Exploring Sasquatch: A Deep Dive into Ape Behavior and Intelligence with Emily Fleur

What is Sasquatch?

Sasquatch is an ape species. They are hair covered, have forward facing eyes, and don't have a tail like monkeys do. They have midfoot flexibility, which means their feet have an anatomical feature used for climbing that other great apes also have. Us humans lost this adaptation when we started walking on flat ground. Evidence found shows dermal ridges, a human/ape characteristic. Sasquatch whoop, whistle and chatter, something us humans and other great apes do. They also bluff charge and throw rocks, a very ape-like behavior. Sasquatch hair samples found have shown structural similarities to both humans and chimpanzees. Nesting sites found and analyzed by primatologists have been compared to gorilla nests. 

If Sasquatch is an ape, does this mean they're less intelligent than humans?

This is the biggest misconception when it comes to Bigfoot. If anyone genuinely believes that other great apes are less intelligent than humans (who are also apes,) I highly encourage you to take a look at Dr.Jane Goodall's work with the Chimpanzees of Gombe, Africa. Goodall documented hundreds of behaviors previously thought to be exclusive to humans, like tool making and language. Apes are highly intelligent animals, which is why us humans have gotten to where we are today, because we are highly intelligent apes too! The only difference between our species and other great apes like chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas and gibbons is that we learned to manipulate our environment to suit us, instead of adapting to the existing environment. 

How close is Sasquatch to humans?

If we look at Sasquatch reports, we really don't see many indications that Sasquatch manipulate their environment to suit their needs. However, we do have reports of what seems to be a complex language, basic tool-making, and evidence of strategy/communication while hunting. Sasquatch DNA is probably very close to human, however, most of their behavior (bluff charging, rock throwing, howling) mimics that of other great apes, so it’s possible that they will end up being more like a chimp or gorilla than a human. With that being said, they seem to have some elevated abilities. For example, it has been reported that they mimic human words. Scientists still debate over what defines a human species, and although no one has come up with a standard process of identification, it seems to come down to both the physical anatomy and suggestions of a higher intelligence, including behavior like making clothes, using fire, and burying dead. 

Why haven’t we found a body?

In Indiana, a body farm serves as a research facility for determining criminal acts. The Blow Fly and its maggots are examined in order to determine the age of the decaying body, and often, the cause of death. Dr.Neil Haskell, one of the world’s leading entomologists, recalls a record during the early 80’s indicating a pig of 50 pounds that was reduced to 18 pounds within 96 hours by a species of Blow fly, which inhabit most of the world. Using this evidence as an estimation, an 800 pound Bigfoot would decompose in 100 days with just the influence of the Blow fly. This calculation would not include the influence of vultures, who have been known to decompose a human body in just 5 hours. It would also leave out the influence of other insects, bugs, animals, and weather. Bigfoot habitat is known as a temperate rainforest, meaning, an area with high rainfall and lots of fungi. This type of forest can decompose organisms quicker than other environments. Many animals have an instinct to hide when they are sick, hurt, or dying. Because of this, Bigfoot remains would most likely lie in the deepest parts of the forest. 

Emily Fleur, Citizen Scientist studying Sasquatch & Primatology

www.theforestfleur.com