Dr. Jeff Meldrum and Guy Edwards Talk About The Russian Yeti

Guy Edwards of bigfootlunchclub.com recently had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Jeff Meldrum about the Russian Yeti, and Dr. Meldrum's involvement with the Discovery channel special Russian Yeti: The Killer Lives. Check it out:

"Russian Yeti: The Killer Lives chronicles American explorer Mike Libecki as he investigates why nine college students hiked up the icy slopes of the Ural Mountains in the heart of Russia but never made it out alive. The students' bodies were found scattered across the campsite in three distinct groups, some partially naked and with strange injuries including crushed ribs, a fractured skull, and one hiker mutilated with her eyes gouged out and tongue removed.

Dr. Jeff Meldrum made himself available to talk with Bigfoot Lunch Club about the Discovery special. In part one of the interview we discuss the difference between the Himalayan Yeti and Russian Yeti. In the second half of the interview (posted tomorrow) we talk about the definition of progress in Bigfoot Research.

GE: First off I just want to say I’m a big fan of your Legend Meets Science, I think that’s a staple in every cryptozoology library and I also like your Sasquatch Field Guide that you have out, that’s one of the best things since sliced bread for bigfooters.

JM: Well good, I appreciate that too.

GE: So I want to get a couple things defined regarding the difference between bigfoot and yeti. So these are, are these the same creatures adapted to different climates or are the differences more distinct?

JM: Well, one has to first clarify what you’re referring to when you use the term yeti, because in Asia for example, in Russia the term is used quite generically for the Russian Wild Man and that entity or entities may take on more than one identity, in my opinion. There’s very interesting evidence suggests that there’s a creature much more human like than what we, at least what I, attribute to the North American Sasquatch. This creature is described as being man-sized but yet covered with hair often with differentiated head hair, frequently described as utilizing tools stone tools in fact not just opportunist brandishing sticks and such. And Even interacts with the locals in a much different way as more complex social structure larger groups of individuals, and sometimes trying to interact trying to trade, even to communicate with the local inhabitant who simply consider them to be sort of backwards people that live up in the mountain. Their foot prints from my perspectives are quite interesting in that they are much more human like, they have an arch, that they are very broad very splayed, a foot that suggest a much more robust skeleton not just someone whose gone without shoes but much more robust skeleton, so in part of that basis of description and foot print characteristics I would suggest that this is a relict Neanderthal or an affiliated species maybe like the Denisovans."

To read the rest of this great interview, click here.