Could Bigfoot just be a normal monkey?

I know some here will laugh at this notion, but the way i see it just as many people laugh at the prospect of there being a Bigfoot roaming about, so here goes! I also appreciate that i am from the UK where i believe no Bigfoot have been sighted yet, and no i have'nt seen one anywhere else either so i guess i'm yet to be convinced on this issue.

Last night i was watching a programme where you could vote on the best moments of David Attenborough's wildlife programme career. One of the most amazing scenes to me, probably not to some here but it was for me as i'd never seen this before, was when they filmed some chimpanzees walking upright, wading through some lakes in the jungle. I've seen chimps walking on two feet before, but not as upright and humanlike as this. It was both moving and creepy at the same time.

Now i know Bigfoot sightings have put the creature at quite a height, 6ft plus in a lot of cases. Is there not a chance that, or should i say more chance that a chimp or a gorrilla has found itself free somewhere and is living wild, and has at times been seen walking upright on two legs? When someone observes the creature, maybe theres some overexageration with the height, and as we've seen the footage is always rubbish anyway so if the footage is less than great, then maybe so was the observers view?

Here is a picture of a gorrilla that was photographed wading through water holding a stick, i have no idea what height these creatures are once they are stood upright, but i'd reckon they could easily get near human height.

news.mongabay.com...

Maybe this does seem a bit farfetched to some, but what would your first thoughts be if you were camping in the forest and this came walking through the woods and you viewed it from a distance?

Body hair i guess is a factor which may seperate this theory from the usual Bigfoot sightings, Bigfoot is usualy described as somewhat more hairy than your average chimp, gorrila, monkey, whatever. Is there such a thing as an overly hairy monkey or chimp? I mean compared to normal hair growth? I remember on a documentary about Hogzilla, they said that if you let a normal pig loose into the wild to live, it would end up a ferrel pig, all hair and stuff like a boar (think i got that right, please correct me if i'm wrong). Is there any way that something from the ape family, if initially kept in captivity from birth, then it escapes, is there a possibility hair growth could be affected in the same way?

I don't know how many people in the US have bought chimps or the likes as pets, only to one day find that they are not always the tiny peace loving things they appear to be? I know many people foolishly buy exotic animals then dump them in the wild when they can't cope. I wonder how many chimps, gorrillas and the likes have been let loose this way?

I'd love to hear peoples opinions on this, i'm not really putting this out as a reason for bigfoot, more a "could it happen" and if not why not? It was just so weird last night watching these creatures walking about so humanlike, for someone who loves mysteries like this, it was hard not to watch it and not think of the Bigfoot stories.

Thanks in advance.

CX.

Neat picture. Yes, if I saw that in the woods, I would say "Bigfoot!" There could be a chance that an escaped/abandoned primate has been mistaken for Bigfoot. However, the long history of and abundance of sightins alone suggest a distinct Bigfoot. What evidence there is for Bigfoot shows an unknown primate. Always good to bring up new thoughts on a subject. You might find this site of interest bfro.net... .

Thanks for the reply desert, cool site too.

I have to admit, that whilst the existence of Bigfoot is one of the few i tend to believe less in, i know if i lived over there i'd be out every weekend searching those woods lol!

CX.

I think it is the last of the Gigantapithicus Blackeye(sp?). The largest of the primates, the only primate to go extinct, or so we think.

If it lived, as it did in China, it could have, like Homo Sapien Sapien, gone across the land bridge into America.

I don't think primitive primates can move around bipedally on land for more than a few steps. The curvature of their spine and the proportion and build of their limbs make it extremely difficult. They are able to do it in water because they get the added buyoancy.

Good theory CX, and I think we should give it more thought. Many people would like to believe that Bigfoot to be this highly intelligent being - some even believe more intelligent than humans and in the extreme cases they believe Bigfoot to have mystical powers. The chances are actually very good that Bigfoot is just an indigenous ape.

There's also a very thin line between sasquash, Bigfoot and the "Skunk Ape" (I sometimes fail to see how people can distinguish between them!?) - but the latter is definitely "classified" as an ape. Who classified it? I don't know, but something gave them reason to decide that it is an ape.

I don't think Bigfoot will classify as a monkey - as monkeys have tails for one. I think it will be safe to classify it as Simian (higher primate). It's not impossible for it to be bipedal as the animal kingdom has many bipedal animals. Primates have developed in many different ways - from flying moneys to tool using gorillas and chimps that can communicate with humans in sign language.

The theory that Bigfoot could be an escaped pet(s) doesn't hold much water as Bigfoot sightings go back hundreds of years - according to native Indian legends; Bigfoot is much to large to even consider as a pet; and lastly it is illegal to have any primate as a pet in the USA.

The theory - as plausible as it is - but can only be debated and speculated until we've either captured a Bigfoot or until we've got a valid DNA sample. Personally I doubt that Bigfoot is a known primate species - otherwise it would have been identified by its tracks or other characteristics?