Transcript:

The Chinese BigfootCelebrating three decades of Pulse of the Planet, here's a program from our archives.Although creatures such as Bigfoot, Sasquatch and the Abominable Snowman have captured the public's imagination, most scientists doubt the existence of these legendary beasts. But what if one of them really does exist? I'm Jim Metzner and this is the Pulse of the Planet.Ambience, Florida creature These sounds were sent to us from a listener in Florida, who claims to have encountered and recorded a creature like Bigfoot in the Florida Keys. Western scientists tend to dismiss reports such as this, but in China, they're taken more seriously. The Chinese have their own version of Bigfoot, and they call it "Yeren," the Wildman. Poirier: The legends of the Chinese Wildman actually go back about at least 2500 years. (and) The reports are found in historical text, there are drawings of Chinese wildmen, there are pictures of Chinese wildmen on ancient coins as well as on ancient lamps found on archaeological records. So it's a long-standing mystery in China as to who the Wildman is and, in fact, if it exists or not.Dr. Frank Poirier is an anthopologist at Ohio State University, who studies the conservation of endangered primates. Poirier: The question's always been put to me, what do you do if you find such a creature, and in fact we're being castigated by a number of people, even trying to search for it because if in fact a creature exists, and if it's filmed or if it's described by science, unfortunately that is the first step in the road to extinction because everyone will want one. Every anthropologist, like myself, would love to have one in the laboratory, every zoo might want an individual, the Chinese government certainly might want to perhaps use them as tourist draw." This archival program is part of our thirtieth anniversary celebration. If you want hear more, check out our podcast.