Editing Bigfoot (section)

===Misidentification===

====Bears====

Scientists theorize that mistaken identification of [[American black bear]]s as Bigfoot are a likely explanation for most reported sightings, particularly when observers view a subject from afar, are in dense foliage, or there are poor lighting conditions.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nickell |first1=Joe |title=Bigfoot Lookalikes: Tracking Hairy Man-Beasts |url=https://skepticalinquirer.org/2013/09/bigfoot-lookalikes-tracking-hairy-man-beasts/ |website=skepticalinquirer.com |publisher=[[Skeptical Inquirer]] |access-date=April 13, 2021 |date=October 2013 |archive-date=June 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210609180842/https://skepticalinquirer.org/2013/09/bigfoot-lookalikes-tracking-hairy-man-beasts/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Additionally, black bears have been observed and recorded walking upright, often as the result of an injury.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Handwerk |first1=Brian |title=Watch: Tough Bear Powers Through Injury by Walking Upright |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/walking-bears-science-animals-pedals |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413233030/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/walking-bears-science-animals-pedals |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 13, 2021 |website=nationalgeographic.com |publisher=[[National Geographic]] |access-date=April 13, 2021 |date=July 7, 2016}}</ref> While upright, adult black bears stand roughly {{convert|5|-|7|ft}},<ref>{{cite web |title=Facts about Black Bears |url=https://www.njfishandwildlife.com/pdf/bear/bearfacts_kids.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.njfishandwildlife.com/pdf/bear/bearfacts_kids.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |website=njfishandwildlife.com |publisher=New Jersey Fish and Wildlife |access-date=April 21, 2021}}</ref> and grizzly bears roughly {{convert|8|-|9|ft}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Brown Bears |url=https://www.nps.gov/subjects/bears/brown-bears.htm#:~:text=Height%3A%20About%203%E2%80%935%20feet,standing%20on%20their%20hind%20legs. |website=nps.gov |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |access-date=April 21, 2021 |archive-date=April 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421214615/https://www.nps.gov/subjects/bears/brown-bears.htm#:~:text=Height%3A%20About%203%E2%80%935%20feet,standing%20on%20their%20hind%20legs. |url-status=live }}</ref>

According to data scientist Floe Foxon, more people report seeing Bigfoot in areas with documented black bear populations. Foxon concludes, "If bigfoot is there, it may be many bears".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lattimer |first1=Dustin |title=Data scientist openly claims most Bigfoot sightings in the United States and Canada "are probably black bears" |url=https://wgnradio.com/news/bigfoot-sightings-can-be-easily-explained-scientist-says-2/ |website=wgnradio.com |publisher=[[KSNF]] |access-date=February 20, 2023 |date=February 4, 2023 |archive-date=February 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230220222223/https://wgnradio.com/news/bigfoot-sightings-can-be-easily-explained-scientist-says-2/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Foxon acknowledges that alleged Bigfoot sightings have been reported in areas with minimal or no known black bear populations. She states, "Although this may be interpreted as evidence for the existence of an unknown hominid in North America, it is also explained by misidentification of other animals (including humans), among other possibilities".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Casella |first1=Carly |title=Bigfoot Has a Very Simple Explanation, Scientist Says |url=https://www.sciencealert.com/bigfoot-has-a-very-simple-explanation-scientist-says |website=sciencealert.com |publisher=Science Alert |access-date=March 28, 2023 |date=January 31, 2023 |archive-date=March 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230325112727/https://www.sciencealert.com/bigfoot-has-a-very-simple-explanation-scientist-says |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Escaped apes====

Some have proposed that sightings of Bigfoot may simply be people observing and misidentifying known great apes such as chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans that have escaped from captivity such as zoos, circuses, and [[exotic pet]]s belonging to private owners.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Radford |first1=Ben |title=Could Escaped Animals Account for Bigfoot Reports? |url=https://www.seeker.com/could-escaped-animals-account-for-bigfoot-reports-1765921497.html |website=seeker.com |publisher=[[Seeker (media company)|Seeker]] |access-date=April 21, 2021 |date=August 14, 2012 |archive-date=April 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421214614/https://www.seeker.com/could-escaped-animals-account-for-bigfoot-reports-1765921497.html |url-status=live }}</ref> This explanation is often proposed in relation to the Skunk ape, as some scientists argue the [[humid subtropical climate]] of the southeastern United States could potentially support a population of escaped apes.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Poling |first1=Dean |title=Planet of the Skunk Apes |url=https://www.valdostadailytimes.com/news/local_news/planet-of-the-skunk-apes/article_e57f1dd4-663b-5616-b66a-8850ec069d00.html |website=valdostadailytimes.com |publisher=[[Valdosta Daily Times]] |access-date=April 21, 2021 |date=September 11, 2014 |archive-date=April 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421214615/https://www.valdostadailytimes.com/news/local_news/planet-of-the-skunk-apes/article_e57f1dd4-663b-5616-b66a-8850ec069d00.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Humans====

Humans have been mistaken for Bigfoot, with some incidents leading to injuries. In 2013, a 21-year-old man in Oklahoma was arrested after he told law enforcement he accidentally shot his friend in the back while their group was allegedly hunting for Bigfoot.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jauregui |first1=Andres |title='Bigfoot Hunt' Goes Wrong, Ends With Man Shot, Three Arrested |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bigfoot-hunt-goes-wrong_n_4212268 |access-date=April 13, 2021 |work=[[HuffPost]] |agency= |date=December 6, 2017 |archive-date=April 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413233032/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bigfoot-hunt-goes-wrong_n_4212268 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2017, a [[shamanism|shamanist]] wearing clothing made of animal furs was vacationing in a North Carolina forest when local reports of alleged Bigfoot sightings flooded in. The [[Greenville, North Carolina|Greenville Police Department]] issued a public notice not to shoot Bigfoot for fear of mistakenly injuring or killing someone in a fur suit.<ref>{{cite news |title=Man in suit believes he may have been mistaken as Bigfoot in NC |url=https://abc11.com/bigfoot-sighting-man-in-costume-mistaken-for/2293445/ |access-date=April 13, 2021 |work=[[WTVD]] |agency=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |publisher= |date=August 10, 2017 |archive-date=April 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413233032/https://abc11.com/bigfoot-sighting-man-in-costume-mistaken-for/2293445/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2018, a person was shot multiple times by a hunter near [[Helena, Montana]], who claimed he mistook him for a Bigfoot.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Casiano |first1=Louis |title=Hunter thought he was firing at Bigfoot, 'victim' tells police |url=https://www.foxnews.com/great-outdoors/man-tells-police-hunter-mistook-him-for-bigfoot-and-shot-at-him-cops |access-date=April 13, 2021 |agency=[[Fox News]] |date=December 19, 2018 |archive-date=April 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413233030/https://www.foxnews.com/great-outdoors/man-tells-police-hunter-mistook-him-for-bigfoot-and-shot-at-him-cops |url-status=live }}</ref>

Additionally, some have attributed [[Feral child|feral humans]] or [[hermit]]s living in the wilderness as being another explanation for alleged Bigfoot sightings.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cooke |first1=Bruno |title=Are there feral people in national parks? Behind TikTok's cannibal claims |url=https://www.thefocus.news/travel/feral-people-national-parks/ |website=thefocus.news |date=March 31, 2021 |access-date=April 21, 2021 |archive-date=April 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421214615/https://www.thefocus.news/travel/feral-people-national-parks/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Jones |first1=Terry |title=Louisiana's Wild Men |url=https://countryroadsmagazine.com/art-and-culture/history/louisiana-s-wild-men/ |website=countryroadsmagazine.com |access-date=April 21, 2021 |date=April 14, 2017 |archive-date=April 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421214615/https://countryroadsmagazine.com/art-and-culture/history/louisiana-s-wild-men/ |url-status=live }}</ref> One story, the [[Wild Man of the Navidad]], tells of a wild ape-man who roamed the wilderness of eastern Texas in the mid-19th century, stealing food and goods from residents. A search party allegedly captured an escaped [[Slavery in the United States|African slave]] attributed to the story.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Reese |first1=Randy |title=Wildman of the Navidad: Truth or Tall Tale? |url=http://www.bfro.net/gdb/show_article.asp?id=415 |website=bfro.net |access-date=April 21, 2021 |date=July 23, 2002 |archive-date=April 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421214615/http://www.bfro.net/gdb/show_article.asp?id=415 |url-status=live }}</ref> During the 1980s, several [[Post-traumatic stress disorder|psychologically damaged]] American [[Vietnam veteran]]s were stated by the state of Washington's veterans' affairs director, Randy Fisher, to have been living in remote wooded areas of the state.<ref>{{cite news |title=U.S Wilds Hide Scars of Vietnam |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/12/31/us/us-wilds-hide-scars-of-vietnam.html |website=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=April 21, 2021 |date=December 31, 1983 |archive-date=April 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421214614/https://www.nytimes.com/1983/12/31/us/us-wilds-hide-scars-of-vietnam.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Pareidolia====

Some have proposed that [[pareidolia]] may explain Bigfoot sightings, specifically the tendency to observe human-like faces and figures within the natural environment.<ref>{{cite web |title=When it looks like aliens, but it's just Nature! |url=https://yankeeskeptic.com/2016/09/11/when-it-looks-like-aliens-but-its-just-nature/ |website=yankeeskeptic.com |access-date=May 11, 2021 |date=September 11, 2016 |archive-date=May 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511211938/https://yankeeskeptic.com/2016/09/11/when-it-looks-like-aliens-but-its-just-nature/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Plait |first1=Phil |title=Sunsquatch |url=https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/sunsquatch |website=discovermagazine.com |publisher=[[Discover (magazine)|Discover Magazine]] |access-date=May 11, 2021 |date=October 9, 2011 |archive-date=May 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511211851/https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/sunsquatch |url-status=live }}</ref> Photos and videos of poor quality alleged to depict Bigfoots are often attributed to this phenomenon and commonly referred to as "Blobsquatch".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Klee |first1=Miles |title=America, Meet 'Blobsquatch' |url=https://blackbookmag.com/tv/america-meet-blobsquatch/ |website=blackbookmag.com |publisher=[[BlackBook]] |access-date=May 11, 2021 |date=November 6, 2012 |archive-date=May 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511161220/https://blackbookmag.com/tv/america-meet-blobsquatch/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

====Misidentified vocalizations====

The majority of mainstream scientists maintain that the source of the sounds often attributed to Bigfoot are either hoaxes, [[Anthropomorphism|anthropomorphization]], or likely misidentified and produced by known animals such as owl, wolf, coyote, and fox.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cockle |first1=Richard |title=Bigfoot or animals? Strange sounds coming from swamp on Umatilla Indian Reservation |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2013/01/strange_sounds_coming_from_a_s.html |access-date=March 24, 2021 |work=[[The Oregonian]] |date=January 20, 2013 |archive-date=January 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125023502/https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2013/01/strange_sounds_coming_from_a_s.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Stollznow |first1=Karen |title=(Big)foot in Mouth: Bigfoot Language |url=https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/mind-guest-blog/bigfoot-in-mouth-bigfoot-language/ |date=July 24, 2013 |publisher=Scientific American |access-date=March 24, 2021 |archive-date=April 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415131138/https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/mind-guest-blog/bigfoot-in-mouth-bigfoot-language/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Tuggle |first1=Zach |title=An Ohio woman is convinced she recorded Bigfoot. Experts say it could be something else. |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/08/02/bigfoot-howl-ohio-woman-audio/10217044002/ |access-date=August 8, 2022 |work= [[Mansfield News Journal]] |agency= |publisher=[[USA Today]] |date=August 2, 2022 |archive-date=August 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220808172810/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/08/02/bigfoot-howl-ohio-woman-audio/10217044002/ |url-status=live }}</ref>