Bigfoot

Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, is North America's legendary forest-dwelling cryptid—a massive, hair-covered humanoid creature primarily associated with the dense forests of the Pacific Northwest, though sightings have been reported across the continent. Since gaining widespread attention in the mid-20th century, this elusive figure has evolved from local folklore into a prominent cultural icon, spawning dedicated research organizations, entertainment franchises, and a passionate subculture of enthusiasts. While proponents offer various forms of evidence including eyewitness accounts, photographs, audio recordings, and footprint casts to support its existence, the scientific consensus firmly maintains that Bigfoot represents a combination of folklore, misidentification, and hoaxes rather than an actual undiscovered primate species. Bigfoot belongs to a global tradition of similar legendary creatures found across cultures worldwide—including the Himalayan Yeti, the Australian Yowie, and the Skunk Ape of the southeastern United States—which folklorists attribute to a blend of indigenous storytelling traditions, European wild man legends, and humanity's enduring fascination with the possibility that unknown beings might still lurk in the diminishing wilderness beyond the edge of civilization.