HUGE: Local community leader Pemanca Tan Poh Kuan is among those who visited the site to take a closer look at the mysterious footprints.

They probably resembled those mentioned many times in foreign reports in claims of sightings of the mysterious ‘Bigfoot’.

The shocker has been spreading like wildfire in Daro district for the past few days and among those drawn to the phenomenon was local businessman Tan Soon Kuang.

(According to Wikipedia, Bigfoot is one of the more famous creatures in cryptozoology, and, like many cryptids around the world, there is a fierce debate as to whether the Bigfoot species exists or not. Cryptozoologist John Willison Green has postulated that Bigfoot is a worldwide phenomenon.)

Yesterday, Tan, 42, e-mailed the images of the mysterious creature’s footprints. He said he personally went to the village (which he refused to name out of respect for the wishes of the locals) to check on the truth of the story.

“I drove about five minutes from Daro town to the village. Then, I walked on foot along a footpath for quite a few minutes to the place where I met many villagers who were gathered there.

“Then some villagers pointed to the big footprints.

I was shocked to see them and excited as I took those photographs.”

On his conversation with the villagers, he said: “When I asked the villagers the first time they discovered the two big footprints

CLEARED PATH: All ready to receive visitors.

, they told me it was June 9.

SHOCKING FIND: Picture shows a group of boys gathering around the right footprint which measures 47 inches by 17 inches.

The bomoh further told them to make offerings outside the area fenced.

“And then last Monday morning the villagers saw the two big footprints outside the fenced up area.”

Tan further said: “When I asked the villagers if they were afraid or not they told me some were afraid; other just curious. But all of them apparently believe that the place was ‘unclean’.

“The villagers are now clearing up the footpath leading to the large footprints in anticipation of more people coming to have a look at the footprints.

“The villagers also told me that it was not the first time that they saw such mysterious big footprints in their village. In fact, the first time they saw such big footprints was about 50 years ago.”

Asked if there is any possibility that the footprints were man-made, Tan said it would be a

The story has spread to Sibu where Abdul Aziz Pung, who is very familiar with Daro, said he had heard about the footprints from friends and relatives.

“Yes, they said it is true. Initially I laughed it off, but then some of my friends who came down to Sibu town convinced me that they are real. I may be going there soon to see them for myself.”

Meanwhile, a Daro villager who spoke on anonymity, said the villagers stumbled upon the footprints not far from the village that was once attacked by monkeys. This episode was

BIGFOOT TRAIL: A girl points to the two big footprints circled in yellow. The distance between the left footprint (foreground) and right footprint speaks volume of the size of ‘Bigfoot’. — Photos courtesy of Tan Soon Kuang