Dr. Jeff Meldrum: Yeti footprints from Siberia are 'consistent' with fake ones
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| Yeti footprint cast "Meldrum’s impression was that the 'evidence' looked more like a staged event. Only right foot impressions were found, not a trackway as would be expected." - Sharon Hill |
Dr. Jeff Meldrum was a featured speaker at the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Conference in Youngwood, PA on Sunday, October 23. He recently got back from a Yeti expedition in Siberia and he seems somewhat convinced (if not 95 percent convinced) that the event was a planned, rehearsed event to promote tourism in the Kemerovo area.
Sharon Hill of DoubtfulNews was at the conference and according to her, this is what Dr. Meldrum told the crowd:
In his talk, Meldrum described the players involved in the conference that began in Moscow and ended in Kemerovo. Specifically, he named Igor Burtsev, director of the International Centre of Hominology in Tashtagol, Kemerovo region. Burtsev already holds the belief that yetis exist in the area and are a Neanderthal relic population.
Meldrum showed photographs and described how the local Russian contingent greeted and treated the invitees with much pomp and ceremony but little scientific protocol.
As in scientific conferences, the attendees were taken on a field trip to a cave in the municipality of Tashtagol. Meldrum said he began to get concerned about the event when twisted and broken trees were rather conveniently located near the sites they visited. Reservations about what he had gotten himself into grew when he noticed saw cuts in the trees. The guides pointed to every bent and broken tree as marks of the yeti. From what Meldrum observed, the cave was not remote but apparently visited rather frequently with the trail maintained by the local municipality. The group was told the cave was a probable yeti habitation. Inside the cave, Meldrum notes that “right on cue”, isolated footprints and a “nest” were pointed out by their hosts.
Meldrum’s impression was that the “evidence” looked more like a staged event. Only right foot impressions were found, not a trackway as would be expected. His remark about the creature “playing hopscotch?” made it into the local press reports. The print had uncharacteristic pressure ridges that Meldrum described as consistent with that made from a rigid wooden imprint.
When a comment was made that the “nest” hardly looked used, Burtsev jumped into it himself for a photo opportunity, oblivious of any potential evidence that might have been there. A hair sample was collected in the cave but not from the nest.
After the excursion, the scientists convened to discuss what they had seen. The group was pressed by the locals to sign a consensus statement saying that what they saw constituted evidence that the Yeti exists in the region. Meldrum said that Valentin Sapunov, a literature professor from St Petersburg, was the one who drafted the “95% certain” language. Meldrum refused to sign noting that science doesn’t work by committee. Yet, the statement was given to press outlets and went viral.
Dr. Meldrum expressed that he felt the conference was “orchestrated” with “publicity stunts” to promote tourism for the region. He was dismayed and perhaps a bit angry that the Russian group “exploited his credibility” for their means.
Meldrum showed photographs and described how the local Russian contingent greeted and treated the invitees with much pomp and ceremony but little scientific protocol.
As in scientific conferences, the attendees were taken on a field trip to a cave in the municipality of Tashtagol. Meldrum said he began to get concerned about the event when twisted and broken trees were rather conveniently located near the sites they visited. Reservations about what he had gotten himself into grew when he noticed saw cuts in the trees. The guides pointed to every bent and broken tree as marks of the yeti. From what Meldrum observed, the cave was not remote but apparently visited rather frequently with the trail maintained by the local municipality. The group was told the cave was a probable yeti habitation. Inside the cave, Meldrum notes that “right on cue”, isolated footprints and a “nest” were pointed out by their hosts.
Meldrum’s impression was that the “evidence” looked more like a staged event. Only right foot impressions were found, not a trackway as would be expected. His remark about the creature “playing hopscotch?” made it into the local press reports. The print had uncharacteristic pressure ridges that Meldrum described as consistent with that made from a rigid wooden imprint.
When a comment was made that the “nest” hardly looked used, Burtsev jumped into it himself for a photo opportunity, oblivious of any potential evidence that might have been there. A hair sample was collected in the cave but not from the nest.
After the excursion, the scientists convened to discuss what they had seen. The group was pressed by the locals to sign a consensus statement saying that what they saw constituted evidence that the Yeti exists in the region. Meldrum said that Valentin Sapunov, a literature professor from St Petersburg, was the one who drafted the “95% certain” language. Meldrum refused to sign noting that science doesn’t work by committee. Yet, the statement was given to press outlets and went viral.
Dr. Meldrum expressed that he felt the conference was “orchestrated” with “publicity stunts” to promote tourism for the region. He was dismayed and perhaps a bit angry that the Russian group “exploited his credibility” for their means.
Click here to see Photos from the 2011 Yeti Expedition in Siberia (hair samples, broken tree branches, footprint cast).
Researchers found left footprint of Yeti, but no right footprint was found.
"Bigfoot playing hopscotch..." - Dr. Jeffery Meldrum
[via: doubtfulnews.wordpress.com]
I wonder who the Russians hired to do all the staging.Obviously amateurs.Only a right foot print?Saw marks in trees?
ReplyDeleteThey must think foreign scientists are morons.
What upsets me the most is time after time,people who once had credibility, ruin it by faking evidence.
Is the end goal to turn BF enthusiasts in to jaded,cynical non-believers?It sure appears that way.
Theres something about the feet, and the loco motion of the thought process in order to indulge in what some may call a quite new perspective on the foot making those firm, initial impressions. Whilst the impressions are impressive, it is the sometimes pungent aroma that particularly intices me into the sort of bent over gate, that one would require for proper inspections of these feet.
ReplyDeleteThe substrate must be supportive enough to allow for a certain amount of spread, or splay of the toes, and of the arching firm but flat foot. After these feet have pressed a remarkable likeness of their subtle curves, allowing for the expansion and to let see men to enter this realm of study. One must participate with an open mind, and a diligent effort towards penetrating the inner most parts of the study subject.
For example, the PGF film subjects breasts tend to suggest that a genuine submersible fired by seaman for the sole purpose of enhancing the appearance of the film subject to suggest there was any dimorphism characteristics available for manual stimulation.
There for my only conclusion can be to pre-empty leave my self before handling such things in a manor that would result in a fixation of grand proportions leading to an explosive climactic stimuli resulting in an inductive event. Thus, leaving me no choice but to change my opinion to that of: It is there, because.
WTF?
DeleteJefairy Smelldumb, that is pretty funny! I often write equally incomprehensible memos to my co-workers for fear they might think I am sane. I do wish you chose a better target for your elvish prank though considering you're mobile truism and frugality and Doctor Meldrums rare thoroughness in the subject. Anyway, I am sure the forward complacency of cryptozoology will be looking for regression after such stoic, almost hymnal, observations are understood.
ReplyDelete