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  Channel NewsAsia 13 Mar 06
Investigators keen to present Bigfoot's footprint cast to Johor government
Johnson Choo Malaysia Correspondent

PlanetArk 30 Jan 06
Malaysia Scientists to Hunt "Bigfoot" in Rainforest

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia plans to send two teams of scientists to scour its southern rainforests and track down a huge ape said to have been spotted there, a government official said on Friday.

"Bigfoot" fever has dominated Malaysian newspaper headlines for several weeks now, with several dramatic sightings of a hairy, gorilla-like creature reported in the thick forest in the southern state of Johor. One local man said he saw a 10-foot (three metre) tall ape standing on two legs beside a river, according to one report.

"Yes, the state government has decided to send teams of scientists to try and track it," said a state official who declined to be named. But he gave no further details.

The country is home to the orang-utan, a large red-haired ape that can grow the size of a small man, but they are not found in peninsular Malaysia -- although monkeys and gibbons are common.

National news agency Bernama has said the Johor state government intends to set up two expedition teams, one to explore the forests and a second to try and study the animal itself. "We hope the expedition will be able to prove its existence," the agency quoted Chief Minister Abdul Ghani Othman as saying.

Bigfoot sightings across the world have featured mysterious and reclusive animals such as the north American sasquatch or the Himalayan yeti, whose existence has never been proved, but the Malaysian sightings are worth investigating, an environmentalist said.

"The national park is as big as Singapore island," said Vicent Chow, who works in the area and has often lobbied the state government to investigate past sightings. "It's quite possible there is something there." The Endau-Rompin national park, where the sightings were reported, sprawls over an area of about 49,000 hectares (490 square km).

"Natives who live in the jungle have seen it for generations and their legends call it the 'snaggle-toothed ghost'," said Chow. "Now we need forays by scientists to find it."

Channel NewsAsia 13 Mar 06
Investigators keen to present Bigfoot's footprint cast to Johor government
Johnson Choo Malaysia Correspondent

JOHOR : Investigators who found what is believed to be a clear footprint of Malaysia's own 'Bigfoot' are waiting to meet the Johor Chief Minister. They want to present him with a cast of the print found in the rainforest and get his permission to carry out further investigations.

They came from across the world, drawn by a common attraction - the prospect of finding Malaysia's very own Bigfoot. The paranormal investigators from Singapore, USA and the UK were invited by their Malaysian counterparts, a group known as the "Uncle Seekers."

At Endau-Rompin National Park in the state of Johor, they ventured deep into the forest with the help of local guides. And after a daylong search - success! Mr Syed Abdullah Al-Attas, "Uncle Seekers", says: "Actually we saw 10 footprints -- but they are not clear." At about 6.15pm, George from Destination Truth, and Jenny from Independent Paper found it. "Yes Uncle! We found it! It's not myths!"

An entire Bigfoot colony is said to have moved there from the jungles of Perak in the North during the 70s. Also known as the tropical Yeti or Mawas, the huge creatures reportedly have dense growth of hair on several parts of their body.

Mr Eugene Toh, Singapore Paranormal Investogator, says: "We have this department called Crypto-zoology. It is actually the study of hidden animals, which is like Bigfoot, and all those mythical creatures, like the unicorn and stuff like that."

The clearest footprint found by the team had a four-inch depth. Going by that, and the height of broken tree branches overhead, the investigators believe an adult Bigfoot can reach a height of three and a half metres, and weigh more than 200 kilogrammes!

Ms Lee Qing Yu, Singapore Paranormal Investigator, says: "I brought along some crime scene investigator kit. So I went there and made some solution, pour into the footprint and made the cast."

The team now wants to present a cast of the footprint to Johor authorities and get permission to carry out further investigations.

Eversince this expedition, the Johor State Government has banned all foreigners from going into the area. It is still opened to Malaysians but they have to pay 5 ringgit, or the equivalent of US$1.50 just to go in there and try their luck at finding Bigfoot.

The Johor government has formed an official committee of research scientists, and are urging Malaysians to consider the creatures as part of the state's heritage. - CNA/de
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