A UK man has posted video footage that purports to show the legendary beast Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, in a nature reserve in Lincolnshire, UK. (Associated Press file photo)

Bigfoot Should be on Endangered Species List, New York County Legislators Hear

Claiming about 17 different alleged sightings of Bigfoot, one New York man told county legislators that the legendary creature should be placed on the endangered species list.

Peter Wiemer, owner of We Wan Chu Cottages on Chautauqua Lake in New York’s Chautauqua County, said that the county could be the first governmental body in the US to place Bigfoot on the list.

“You’re not going to be looked at as being crazy,” said Wiemer, according to the Buffalo News. “You should err on the side of caution,” Wiemer added.

Wiemer said there’s been approximately 17 different sightings of Bigfoot since 2011 in the county. He said the first one was documented in the 19th century, and he added there’s been about “100 sightings in New York State.”

“Bigfoots are not a paranormal, not scary or troublesome and are living among us in peace and harmony in Chautauqua County,” he said.

“Chautauqua County tourism would be thankful,” Wiemer said and added that “the bottom line is it is the right thing to do protecting a species that is rare, possibly part human and documented first here in New York State.”

Meanwhile, USA Today reported that the Gulf Coast Bigfoot Research Organization said there’s as many as 30,000 Bigfoot specimens across the US.

As USA Today writer Leif Pettersen notes, “I recently spoke with Jim Landsdale, co-founder of the GCBRO, who made a point of telling me that Bigfoot hunts are not just guys firing shotguns and drinking beer. The hunts are quite regimented, ‘military style,’ with emphasis on gun safety. They are also careful to stay off private property or secure permission from the landowner ahead of time. Hunts can last anywhere from a week to 20 days, exploring paths and following tracks day and night.”