Sasquatch. Bigfoot. A dark shape running through the trees, a bit of fur caught on a twig, the rustling in the forest. Its legend extends back to precolonial times, but still captures modern imaginations. Companies market Bigfoot-themed goods: beer, television shows, bikes, coffee, socks. People slap “I believe” bumper stickers on their cars and kayaks and binge-watch Bigfoot-themed reality shows.
Part of this is tongue-in-cheek—Bigfoot as hipster accessory. But many people take Sasquatch seriously. Very seriously. Primatologists, naturalists, academics—perfectly rational and evidence-driven people who swear to his existence and know he (she? it?) is real. Veteran public radio producer Laura Krantz has met them. Wild Thing is Laura’s journey into the world of Bigfoot, introducing us to the true believers and the I-want-to-believers, while seeking to explore why this creature ignites our imaginations, where that fascination comes from, and why it persists.
