Monster hunter shares how he knows Nessie is alive - but says Bigfoot is extinct

12 November 2023 , 07:56

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A general view of Loch Ness (Image: Getty Images)

A monster hunter believes that the British Bigfoot is extinct, but he thinks that the Loch Ness Monster could still be alive.

After a six-year search for the Woodwoose, Andy McGrath has found little evidence of its existence. Otherwise known as the Wild Man, the bipedal, muscular and hairy beast appears to have dropped from the face of the UK permanently. Mr McGrath has since confirmed a "sad conclusion" on the beast's existence.

He said: "After six years of searching the length and breadth of the country for this creature, I have found scant evidence that it still exists in our land." He added: "Undoubtedly, there are more than a few eyewitness reports, but these are notoriously lacking in attribution, often being second or even third-hand reports and too often emanate from sources who have a 'skin in the game' or at least something to gain, from this legend.

Nessie could still be out there after constant sightings over the last 90 years, Mr McGrath said (Getty Images)

"My sad conclusion is that even those 12th-century carvings that feature so prominently upon the holy houses of Europe are themselves a form of inherited folklore, a memorial in cloth and stone to the stories of a bygone era and that although they may have once existed in Europe, they were probably extinct by the time these carvings and tapestries were created." Despite this, he still holds out hope for finding Nessie, the infamous creature allegedly residing in Loch Ness, reports the Daily Star.

Andy added: "We have to remember that the Loch Ness Monster, unlike the British Bigfoot, has 90 years of continuous sightings, and even has older sightings dating back to 565AD, with corroborative reports being made by eyewitnesses from every walk of life and from hundreds of countries around the world.

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"Whereas the British Bigfoot is a feature of the High Middle Ages and disappeared from our histories until the advent of yeti mania in the early 20th century and again later when bigfoot mania reappeared on the media scene with the hugely successful finding Bigfoot."

English mythology has seemingly lost a stalwart beast, with the Woodwoose now extinct (Getty Images)

Earlier this year, a large search for Nessie was conducted by a team of experts - and it resulted in a few alleged close sightings. There have been nine recorded by the Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register already in 2023 - the same number of last year. But that is far fewer than half of 2021's total and it is all down to a tightening of the rules and not because people no longer think the legend is swimming in the deep.

Tough criteria over webcam sightings has seen less sightings accepted from Nessie Hunters who refuse to give up hope that the creature of Scottish folklore does exist. The last lodged report was on August 31 after Fiona Wade, who visiting the area with family, reported seeing something in the water similar to a report by Alastair Gray days before.

Andy's book Beasts of Britain can be bought online here.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]

Ewan Gleadow