American black bears (Ursus americanus) are being mistaken for Bigfoot throughout North America. For every 900 bears in an area, one Bigfoot sighting is likely to follow, according to an analysis of bear populations and sightings of the mythical being.
The legend of Bigfoot 鈥� a bipedal, hairy, ape-like creature 鈥� first cropped up during the late 1800s and took a particularly strong foothold among people who live in or near the forests of the western US. The mystery has since been fuelled by grainy photos, disputed footprints and anecdotal encounters.
That led at data analysis firm Pinney Associates in Maryland to investigate if another animal could be responsible for a significant portion of Bigfoot sightings. Though black bears usually travel on all four legs, they can stand and walk on their hind legs, making them a prime suspect.
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Using a statistical model, Foxon compared the number of black bears in US states and Canadian provinces with the number of reported Bigfoot sightings in those regions. Foxon accounted for the human population and available bear habitat in each area. The model revealed a strong correlation between bear populations and Bigfoot sightings compiled by the .
It is feasible that 鈥渁 flash of fur and an upright standing figure鈥� could be mistaken for Bigfoot, says at Idaho State University who wasn鈥檛 involved in the research, which he calls 鈥渆xtremely preliminary.鈥� Meldrum, who has written a book on the mythical being also known as Sasquatch, adds that the reverse could be true: that genuine Bigfoot sightings are being dismissed as black bears. There is no hard evidence that Bigfoot exists.
The number of Bigfoot sightings in an area could help researchers keep tabs on black bear populations, which have been generally increasing since the 1990s, though Foxon warns there is always the risk of hoax Bigfoot reports.
Reference: bioRxiv, DOI:
