Sasquatch | Description, Sightings, & Facts (2024)

legendary creature

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Top Questions

What is Sasquatch?

Sasquatch is a large hairy humanoid that some believe to live in the northwestern United States and western Canada. The name comes from Salish se’sxac, meaning “wild men.” Sasquatch is also known as Bigfoot, and it appears to represent the North American counterpart of the Himalayan region’s mythical monster, the Abominable Snowman, or Yeti.

Where is Sasquatch said to live?

Sasquatch is said to live in the northwestern United States and western Canada. Sightings have been claimed in forested areas.

How is Sasquatch usually described?

Sasquatch is normally described as a bipedal primate that is anywhere from 6 to 15 feet (2 to 4.5 metres) tall. It is often said to give off a foul smell and either moves silently or emits a high-pitched cry. Alleged Sasquatch footprints have measured up to 24 inches (about 60 cm) long.

Who was the first person to claim a Sasquatch sighting?

Some people credit the British explorer David Thompson with the first discovery of Sasquatch footprints, in 1811. Since then, several photographers and videographers have claimed to have seen Sasquatch, although none of their purported evidence has been verified.

Is Sasquatch real?

Since the first alleged finding of Sasquatch footprints, in 1811, several people have claimed to have found such footprints or to have seen Sasquatch, and some have provided purported documentary evidence. However, scholars and scientific researchers have pointed out that no investigator has produced a physical body or other verifiable evidence, and they do not recognize Sasquatch’s existence.

Sasquatch, (from Salish se’sxac: “wild men”) a large, hairy, humanlike creature believed by some people to exist in the northwestern United States and western Canada. It seems to represent the North American counterpart of the Himalayan region’s mythical monster, the Abominable Snowman, or Yeti.

The British explorer David Thompson is sometimes credited with the first discovery (1811) of a set of Sasquatch footprints, and hundreds of alleged prints have been adduced since then. Visual sightings and even alleged photographs and filmings (notably by Roger Patterson at Bluff Creek, California, in 1967) have also contributed to the legend, though none of the purported evidence has been verified.

Sasquatch is variably described as a primate ranging from 6 to 15 feet (2 to 4.5 metres) tall, standing erect on two feet, often giving off a foul smell, and either moving silently or emitting a high-pitched cry. Footprints have measured up to 24 inches (60 cm) in length and 8 inches (20 cm) in width. A Soviet scientist, Boris Porshnev, suggested that Sasquatch and his Siberian counterpart, the Almas, could be a remnant of Neanderthals, but most scientists do not recognize the creature’s existence.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Alicja Zelazko.