It has been the stuff of legends for as long as hikers have been traipsing through the wilderness.

But whether you believe this figure caught on camera by hikers in the Canadian wilderness is actually the legendary Bigfoot, or just a man in an ape suit, is all a matter of opinion.

Either way the sighting of the figure, which appears covered in thick black hair and is seen lumbering across the mountain top, has sparked plenty of excitement among Bigfoot fans.

In the footage the figure walks from the trees into the open, pausing briefly before disappearing back into the trees.

It remains unclear exactly where the video was shot but it is believed to have been filmed on a trail near Mission, in British Columbia.

The footage has been viewed thousands of times on YouTube with believers claiming it is evidence that the ape-like creature, known as sasquatch, actually exists.

But scientists have dismissed the Bigfoot theory, claiming it is a mixture of a hoax, folklore and incorrect identification.