Ministry scoffs at existence of 'Bigfoot'
Malaysiakini.com
Dec 16, 2006

Officials from Malaysia's environment ministry have scoffed at the existence of mysterious "Bigfoot" creatures said to be roaming the jungles of southern Johor state, a report said Saturday.

The ministry's parliamentary secretary, Sazmi Miah (right), said no firm evidence such as droppings or hair from the creature had ever been found in the 40 years state authorities had monitored the jungles.

Cameras set up in the jungles a few years back to monitor the movements of animals had also failed to pick up traces of the creature, he was reported as saying in the New Straits Times.

"If there's truly a Bigfoot, there would have been firm evidence of its existence or the cameras would have captured its image or movements," he told the newspaper.

Sazmi said the buzz over Bigfoot was a hoax, dismissing evidence of large footprints cited as proof of the creature's existence and saying that eyewitnesses had probably spotted apes or bears instead.

"To date, the evidence has been a so-called footprint," he said. "Don't tell me that that creature walked on one leg? That's not possible."

Telephone hotline

Bigfoot fever erupted in Malaysia last December when some people claimed to have spotted three of the creatures - two adults and a youngster - on the edge of a Johor forest reserve.

The Johor government said it would investigate the claims and even set up a telephone hotline to record sightings, which have generated intense interest from international wildlife experts.

The chair of Johor's tourism and environment committee, Freddie Long, accused Sazmi of making "sweeping statements" and argued research took time.

"We are very keen to pursue this and welcome researchers and scientists to contact us on their investigations into the Johor Bigfoot," Long told the newspaper. 

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