Canadian scientists test 'Bigfoot' hairs

University of Alberta geneticists are conducting the tests on the hair, which witnesses say came from the mysterious creature earlier this month.

Some Teslin residents say they saw a tall, ape-like animal lope past a house in the middle of the night earlier this month, leaving behind large footprints and the clump of hair.

Geneticist David Coltman told the BBC his team would run DNA tests on the sample and compare the results to DNA of large animals that are well-known in the Teslin area, such as bears and bison.

Coltman said the fur is almost certainly from a well-known mammal, but he admits it is possible it will not match any known species. That, he told the BBC, would be scientifically interesting and that chance is worth running these tests.

Stories of a giant ape-like animal roaming the western forests of North America date to before Europeans settled in Canada. But there has never been proof of the sasquatch's existence.

Copyright 2005 by United Press International