New York Bigfoot Photographed
Posted by: Craig Woolheater on June 1st, 2006
Reports yesterday from the Buffalo News that Hans Mobius had photographed a Bigfoot on his 100 acre farm in Clarence, NY last weekend.
Hans Mobius says he took this picture of a creature, seen behind Mobius’ utility tractor, on his 100-acre Clarence horse farm.
Hans Mobius swears up and down that last weekend, he saw – and photographed – a bizarre beast covered from head to toe with dark hair that walked on two legs, near a patch of dense woods on his 100-acre horse farm in Clarence.
Scientists and experts in wildlife, photography and Bigfoot say the photos are clearly phony.
"It’s obviously a man in a suit," said Dr. D. Jeffrey Meldrum, an assistant biological sciences professor at Idaho State University, who specializes in anatomy, evolutionary morphology, primatology and paleontology and has written extensively on Sasquatch footprints. Meldrum pointed out that the head is proportioned like that of a human being. He also pointed out the short, un-apelike arms.
"Look at the forearms," he went on. "There’s not natural taper at the wrist. It looks like a sleeve transitioning into a glove."
The hair, he added, "looks unnatural." "It disperses light like artificial fur would."
He also said that the series of photos show the creature standing in one spot while moving back and forth, rather than quickly running away.
"That raises real questions about the credibility of the photos," Meldrum said. "Is someone pulling a prank on him? Or is it him having a laugh, just killing time at others’ expense?"
Hoaxes make the serious study of possible Bigfoot-type animals extremely complicated, Meldrum said.
"It’s frustrating when people intentionally muddy the water with this type of thing," he said. "It gives the entire question a rather dubious character and that’s the biggest struggle: trying to promote serious interest in what I see as a large number of credible incidents in the forms of footprints and inexplicable hairs and things like that."
Sharon Cantillon/Buffalo News
Hans Mobius doesn’t rule out the possibility someone may be playing a "Big Foot" hoax.
Co-founder of Cryptomundo in 2005.
I have appeared in or contributed to the following TV programs, documentaries and films:
OLN's Mysterious Encounters: "Caddo Critter", Southern Fried Bigfoot, Travel Channel's Weird Travels: "Bigfoot", History Channel's MonsterQuest: "Swamp Stalker", The Wild Man of the Navidad, Destination America's Monsters and Mysteries in America: Texas Terror - Lake Worth Monster, Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot: Return to Boggy Creek and Beast of the Bayou.
What should the best course of action be in cases of clear fakes? Should we ignore or expose?
I bet he’s an Outdoor Life subscriber.
Monkey(suit) see, monkey(suit) do!
Oh, I’m cracking myself up this morning.
I’d like to swear up and down at Hans Mobius.
Everyone seems awfully convinced it’s a fake… What criteria is everyone applying to the photo that makes it so obviously fake? Just the sense of “fake-ness”? Anything more concrete or scientific?
Pray tell which “authenticated” Bigfoot photos are we comparing this to? How do we know for sure that if and when we find a Bigfoot, it won’t look exactly as Mobius photographed, and nothing like what Patterson & Gimlin filmed?
The most blobbiest Blobsquatch of them all.
Is that first photo digitally touched up, because the “Bigfoot” just looks like a black hole on the picture plane. Just like a shadow, man.
I agree with Scarfe, even if it is not fake, though im convinced it is, it tells us nothing as the “animal” has no detail to it. As such it may as well be fake because we cant really draw any conclusions from it!
Incidentally Mr Radford, How do you propose we submit an opinion to the authenticity of photos based on anything but how it looks? Not many of us here can go down to the site and do an investigation and interview the witness all we have to go on is what is here! I think the point of the post is to gather general opinion.
“How do you propose we submit an opinion to the authenticity of photos based on anything but how it looks?”
No, you’ve missed the point. Obviously we can only go by how it looks, my point is that without knowing for certain what a Bigfoot actually looks like, we don’t really have any good reason for saying that one photo of a Bigfoot looks any more “authentic” than another.
What are we comparing a given photo against? Other photos? What we think a Bigfoot would look like? I agree it looks very fake, but I think MOST Bigfoot photos look fake, so this fits right in.
Looks like it was photo shopped in there. Oh well at least he tried.
Shadowsquatch.
Have we ruled out the possibility someone pranced up & down in front of this guy & he *believes* it was some kind of animal?
Stupider people do exist.
While it’s true we don’t know exactly what a bona fide bigfoot looks like, we do have a good idea what cheap, off-the-shelf monkey suits look like, and this, and the Outdoor Life pic, are pretty good matches to that standard. Though as comments 6 and 10 note, this one looks more like a black hole in the picture.
All the evidence is there, the strange fuzzy thing (looks like Shaggy from Scooby Doo doing a runner), the 6 wheeled golf cart, the farmer who swears its real.
With evidence like this why is everyone so disbelieving.
(I bet if someone looks for a 6-wheeled John Deere they will find this as a stock photo). The joy of net.
It’s Penn Gillette stumbling off of his tractor with a near-empty fifth of Grey Goose in his hand….So should I expect a “this is authentic” posting shortly from the BFRO?
The first thing I did was look at the length of the arms, I never made it past that. It’s a fake.
“…There’s not natural taper at the wrist. It looks like a sleeve transitioning into a glove.”
Look at the picture again and it is apparant this statement from the post is true. Besides the shape reminds me of a bear more then anyything looking ‘apeish.’
True we have little specific comparisions, but generalities do exist.
Well – Mr. Mobius is a very “Searchable” man on the internet – and a google search for Clarence NY, showed me something interesting. Im happy Dr. Meldrum yelled hoax.
Mr. Mobius has been very active since 1995, in trying to keep the land around him undeveloped by big business. This I found out very quickly. He does in fact own a large Horse ranch (I will not disclose the name).
What I found interesting is the proximity between Clarence NY and Elmira NY – for those of you who do not know Elmira NY is where T.Biscardi helped a group of guys with a Bigfoot hunt, during his 8 state tour to try and capture a Bigfoot Alive, earlier this year, and Biscardis visit was highly publicized.
Elmira is a bit south and east of Clarence.
So, what I want to know is did someone get this idea when biscardi was in the area — a good way to keep new business development out ?? Its never worked before – but I dont see why they wouldnt try it – stranger things have happened..
Well, just my Two Pennies – for what its worth 🙂
Melissa
Now, now. Let’s not continue to slander the BFRO, which is responsible for a whole lot more light than heat on this question.
Benjamin Radford’s concern is warranted. As are the tossoff “it’s a fakes” from the rest of us.
OK. It’s a FAKE.
But as Benjamin deserves proper response for his legitimate concern: let’s parse that opinion of mine. Which parse I’m willing to bet will sit well with the other fake-spotters here.
1. Sightings by apparently-credible individuals — and the Patterson/Gimlin film — postulate a different animal from what we see in this photograph.
2. A lot of technical backup for Patty-as-Sasquatch has come back, from qualified analysts — with no convincing counterarguments that Pattie’s a fake. (Note. I didn’t even say “proof.” I said: convincing counterarguments. Like: standard human body proportions. Like: fake tracks in the immediate vicinity. Like: the zipper.)
3. A composite “police lineup” of the most credible sightings seems, so far as many of us can tell, to come up with an animal much like Patty. As do hundreds of unexplained tracks, all over the country, indeed the continent, seen for the better part of a century, and showing the same kind of variation one might see among, say, human feet. But no more than that.
4. Way too many of the people making these sightings and finding these tracks had no prior acquaintance with Patty or with other track finds; many if not most of them were sasquatch skeptics, if not downright scoffers.
5. Again, for emphasis, what’s being seen doesn’t return a mental picture — to most of us — like the critter in this photo.
OK, here’s what I’m saying.
Those of us here who go “fake” think, that’s THINK, based on evidence we’re aware of, that there sure looks to be a North American primate not in the scientific catalogue yet…and not looking like the animal in the photo.
I’m not saying it IS a fake.
I’m saying that — based on what I’ve heard and seen — that’s the way to bet.
Oh and P.S. as of this morning – people writing into local papers are expressing this very thing – they think this is Mr. Mobius’s attempt to keep out business.
What do I win??
Just kidding – its all assumption on my part – but I think its a pretty safe bet.
Chymo, as I understand from what I have read, no, it has not been ruled out. So another prankster wannbe is a possibility.
I agree with you Mr. Radford – to a point. We have only assumptions to go on when comparing photos – but we have an idea of what to look for based on Photographic evidence, yet to be proven authentic or hoaxed – and that wont happen until if and when this animal is documented.
But, one thing we can do – is check out the back story. Which is exactly what I did, and I think everyone should do that before they finish making a decision about anything put out as “evidence” in the media.
Just my opinion.
Melissa
I’m willing to accept that the guy saw something and snapped the photo(s) accordingly, though to what degree the possible hoaxery (and/or his own involvemnet in such) is anyone’s guess at this point. And while this isn’t as impressive as the Patterson Gimlin imagery, at least it’s not as bad as the Ivan Marx Skinny SnowSquatch nonsense. 🙂
I agree with Cutch and would say to Timi Hendrix that technically it isn’t photoshopped in, its shopped out. and it is that transparent technical manipulation Benjamin Radford, that makes this a fake.
Even my limited knowledge of Photoshop would allow me to “theoretically” use the magnetic line function to remove a man in gorilla suit and keep the weeds in front of him to keep up the appearances of three dimensional perspective, while leaving the black hole shadow of negative space. If I wanted to, that is, but I don’t, because it would look incredibly fake, and if the cops showed up to investigate on my farm, I might get into trouble, so I wouldn’t do that.
“Hans Mobius doesn’t rule out the possibility someone may be playing a “Big Foot” hoax.”
Someone? Its a slightly creative way to remove the problem of a gorilla suit, but still obvious.
The irony of Dr. Meldrum’s comment about how artificial hair disperses light is that there is no hair, but merely black space of a deleted object.
Melissa, if only you could use your deductive superpowers for good instead of evil… 🙂
I guess I need you to explain Porkchop – what do you mean – good instead of evil? 🙂
Melissa
The larger image is a very poor attempt at enhancing the original, which is why it has the appearance of a black hole.
I agree that the body shape doesn’t appear to fit the typical BF mould, but why publish that particular picture? Why not the originals that Dr.Meldrum examined? If he could determine that “It disperses light like artificial fur would.”, he could obviously see much more detail than we can in these two pics.
I’d still like to see the series of originals.
I have emailed Dr. Meldrum to see if he is able to share the photos with us here at Cryptomundo.
I actually live within a few miles of Clarence, and I have to say that this is probably fake. There isn’t really any large area that a Bigfoot could be hiding in the Clarence/Williamsville area (Where I am) without having been spotted sooner. With the massive amount of development the area is undergoing, there’s barely enough room for deer, let alone something bipedal that would probably require a larger and more varied diet.
In fact, now that I think about it, the nearest place I can think of that might *possibly* sustain a creature roughly human sized and bipedal is a good 45 minutes away by car. In fact, it’s mentioned in the actual Buffalo News article, Batavia. Probably there and Attica (NOT the prison. :P) would probably be the only ‘wild’ places that could hide a Sasquatch for a long period of time…
Well lot of good comments on this one so I will give mine. If I had a $100.00 dollars I would bet $1.00 just for the heck of it that it is real and keep the other $99.00 to bet that this is a fake.
It looks like just a man shaped void in the photo. If the creature had been moving, shouldn’t it have been blurred with motion lines? Even the films specifically for moving objects show the motion. This photo, to me, doesn’t even look like a guy in a suit. Maybe a shaped photoshopped into it.
Do a Google image search for pictures of any type of primate. There are literally 1000s of pics of gorillas, chimps, orangs, baboons, etc….
Now try to find one that is such poor quality as that one. Try to find a photo that someone claims is a gorilla but you can’t tell what it is. It is actually very difficult to take such a poor quality picture of an animal even if you set out to.
That is obviously a young creature. The owners manual clearly states you must be 16 to operate that machine. Not only does bigfoot honor the laws of nature, but the state driving statutes too. Although he looks a bit agitated at the injustice of it all.
Good evening Bigfooters….
If folks would pop a few of these hoaxers with double ought buck or rock salt in the backside….I bet some of this crap would cease….JMHO
seeing is believing…
ole bub and the dawgs
I don’t think it looks that “Man Shaped”
I don’t think it’s real either. The thing I can’t stop thinking of from the pose it’s caught in, especially the arms; is a famous painting of a giant ground sloth by Charles R. Knight. If you took that and clipped the snout a little and made a silhouette of it, this would be it.
Yawn!
Why even bother showing this rubbish? It’s not even remotely well done. One really bad hoax might raise a few grins but more than that is just DULL!
If it were real why would he only take one crap picture? He seems to be at a fairly close distance and it doesn’t appear to be running sooo fast that he couldn’t manage a couple of shots. Lame.
I feel very confident in saying that I believe this is a hoax. It disturbs me that hoaxers feel a need to inadvertently try to discredit cryptozoology. With todays technology in regards to photography and picture and video editing, it has become increasingly easier to perpetrate such hoaxes, not that this particular endeavour was in any way, shape or form sophisticated enough to even beg the question of,”Is this evidence?” It’s crudity bespeaks the smallmindedness prevalent in those poor unfortunates who feel the need to create attention at any cost. I have a sincere belief that someday, viable, irrefutable evidence will be collected, and therein create a greater challenge for hoaxers. With actual proof, or dare I hope, a specimen, we will have something concrete to measure hoaxes against and maybe even deter them in some way. JMHO, thanks all.
That is a very bad fake, from the 3 clips i have seen it looks like someone doing the robot.
To me, this looks like someone took a photo of a person and photoshopped solid black over it. There is just zero contrast in the “fur” as one would expect in a real creature. As someone else noted above, it looks like a big black hole.
Melissa
sorry to creep you out, that’s just a standard admonition I have to people who are more capable than others to see through the matrix…
This hoax crap is getting sooooo old.
It’s 2006. State of the art cameras (digital), 35mm, etc. can be had everywhere. Even the disposable cameras take quality pics.
And we are to believe that this photo is real??? You can almost read the letters on the John Deere “Gator), but the “bigfoot” right next to it (in broad daylight)is a blurry shadow.
THIS IS A HOAX FOLKS.
My biggest fear is bigfoot. I’m not afraid of snakes, spiders, ghosts or aliens but bigfoot scares the absolute crap out of me. I live just south of where this sighting was and when I heard about it on the news I was completely freaked! Then I found this website and saw the pictures and now know there is no bigfoot in Buffalo!! 🙂 I can sleep again at night!