The Bigfoot of the Bush?

The creature often known as "Bigfoot" goes by many names. In the United States, it is often referred to as Sasquatch in the North and Skunk Ape in the South. In the Himalayas, the Yeti.

But what about Yowie?

Yes: on the remote island of Australia, there have been reports of the same enigmatic beast. There, he is commonly referred to as the Yowie. And like anywhere else in the world, the tales are often met with skepticism and plenty of humour. Yet much of the Australian Outback is still uncharted. Many beasts once believed to be extinct (or yet to be discovered) could roam the countryside.

According to researchers, Oz is home to two distinct species of Yowie: a smaller, more docile 'jingera' of Aboriginal legend, and a gigantic, aggressive counterpart. The basic description remains the same: large, hairy, ape-like humanoid creatures with immense strength and horrid body odor. A few reports from the 1800s exist, and people have reported seeing an ape-like creature as recently as last year. The boys at Australian Yowie Research do their best to keep track of sightings and evidence in an effort to prove its existence.

In 1997, Cadbury began marketing Yowies... or at least a line of collectible, cute tins of chocolate resembling the legendary animal (personally, I'm partial to Crunchies... though I'm normally not crazy about Cadbury chocolate). They are, in fact, still collected today though they were discontinued in 2005. While the Yowie remains a cultural icon, it is still an almost comical idea in the minds of most Aussies.

But who knows. Concrete evidence could be near a billabong somewhere, just waiting to be discovered...