES, DOESN’T IT?  BUT HERE’S SOMETHING STRANGE.  MANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT CLAIM TO HAVE SEEN BIGFOOT SAY THAT THEY DIDN’T FEEL THREATENED OR SCARED, WHICH IS KIND OF HARD TO BELIEVE IF SOMEONE IS LOOKING AT A 15 FOOT TALL MAN/GORILLA.  

O:  BIGFOOT HAS THAT NAME BECAUSE THEIR FEET ARE SO BIG.  MANY PEOPLE HAVE FOUND HUMUNGOUS FOOTPRINTS IN THE WOODS THAT THEY THINK CAME FROM BIGFOOT.

D:  THE FOOTPRINTS HAVE BEEN MEASURED TO BE UP TO 24 INCHES LONG AND 8 INCHES WIDE.  THERE ARE NO ANIMALS ON EARTH TODAY THAT ARE REALLY CAPABLE OF MAKING FOOTPRINTS THAT LOOK LIKE HUMAN FOOTPRINTS, BUT ARE THAT GIGANTIC.  

O:  SOME OF THE BIGFOOT FOOTPRINTS INCLUDE CLAW MARKS TOO!

D:  SO, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT BIGFOOT HAS CLAWS ON IT’S FIVE TOES?

O:  OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD HAVE THEIR VERSIONS OF BIGFOOT.

D:  TAKE ASIA, FOR EXAMPLE.  THEY HAVE SOMETHING CALLED THE YETI, WHICH IS SOMETIMES ALSO REFERRED TO AS THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN.  THE YETI LIVES IN THE HIMALAYAS, AND IT HAS A LOT IN COMMON WITH BIGFOOT.  IT WALKS ON TWO LEGS.  IT IS OFTEN DESCRIBED AS BEING MUSCULAR AND HAVING REDDISH-BROWN HAIR, OR SOMETIMES EVEN DARK GRAY HAIR.  MANY REPORTS OF THE YETI REFER TO IT AS BEING SHORTER THAN BIGFOOT, BUT STILL PRETTY TALL AT ABOUT 6 FEET.  ALSO, A LOT OF YETI EVIDENCE ALSO COMES FROM DISCOVERED FOOTPRINTS.  MANY YETI FOOTPRINTS ARE LEFT IN THE SNOW.  FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS EPISODE, WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TALKING ABOUT BIGFOOT AND THE EVIDENCE FOR AND AGAINST BIGFOOT.

O:  WHY DO PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT BIGFOOT EXISTS?

D:  THERE ARE A FEW REASONS.  FIRST, THERE HAVE BEEN THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE SAID THEY HAVE ENCOUNTERED BIGFOOT.

O:  THAT’S A LOT OF PEOPLE.  IS THERE ONE BIGFOOT OR MORE THAN ONE?

D:  WELL, BELIEVERS BELIEVE THAT THERE IS MORE THAN ONE, SO THEY CAN TECHNICALLY BE CALLED BIGFOOTS OR BIGFEET… EITHER WORD WORKS.

O:  IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE FOR SOMETHING LIKE BIGFOOT TO EXIST?

D:  YES.  EVIDENCE FROM FOSSILS SHOW THAT SUCH A CREATURE DID EXIST, OVER ONE MILLION YEARS AGO… THE NAME OF THAT CREATURE IS GIGANTOPITHECUS… THAT’S A FUN WORD TO SAY.  THE GIGANTOPITHECUS IS CLOSELY RELATED TO THE ORANGUTAN.

O:  THAT MAKES SENSE, BECAUSE BIGFOOT SOUNDS LIKE AN ORANGUTAN, JUST A WHOLE LOT BIGGER.  

D:  SO, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT BIGFOOT EXISTS?  PERHAPS THE DESCENDANTS OF THE GIGANTOPITHECUS ARE STILL OUT THERE, LIVING IN THE WOODS AND KEEPING TO THEMSELVES.  HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT GIGANTOPITHECUS.  IT WAS VERY BIG, EVEN BIGGER THAN A GORILLA, AND IT HAD TEETH VERY SIMILAR TO HUMAN TEETH.

O:  WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT BIGFOOT ALSO MAKES IT SIMILAR TO ORANGUTANS IN OTHER WAYS.

D:  THAT’S TRUE.  UNLIKE OTHER PRIMATES, ORANGUTANS ARE SOLITARY, MEANING THAT THEY LIKE TO BE ALONE.  THEY ONLY FEEL THE NEED TO GET TOGETHER TO MAKE BABIES.  THIS ALSO MAKES SENSE, BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE DESCRIBED BIGFOOT AS BEING SHY AND NOT REALLY INTERESTED IN INTERACTIONS WITH HUMANS.                

O:  WHY WOULD PEOPLE THINK BIGFOOT IS FAKE?

D:  WELL, THE BIG REASON THAT MANY PEOPLE THINK THAT BIGFOOT IS NOT REAL IS BECAUSE MANY OF THE BIGFOOT SIGHTINGS HAVE BEEN ONE OF TWO THINGS… EITHER A PRANK OR SOMETHING ELSE, USUALLY ANOTHER ANIMAL.  IN OTHER WORDS, SOMETIMES, WHEN PEOPLE THINK THEY ARE SEEING BIGFOOT, IT’S ACTUALLY A PRANK.  BECAUSE OF THE MYSTERY SURROUNDING BIGFOOT, AND THE FASCINATION PEOPLE HAVE WITH BIGFOOT, SOMETIMES PEOPLE GET DRESSED UP LIKE BIGFOOT AND WALK THROUGH THE WOODS TRYING TO TRICK PEOPLE.

O:  AND, SOMETIMES WHEN PEOPLE THINK THEY SEE BIGFOOT, THEY ARE SEEING ANOTHER ANIMAL, LIKE A BEAR INSTEAD, BUT THEY DON’T SEE IT VERY CLEARLY, SO THEY THINK IT’S SOMETHING ELSE.

D:  THE MOST FAMOUS EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT BIGFOOT CAME IN 1967, WHEN SOMEONE TOOK A VIDEO IN BLUFF CREEK, CALIFORNIA, OF AN ANIMAL THAT DIDN’T SEEM LIKE ANYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT.  NON-BELIEVERS THINK THE VIDEO IS JUST SOMEONE DRESSED UP LIKE BIGFOOT, BUT THE WAY THE CREATURE MOVED IN THE VIDEO WAS SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HARD FOR A HUMAN TO PULL OFF AND TURNED LOTS OF SKEPTICS INTO BELIEVERS.  

O:  IT’S COOL TO THINK THAT THERE ARE THINGS OUT THERE WE MAY NOT HAVE DISCOVERED YET.

D:  ABSOLUTELY… THERE IS SO MUCH THAT STILL HASN’T BEEN DISCOVERED, ESPECIALLY IN THE OCEANS.  WE’VE DONE AN EPISODE ON EVOLUTION, WHERE WE LEARNED THAT SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THAT HUMANS CAME FROM APES, SO IT REALLY MAKES YOU WONDER IF THERE IS A GIANT HUMAN-LIKE CREATURE LIVING IN THE WOODS THAT WE HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO LEARN A LOT ABOUT BECAUSE THEY ARE SO SOLITARY AND TRY TO STAY HIDDEN… THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS.  

O:  AND THERE ARE LOTS OF OTHER CRYPTIDS OUT THERE TO WONDER ABOUT.

D:  THERE ARE LOTS OF FUN CRYPTIDS THAT PEOPLE BELIEVE IN, LIKE BESSIE, A LAKE MONSTER THAT LIVES IN LAKE ERIE, THAT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS SNAKE-LIKE AND AS LONG AS 40 FEET LONG.    

O:  THERE IS ALSO THE KRAKEN, WHICH IS BELIEVED TO BE A HUGE SQUID THAT LIVES IN THE OCEANS THAT COULD BE 50 FEET LONG.  

D:  AND THE LOCH NESS MONSTER, WHICH IS SAID TO LIVE IN A LAKE IN LOCH NESS, SCOTLAND.  

O:  AND, HERE IS NEW JERSEY, WE HAVE A CRYPTID CALLED THE JERSEY DEVIL.  

D:  THE JERSEY DEVIL IS AN INTERESTING LOOKING CRYPTID.  IT’S DESCRIBED AS HAVING A BODY THAT RESEMBLES A KANGAROO, THE HEAD OF A HORSE, THE WINGS OF A BAT, AND A TAIL.  BEFORE WE ANSWER THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK, WHAT DO YOU THINK, OLIVIA?  DO YOU THINK BIGFOOT EXISTS?

O:  ———————————————————————————————.

D:  I DON’T THINK IT EXISTS, BUT IT’S FUN TO IMAGINE.  LET’S ANSWER THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK.  WHATCOM COUNTY AND SKAMANIA COUNTY BOTH HAVE RULES IN PLACE PROTECTING BIGFOOT.  IN WHICH STATE CAN YOU FIND WHATCOM AND SKAMANIA COUNTIES?

O:  THEY ARE BOTH LOCATED IN WASHINGTON STATE.

D:  SO, BIGFOOT, IF YOU ARE LISTENING, GO TO WASHINGTON STATE SO YOU CAN STAY SAFE.  ALSO, IF YOU ARE LISTENING, PLEASE E-MAIL EVIDENCE OF YOUR EXISTENCE TO CURIOUSKIDPODCAST@GMAIL.COM.  HOW AWESOME WOULD IT BE IF WE HAD PROOF THAT BIGFOOT EXISTED, MAILED TO US BY BIGFOOT?  WELL, THAT’S A WRAP FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE.

O:  123 - BIGFOOT.

D:  GREAT JOB, OLIVIA AND GREAT JOB DAVID FOR THE FUN AND SPOOKY SUGGESTION.  WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED EPISODE 1-2-3 ON BIGFOOT.  NOW HEAD ON OVER TO FACEBOOK OR TWITTER TO LET US KNOW IF YOU BELIEVE IN BIGFOOT.  AFTER YOUR DONE DOING THAT, BE SURE TO SEND US AN E-MAIL TO LET US KNOW WHAT YOU ARE CURIOUS ABOUT.  BE CREATIVE, LIKE OUR PAL DAVID FROM CALIFORNIA AND GIVE US A SUPER-FUN TOPIC.  JOIN US NEXT WEEK, WHEN WE GET CURIOUS ABOUT UMBRELLAS FOR A LISTENER IN OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA.  AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING AND GETTING CURIOUS WITH US.