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BIGFOOT has gotten some much-needed love as the mythological creature is set to become an official state symbol.
The legend has left a massive footprint in the state, where around 75,000 sightings have been reported.
That’s why Assemblymember Chris Rogers, who represents a northern district in California, introduced a bill on February 14 to make Bigfoot the official state cryptid.
In the proposal, which is eerily named Assembly Bill 666, the lawmaker said he wants to include Bigfoot along with the state flower and tree.
And Bigfoot fits the bill to be California’s favorite local legend, as the creature has a rich history in the state.
Many hunters believe that the folk favorite actually lives in Northern California, especially after a now-iconic video allegedly captured a female Bigfoot in 1967.
Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin took the clip, which showed the dark, hairy creature lumbering through the Golden State wilderness in broad daylight.
Throughout the years, the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization has gotten 75,000 reported sightings in California.
The group said that only about 5,000 to 6,000 of those are credible, but that’s still significant compared to other areas.
Rogers is passionate about folklore as his district encapsulates counties including Mendocino, Sonoma, Del Norte, Humboldt, and Trinity, where Bigfoot is basically a friendly neighbor.
Matt Moneymaker, a researcher who starred in the Animal Planet series Finding Bigfoot, was shocked to see lawmakers taking the legend seriously but was pleasantly surprised when he read the bill.
“I first thought it was a joke,” he told SFGATE.
“Apparently, a state can have an official cryptid. So why not?
“Obviously, Bigfoot’s the biggest one of all among cryptids, and California is where the term Bigfoot was popularized, so it makes sense.”
Rogers said it was difficult to choose exactly which cryptid best represents his home state but was happy to settle on one of the most popular in the country.
“The question of ‘which mythical creature best represents California’ is a hairy one,” he told the New York Post.
“But we feel like it’s time to ‘squatch the beef.’ It’s not the Taho Tessie or El Chupacabra that generates buzz and interest from outdoor enthusiasts, it’s Bigfoot.”
Rogers went on to call his proposal a “spot bill,” which means it doesn’t significantly affect the law.
However, he’s still glad that he officially introduced the idea as “it has been a fun moment of levity for my colleagues and community,” he said.
While Bigfoot has often chosen California as its stomping grounds, areas north of the state, like Washington and Oregon, have also reported sightings.
Right after Christmas, two hikers who traveled to Skamania County in Washington disappeared during a search for Bigfoot and were later found tragically dead.
In that county, it’s been made illegal to harm Bigfoot.
Who is Bigfoot?
Bigfoot, also commonly known as Sasquatch, is a large, hairy figure of folklore said to live in the forests of North America.
He has the build of a large, muscular human or ape-like creature and is roughly 9 feet tall with thick dark brown or reddish hair.
Its existence is the subject of debate, but Bigfoot has grown into a cultural icon in Canada and the USA.
Various forms of evidence have been offered over the decades including stories of claimed sightings and alleged photographs, video and audio recordings.
Hair samples and casts of large footprints have even been offered, thought the scientific community reject this evidence as a hoax or misidentification.
Sceptics have suggested reported sightings may have mistaken a bear standing up on two legs for the mythical creature.
