Reports of Bigfoot rise when at least 900 black bears are in the area

Where black bears are abundant, Bigfoot sightings usually follow – which could make reports of the mythical creature a way to measure American black bear populations

By Corryn Wetzel

American black bears (Ursus americanus) are being mistaken for Bigfoot throughout North America. For every 900 bears in an area, one Bigfoot sighting is likely to follow, according to an analysis of bear populations and sightings of the mythical being.

The legend of Bigfoot – a bipedal, hairy, ape-like creature – first cropped up during the late 1800s and took a particularly strong foothold among people who live in or near the forests of the western United States. The mystery has since been …