Wild Man search: stunt or science?
By Wang Qingchu |
October 13, 2010, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
DOUBTS have been swirling online over reports that a research association in Hubei Province plans to resume explorations to find a legendary creature said to be an undiscovered hominid residing in the country's mountain regions.
The Wild Man Research Association in central China says it is raising funds and hiring up to 50 people from around the world to join the new round of searches for Chinese Wild Man, or yeren, in Shennongjia Nature Reserve in Hubei Province.
However, many people suspect it's all a publicity stunt to boost tourism, Beijing News reported yesterday.
The announced search, organized by Wild Man Research Association, comes almost 30 years after three similar big efforts from 1974-1981 by Chinese scientists who found indirect evidence such as hairs, footprints, and excrement suspected of being yeren's. But none of the findings could determine whether the reddish-color hair creature was real.
The association's leaders insist the project is bona fide science. They have already contacted local government officials and no media hype is involved, said Wang Shancai, 75, of the Hubei Relics and Archaeology Institute, and secretary of the Wild Man Research Association.
Wang promised it won't be a repeat of farmer Zhou Zhenglong's faked photos of a South China tiger in Shaanxi Province, a case that drew headlines in 2008.
"I simply want to put an end to the argument of yeren's existence," Wang said.
Yeren, also known as Bigfoot, is a supposed 2 meter tall, half-human half-ape creature with reddish hair covering the body. It walks upright. Several suspected attacks of yeren to people have been reported.
Saying that faulty methodologies led to previous failures, Wang is planning a search that may last three to five years. He plans to set up cameras and bugs to catch traces of yeren, although the team is still working on the sustainability of batteries.
The explorers will also hide near caves where previous suspected tracks of yeren were found.
He said that funding, an estimated 10 million yuan (US$1.5 million), will all come from private sources, but he didn't disclose the names of any donors.
The Wild Man Research Association in central China says it is raising funds and hiring up to 50 people from around the world to join the new round of searches for Chinese Wild Man, or yeren, in Shennongjia Nature Reserve in Hubei Province.
However, many people suspect it's all a publicity stunt to boost tourism, Beijing News reported yesterday.
The announced search, organized by Wild Man Research Association, comes almost 30 years after three similar big efforts from 1974-1981 by Chinese scientists who found indirect evidence such as hairs, footprints, and excrement suspected of being yeren's. But none of the findings could determine whether the reddish-color hair creature was real.
The association's leaders insist the project is bona fide science. They have already contacted local government officials and no media hype is involved, said Wang Shancai, 75, of the Hubei Relics and Archaeology Institute, and secretary of the Wild Man Research Association.
Wang promised it won't be a repeat of farmer Zhou Zhenglong's faked photos of a South China tiger in Shaanxi Province, a case that drew headlines in 2008.
"I simply want to put an end to the argument of yeren's existence," Wang said.
Yeren, also known as Bigfoot, is a supposed 2 meter tall, half-human half-ape creature with reddish hair covering the body. It walks upright. Several suspected attacks of yeren to people have been reported.
Saying that faulty methodologies led to previous failures, Wang is planning a search that may last three to five years. He plans to set up cameras and bugs to catch traces of yeren, although the team is still working on the sustainability of batteries.
The explorers will also hide near caves where previous suspected tracks of yeren were found.
He said that funding, an estimated 10 million yuan (US$1.5 million), will all come from private sources, but he didn't disclose the names of any donors.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
