The lighthearted warning came after local group Bigfoot 911 claimed to have encountered Bigfoot in a forested area near Marion, North Carolina, at around 11 p.m. on Friday, August 4th. John Bruner, a member of the Bigfoot watching group, said that he was part of a team of seven people who were out scattering glow sticks in the woods to draw any nearby Bigfoots' curiosity, when he noticed one of the glow sticks moving through the woods.

“I turned on my headlamp and saw a large bi-pedal animal covered in hair,” said Bruner in a post to the group's Facebook page.

Bruner chased the animal, which led to a brief stare-down near a dead tree. The creature ran off downhill and escaped, but not before Bruner got a good look at it. He was even able to note the muscular detail visible as it ran away.

“Its face was solid black, no hair on it. The hair looked shaggy all over,” Bruner said.“I was able to see details of the creature that I have never seen like the face, and the hair was matted and stringy. The eyes were farther apart than human eyes.”

Bruner said this is the best sighting he's had in all of his years searching for Bigfoot, and that he was more interested than scared.

“I knew it was my chance to see it up close,” he said. “I didn’t appear aggressive. We had eye contact for 5 to 10 seconds.”

Bigfoot 911 is available through their Facebook page, or at bigfoot911bobr@gmail.com.