Speaker tells of his fascination with Bigfoot

By BOB COUPLAND Tribune Chronicle

WARREN — Ever since watching the 1970s-movie, ‘‘The Legend of Boggy Creek,’’ on cable television, Eric Altman said he was fascinated with Bigfoot which led Altman and two other men to start the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society.

Altman, who is president of the society, spoke to more than 125 recently at the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library about the legendary creature which has had many books, newspaper articles and movies about it.

Altman said he has seen many movies, including documentaries, about Bigfoot.

‘‘The one movie in particular that really drew my attention was ‘‘The Legend of Boggy Creek’’ about sightings of a swamp creature terrorizing a small town in Arkansas. To me at 10 years old I thought the movie was neat," Altman said.

He said as he got older he became more interested in Bigfoot and began doing research at the library in Greensburg, Pa. where he was born and raised.

‘‘I found there were quite a lot of books and newspaper articles written on the subject,’’ he said.

Altman said he was shocked to read about all the sightings of Bigfoot around the world and in every state in the United States including Hawaii. In 1973, there were 300 sightings in the United States.

Altman said he also began contacting independent researches about Bigfoot.

In 1996, Altman and two other men established the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society which currently has 75 members. The society is a no-kill group, collecting and analyzing field data and evidence through means of audio, video and photography.

On the Internet, he found there were many other organizations devoted to checking Bigfoot sightings report.

Altman said Bigfoot is described as a large, bipedal hairy humanoid creature living in the wilderness areas of Canada and the United States. It is described as dark haired with a strong build. He said many people say when they see it there is very foul odor.

Altman said in 1967 photos were taken in California by two men traveling by horseback in the wilderness of what appeared to be a female Bigfoot.

‘‘There are more than 300 names for the creature,” he said, with Sasquatch the most known.

He said Bigfoot is believed to be seven to 12 feet tall equal to a large grizzly bear standing up. Footprints, which are described as human-like measure 10 to 23 feet in length and six to 10 feet wide.

‘‘The name Bigfoot started from photos of large prints found in the Sierra Mountains which were published in the newspaper,’’ he said.

Altman said Bigfoot is believed to be an omnivore eating meat and plants.

Altman said he believes Bigfoot may be a descendant of the Gigantopithecus, which is the largest species of ape that ever lived which is now extinct. Fossils of this creature have been found in China and India.