In the first half of the program, authors and Bigfoot researchers Rob Riggs and Tom Burnette discussed why they believe the mysterious apelike creature is real. The two men began their joint study after discovering they shared a similar theory relating unusual luminosities in the woods to Bigfoot sightings. "Other researchers seem to leave this phenomena out or just discard it completely," Burnette said. According to Riggs, these creatures are real animals (see photos) but with extraordinary abilities, such as telepathy, not seen in other animals. This allows them to keep hidden from humans and stalk prey, he added. Burnette concurred, noting how Bigfoot seem to have a mastery over physics and can accurately reproduce any sound they hear.
"We feel like we have substantial evidence that there is some kind of undiscovered wild primate in the Southern United States," Riggs continued. Burnette shared a firsthand encounter he had with the beast in 1986. He remembered hearing something run through the woods, getting pelted by rocks and dirt, and finally seeing a creature stare at him from behind a tree. Its head appeared to be a foot and a half wide with two black eyes set about six inches apart, he recalled, describing it as "something similar to that of a Neanderthal man but more apelike." Riggs thinks the animal is a cross between a gorilla and Howler monkey, similar to the Myakka Ape in Florida. Burnette suggested these creatures are highly intelligent, pointing out that they have left gifts of food and wood at his house. He also recounted the story of a female friend who was dragged into the woods by a Bigfoot and escaped by breaking a bottle over the creature's head.
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During Open Lines, several callers shared their own Bigfoot stories. Kenny of Portland Sasquatch Research Project detailed a sighting from this past October. "We saw something that was about six feet tall... it was a white figure," he explained, adding that the creature was spooked by a flashlight, quickly took off and ran through a fence. David in Farmington, New Mexico, told George about a Bigfoot investigation in which he was involved. The family complained of various paranormal and Bigfoot activity, he said, adding that a priest was brought in to bless the property. "After the prayer was conducted they had no activity for a while," he said. Tom from Festus, Missouri, proposed that Bigfoot are trickster entities, inter-dimensional in nature, similar to demons, witches and gnomes. "I think it's all basically one kind of an ultra-terrestrial entity that we've yet to discover," he said, questioning why no one has ever bagged a Bigfoot.
News segment guests: Bill Spillane / Lauren Weinstein / Peter Davenport