Investigating Sasquatch: Inside NAWAC’s Search for Bigfoot | Michael Mayes Interview

<p>What can years of systematic field research actually tell us about Sasquatch?</p><p>In this episode of <em>Beyond the Human</em>, we’re joined by Michael Mayes, author of <em>Valley of the Apes: The Search for Sasquatch in Area X</em> and <em>Shadow Cats: The Black Panthers of North America</em>, and former Chairman of the Board of Directors for the North American Wood Ape Conservancy (NAWAC).</p><p>As the second interview in our cryptohominid series, Mayes takes us deeper into the evidence emerging from NAWAC&#39;s long-term research in Area X. Drawing on the experiences documented in <em>Valley of the Apes</em>, we explore why encounters appear to increase with time spent in the field and what researchers can learn by developing a detailed understanding of an environment and the animals that inhabit it.</p><p>We take a closer look at some of NAWAC&#39;s most intriguing findings, including Tag 7 and the remarkable range associated with the animal, as well as the group&#39;s efforts to document and communicate its research. Mayes also discusses the challenges of publishing research on a subject that remains controversial within mainstream science.</p><p>We also turn to the larger questions raised by the research: what would constitute convincing evidence for a biological cryptohominid, and how should researchers respond when years of fieldwork produce compelling observations but no physical specimen?</p><p>Finally, we discuss the reception of <em>Valley of the Apes</em>, the divide between academic and popular paranormal research, and what it might take to build a more productive relationship between the two.</p><p>From long-term fieldwork and animal behavior to the limits of evidence and the challenges of studying controversial phenomena, this conversation asks a deceptively simple question: <strong>after years of looking, what do we actually know about Sasquatch?</strong></p><p><strong>Show Notes:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.michaelcmayes.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Michael Mayes&#39; website</a></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Valley-Apes-Search-Sasquatch-Area/dp/1949501221/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2J4LIQEH0JSG3&keywords=valley+of+the+apes&qid=1654465132&s=books&sprefix=valley+of+the+apes%2Cstripbooks%2C108&sr=1-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Valley of the Apes: The hunt for Sasquatch in Area X</a></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1938398904/theanomalist" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Shadow Cats: The Black Panthers of North America</a></p><p><a href="woodape.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">North American Wood Ape Conservancy</a></p>