The United States Forest Service responded to a video filmed by a couple that went viral for allegedly showing Bigfoot walking in broad daylight.
Bigfoot, also commonly referred to as Sasquatch, is a large and hairy human-like mythical creature purported to inhabit forests in North America. The footage, recorded on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad train in the mountains of Colorado, has gone viral, with some viewers convinced they've seen the cryptid.
Shannon Parker, who was on the train with her husband and took photos of the alleged sighting, admitted that she was not a believer in Bigfoot until she had this potential encounter. She said on October 8, she and her husband Stetson Tyler saw "something moving."
Thinking it might be the elusive Bigfoot, Brandon, "the guy sitting next to Stetson on the train," grabbed his phone and started recording while she tried to take photos.
She added:
"Y’all, out of the hundreds of people on the train, three or four of us actually saw, as Stetson says in the video , the ever elusive creature Bigfoot! I don’t know about y’all but We Believe!!"
You can see the post below.
You can see the video below.
In response to the video, the USDA Forest Service issued a statement dismissing the notion that the video shows the real thing, but declining to deny it as well.
A spokesperson said the following in a statement to TMZ:
"The USDA Forest Service can't speculate or provide comments on the authenticity of the video. We'll be sure to alert the media if and when a Sasquatch is sighted by officials on National Forest System lands."
Another representative for the agency said it "is not currently investigating the footage taken on the San Juan National Forest last weekend.”
But the video had already gone viral on social media platforms including X, formerly Twitter.
People quickly offered their own takes on the footage.
While the debate continues over whether the video provides evidence of Bigfoot's existence, it is essential to remember that the FBI once played a role in the enigmatic lore surrounding the creature.
In 2019, the agency confirmed that it had tested hair and tissue samples related to Bigfoot back in the 1970s. These specimens were later determined to be "of deer family origin," according to documents released by the FBI.