Bigfoot, also commonly referred to as Sasquatch, in Canadian and American folklore, is an ape-like creature that is purported to inhabit the forests of North America. Supposed evidence of the existence of Bigfoot includes a number of anecdotal visual sightings, disputed video and audio recordings, photographs, and casts of large footprints.[2] Some of these are speculated or known to be hoaxes.[3] Bigfoot has become an icon within the fringe subculture of cryptozoology and an enduring element of popular culture.[4][5]
Folklorists trace the figure of Bigfoot to a combination of factors and sources, including folklore surrounding the European wild man figure, folk belief among Native Americans and loggers, wishful thinking, and a cultural increase in environmental concerns.[6] The majority of mainstream scientists have historically discounted the existence of Bigfoot, considering it to be the result of a combination of folklore, misidentification, and hoax, rather than a living animal.[7][8]
Other creatures of relatively similar descriptions are alleged to inhabit various regions of North America and throughout the world, such as the Skunk ape of the southeastern United States, the Almas, Yeti, and Yeren in Asia, and the Australian Yowie; all of which, like Bigfoot, are engrained in the cultures of their regions.[9]
