If Bigfoot Is Real, Where Does It Live?
There have been countless reported sightings of so-called bigfoot over the years. The creatures go by many names: bigfoot, yeti, sasquatch, the abominable snowman. In Florida, some people have sighted a bizarre creature they call a “skunk ape”, a grotesque animal that looks like a bigfoot but smells like a skunk. If such creatures really exist, where do they live? We know where they’ve been sighted, but where could an unknown organism like this really hide from humanity? Are there any isolated places on Earth where such creatures could still dwell?
There are! In fact, there are many such places. In order to find out which places there are, we’ll have to make a few assumptions about where such a creature could live:
Forested. No matter where bigfoot shows up, we can assume that he lives in a place with forests. All recorded sightings of this creature have come either from heavily forested areas or from areas directly adjacent to forests, so we’re going to assume that there are some trees around.
Under-populated. Some of the sightings, such as that of the so-called skunk ape in Florida, may not be legitimate, assuming we’re taking the existence of this creature seriously. Or, bigfoot may be especially rare in those areas. In an era when everyone is carrying smartphones, there are very few pictures of bigfoot. So if any sasquatches exist, they are probably in remote areas.
Cold. Bigfoot is supposed to be big and hair. Large, furry creatures typically (though not always) are inhabitants of cold climates. Due to the cube-square law, large creatures retain heat more easily, and big animals that live in the tropics have ways of getting rid of, or avoiding, that heat. For example, elephants radiate excess heat through their ears and cool off by wallowing. Bigfoot doesn’t appear to have any way of radiating extra heat, so we’ll assume that he lives in cold areas.
Now, check out this map. It shows population density. The areas with the lowest density are the places where bigfoot is likely to live, per our second assumption.
The biggest unpopulated areas outside of Antarctica seem to be northeastern Russia, northern Canada, a few places in the American west, central South America, Australia, northern Africa, parts of Scandinavia, and some places in central Asia. Antarctica is not forested; Australia, northern Africa, and the empty pockets of central Asia are all deserts, so they’re a no-go; central South America is a jungle and too hot for bigfoot, per our assumptions. That leaves northeastern Russia, northern Canada, the American west, and Scandinavia as possible homes for bigfoot.
Bigfoot has captivated the imaginations of millions, and there’s a good reason why you can buy everything from bigfoot socks to bigfoot t shirts. If you ever feel the need to go hunting cryptids yourself, the above locations are places you might want to visit.
