Why is there No Body?

Paul: The age old question – and a damn good one at that – regarding the Sasquatch phenomenon is…

“Why has a body never been found”?

Here we discuss some potential reasons…

Mother Nature

First, of course – Mother Nature…. Not only in regard to the decomposition process, but all of the other animals that expedite it. Coyotes, vultures, and possums are all happy to join in and lend a helping hand/paw/beak. Living out in the elements is a tough gig, and taking advantage of an easy (dead) meal is a great opportunity to conserve energy, which is paramount when living in the wild. First other mammals, followed by insects, along with soil, aided by rain, decomposition out in the elements can be a rapid process. Mother Nature runs a well-oiled machine. To avoid the potential spread of disease, and to replenish the Earth, she breaks down tissue and bone with the help of her loyal subjects for the good of the forest and its inhabitants.

“Abrupt Death” Vs. “Delayed Death”

In his research regarding the Sasquatch and potential reasons that a body has never been found, the late Dr. Grover Krantz divided death among wildlife into two basic categories, abrupt vs. delayed.

Abrupt death is just that – it is swift and sudden, and usually takes place among animals who serve as prey. Deer, rodents, turkey etc. are hunted and killed by larger animals, and whatever may be left will generally remain where they were left by the predator. Behind my cabin, heaps of feathers were often all that remained at the scene of the crime after a turkey fell victim to a coyote or bobcat. The prey suffers an “abrupt” death, and the remains lay where they fall.

However, when we get to the apex predators, the abrupt death rarely takes place. As we go up the chain, prolonged death is more common. Among those towards the top, it is usually old age and disease that usher in the end of life. Even rare instances when the animal dies as a result of a battle with another predator when fighting over territory or a mate etc, usually the animal dies as a result of sustained injuries, and usually has time to seek cover.

Animals know that when they are ill or wounded, they are vulnerable to attack. Instinct dictates that they seek tight cover while they are in this vulnerable state to heal (or to die peacefully?). This is an opportunity rarely afforded the smaller animals who are hunted, but for the larger animals like bears, mountain lions, etc., the abrupt death rarely takes place. Whether it is old age, disease, starvation, or injuries sustained in battle, they have fair warning, the instinctual switch is activated, and they seek out the most concealed place to give them ample opportunity to heal while they are most vulnerable.

The Burying Of Their Dead?

There is also the possibility that Sasquatch may bury their dead.

Homo Naledi is a newly discovered species of extinct hominin within the last five years in what is known as the “Rising Star Cave System” in South Africa. I’ll leave the intricacies to the scientific community, but what seems particularly interesting about Homo Naledi is its unique characteristics of both human and ape traits. Relevant to the Sasquatch discussion is that Homo Naledi seems to further the already blurry line between ape and man.

In two different chambers of the cave system that were both particularly hard to reach, fossils were found that lead some researchers to conclude that the bones were brought to that particular section of the cave deliberately. Considering that they had to crawl on hands and knees to get there, the team on-site felt that animals like hyenas etc would not have expended so much energy to bring the bones to such a hard-to-reach place. Therefore they concluded that Homo Naledi did something previously thought unique only to modern humans - buried their dead. 

Sasquatch and Homo Naledi do not seem to share specific physical traits. Interesting, however, that both Homo Naledi and Sasquatch may reside in a gray area between ape and man, both may have (and regarding the Sasquatch – continue to) exist alongside more modern humans, and both may have (or continue to) bury their dead.

How Often Do People Have An Opportunity To Find Them?

While the human population increases, I can’t help but wonder if the number of people who venture into the wild has actually DECREASED. In this day and age, something tells me that many are more than willing to explore the wilderness through Youtube than getting off of the couch and actually venturing out into the wild. How many people prefer cyber-hiking from the comfort of their own home rather than actually venturing out into our wild places.

Of those who do – even in the more remote places of North America, most of us stick to the trails for safety and convenience.

While I know that there are some of us out there who do, I can’t help but wonder what percentage of us – even in the thickest of forest – venture off of the well-traveled paths to experience the areas not often vulnerable to human footprints.

 Combined with the decomposition process, the rarity of finding the bodies of large predators, and the possibility that Sasquatch bury their dead, I do feel that a strong argument can be made regarding why a body has not yet been found.

Michael: I think I probably spend far more time in the woods than your average 21st century human. But I have never come across the carcass of a bear or a moose or a bobcat. These are animals that we know are out there. If we believe that sasquatch exist in far fewer numbers than these animals, why should we assume that we would come across a body?

That would make it rare, but still, you may say, at some point SOMEONE would come across one. One possible response to this is: how do we know someone hasn’t? So far the people who have come out and claimed to have a body have been revealed as hoaxers, but that doesn’t mean that some people along the way may not have found genuine remains. Just because it has not been on Fox News doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened.

It is often said that absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Of course, it’s certainly not evidence of presence either, and all of these possible explanations are pure speculation when it comes to a creature that has yet to be proven to exist. But we should maybe not read too much into the fact that no one has come forth with a viable body as yet.