Famous science writer steps all over rumors about Bigfoot

More Bigfoot news from China's Global Times. Now, the article doesn't go far enough explaining who the famous science writer is. They tell us his name, Fang Zhouzi, but not much more. First off, his opinion is significant, he has a huge international reputation and is well respected in academic circles for exposing the scientific and academic fraud of China's higher education system. He has a Ph.D in Biochemistry. And he doubts Bigfoot.

Why would he feel the need to try and rain on our parade? We have no idea. It could be due to the latest press attention of the Shennongjia Nature Reserve in Hubei, a known Sasquatch hotspot. It could be the latest $1.5 million endeavor to discover Sasquatch by Hubei Wild Man Research Association. He might be trying to promote another book. Who knows?

While we may not know his motives, we can read his arguments in the reprinted article below.

Famous science writer steps all over rumors about Bigfoot
Global Times (China) -- Well-known Chinese science writer Fang Zhouzi, who developed a reputation for exposing academic fraud, insisted that Wildman (Bigfoot) is a figment of people's imagination even as an organization in Hubei Province prepares to hunt for the mysterious half-human, half-ape creature.

In an article titled "Wild Man in Shennongjia? How Come There Is Not a Tooth Left?" published on the Beijing-based China Youth Daily Wednesday, Fang said the chance of Bigfoot's existence is next to zero and certain evidence associated with his existence are not "convincing."

Fang's assertions came two months after the Hubei Wild Man Research Association said that they would launch a 10-million-yuan ($1.5 million) campaign to search for the creature, although the project was postponed "indefinitely" due to a lack of financial support, Wang Shancai, head of the association, told the Global Times.

The Shennongjia Nature Reserve in Hubei has long been rumored to be home of the elusive Bigfoot. Wang said some hairs found there were more advanced than apes' hair and they were tested by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

It was reported that more than 400 people said they saw Bigfoot in the Shennongjia area in the last 100 years including villagers, reporters and explorers, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

However, Fang insisted that those evidence are scanty.

Fang argued that no fossils of Bigfoot have been discovered. "There is not a single tooth left, how do you expect people to believe it?" Fang said.

He said that by examining DNA extracted from the remaining cells in the root of hair, it is possible to determine the species of the hair. However, Fang said that since all the hairs discovered so far do not have roots, it is impossible to make such a conclusion.

"It's absolutely not necessary to conduct such scientific research in the first place, which is a waste of time and money," Fang told the Global Times. He said the expedition was a ploy to attract tourists.

In response to the accusation that Fang is not an expert, he said he studied biology and has a say on this matter.

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External Links
Src: Global Times

Chinese Plan to find Bigfoot is muddy

Well, we did start our coverage about Chinese Scientist with a joke about all they need is funding. It seems to be more prolific than we thought. Not only is the financing for the project in question, so are the true intentions of original news release.

Plan to find Bigfoot is muddy
Source: Global Times [00:55 October 12 2010]



By Fu Wen

A fresh campaign to find "Bigfoot" - a legendary half-human, half-ape figure - may be suspended due to a lack of financial support, according to the archaeologist overseeing the project.

Two days after a global recruitment drive was announced to find volunteers for the search team, the organizer said funding might prevent them from going after the ape-like creature.

The Hubei Wild Man Research Association announced Saturday that they were looking for team members between 25 and 40, with good physical health and knowledge of biology.

However, Wang Shancai, founder of the association, told the Global Times Monday that there is no detailed plan for the recruitment drive as they are still looking to raise enough money to support the exploration.

He said they want to prove or disprove the existence of Bigfoot in the Shennongjia area.

More than 400 people claimed to have seen Bigfoot in the Shennongjia area over the last 100 years including villagers, reporters, tourists and explorers. However, there has been no hard evidence to prove its existence, the Xinhua News Agency reported Sunday.

Wang is hoping that this renewed effort could put the Bigfoot mystery to rest.

"We encourage any companies, social groups and the public to donate or cooperate with us and contribute to the reso-lution of this long-term mystery," said Wang, who is also a researcher with the Hubei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.

The planned year-long exploration needs 10 million yuan ($1.5 million) and some 50 people to work in small teams.

The exploration will focus on the area around the Shennongjia Natural Reserve, a 76,950-hectare forest in Hubei Province. Wireless cameras will be installed in caves to capture tracks of Bigfoot.

Witnesses have described Bigfoot as a creature that is more than 2 meters tall, walks upright and has a gray, red or black hairy body.

The last organized expedition to find the mysterious creature was in the early 1980s.

The new Bigfoot expedition has triggered controversy on the Internet with some saying the exploration is a campaign to boost tourism.

Tourists to Shennongjia surpassed 1.66 million in 2009 and brought in 550 million yuan ($82 million) to the region. The Shennongjia area reported a 70 percent jump in visitors during the 7-day national holiday, according to the Hubei-based Chutian Metropolis Daily.

"Our exploration is a pure scientific research activity. We don't accept government subsides because we do not want to become their financial burden," Wang said.

A documentary on China Central Television earlier this year said that some hair-like samples collected in Shennongjia, which were suspected of belonging to Bigfoot, turned out to be a new type of fungi that was not discovered in the region before.

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EXTERNAL LINKS
Scientists to resume scientific research for 'Wild Man' in Shennongjia
USA This Week 10/10/10
CNN 10/09/2010
Xinhua 10/09/10
Reuters 10/09/10