In “Bigfoot Is Back. (Bigfoot Never Left.),” Claire Moses writes about the latest potential sighting that has captured the internet’s attention, highlighting the large, furry creature’s enduring appeal:
Stetson Parker and his wife, Shannon, recently took a trip through Colorado to celebrate their 10th anniversary. They boarded the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, a vintage train that “provides historic and entertaining” rides, according to its website.
But what the Parkers saw from the last car of that train wasn’t advertised online. The couple believe they spotted the most elusive of creatures: Bigfoot.
Yes, you read that correctly: Bigfoot. Also known as a sasquatch or a yeti. The mythical apelike, giant creature, who (maybe) wanders North America. Who, according to some, definitely exists. And who, according to most everyone else, definitely does not.
The most recent spotting, captured in a widely shared video from that train in Colorado, adds to the growing catalog of sightings that have kept the myth alive amid a lack of what some might call verifiable proof.
“I’m definitely a believer now,” Mr. Parker, 33, said.
The video, which was taken by a fellow passenger and posted online by Mr. Parker, shows a tall, brownish creature walking and squatting, before it blends into its surroundings. The footage is zoomed in, making for a grainy video.
To him, Mr. Parker said, the creature didn’t look like a human.
“It didn’t move like a person,” he said. “It looked more like an ape but didn’t walk like an ape so much.” He added that the creature’s arms seemed too long to be human, with hands reaching down to its knees.
“It didn’t look like anything I’ve ever seen before,” Mr. Parker said. “I don’t think it was a hoax. And if it was, it was a really good one.”
The article continues:
Other possible explanations emerged as the video drew the attention of media around the world. Maybe it was a bear. Or, the most common one, maybe it was a man wearing a ghillie suit, the camouflage clothing that helps outdoorsmen disappear into their backgrounds. But why, Mr. Parker asked, would anyone be in a ghillie suit in the middle of elk hunting season? That’s a surefire way for any hunter to get shot. And it wasn’t holding a weapon.
Over the decades, researchers, academics and even the F.B.I. have investigated Bigfoot’s existence. The F.B.I. helped research mysterious hairs in 1977, which ended up being of deer origin. Bigfoot experts and enthusiasts often refer to the so-called Patterson-Gimlin film from 1967, which claimed to show one of the creatures strolling through a California streambed.
A major 2014 Oxford University study dealt a blow to Bigfoot believers. Researchers there investigated 30 hair samples and successfully matched all of them to other animals.
But the Bigfoot faithful are not easily deterred. “I fully believe that they’re there,” said Ryan Willis, 23, who founded the Trent University Sasquatch Society and is the host of “Sasquatch University,” a reality show on the Wild network that covers Bigfoot sightings in Ontario. “But I do leave a bit of room for skepticism.”
Students, read the entire article and then tell us:
Do you think any of these mythical creatures might be real? Bigfoot. The Loch Ness monster. Yetis. Or do you believe they’re all fake?
What is your reaction to the claim of a sighting of Bigfoot on a mountainside in Colorado? Did you watch the viral video? How convincing is it?
Have you, or has anyone you know, ever seen an unexplainable and mysterious being or phenomenon? If so, describe the sighting. How did people react when told about it? What natural explanation might account for it?
Ms. Moses writes that “the Bigfoot faithful are not easily deterred” despite scientific studies disproving various claims of its existence. Why do you think the curiosity about Bigfoot and other mythical creatures persists?
Which mythical creature would you most like to discover is real, and why?
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.
