No, is my answer.
There has been an ongoing debate on this question for quite some time, and there seems to have been more discussion about it lately.
Those who are in favor of killing Bigfoot offer these rationalities:
- It's the only way we're going to have definitive proof for its existence.
- It's just an animal, like a deer or bear, so why not kill it?
- It might be nearing extinction, so we should try to get a body now before they disappear.
It is surprising to me that even some long-time Bigfoot researchers agree with at least the first of those points. I suppose they are frustrated by feeling so close to finding one of these creatures that always eludes them. And some of those people are game hunters, so killing things for sport (or meat) is just something they do.
We should not hunt Bigfoot with the intent to kill it, in my opinion, for these reasons:
- It could be an intelligent creature. Obviously, we don't know much about the Bigfoot, or Sasquatch. It could be human-like, a surviving human ancestor, or other intelligent primate. It might have language, social customs -- who knows what else. We just don't know. Killing one could be considered murder.
- Even if it is just an animal, like a gorilla, it might well be an endangered species. There might not be very many of them left and to take the chance of wiping out what could be an incredibly fascinating and important species would be tragic. And if they disappear before we get the chance to study it, then that's just too bad for us.
- To kill one just to satisfy our desire for proof is short-sighted, egotistical, and just plain wrong for the reasons stated above.
If Bigfoot is out there -- and I suspect that it is -- proof will come in time. A dead body will be found... one will get hit by a vehicle... perhaps one will be shot accidentally by a hunter, thinking it is something else (or with a claim of self-defense)... or one will be captured somehow.
I might even be in favor of trapping or capturing one if it is done humanely and without physical harm to the creature. But then raises additional moral questions, especially if it is a highly intelligent creature.
Let's say we capture one and discover that it is highly intelligent, capable of its own language, etc. Do we have the right to keep it captive?
Because we know so little about this creature, our caution, care, and respect for it must supersede our desire to study its corpse.
