A recent video making the rounds on social media and even on global mainstream news media caused quite a stir. After all, if authentic, it could be some of the best evidence of the elusive beings ever.

The video was taken by a couple traveling through Colorado through the window of their moving train. The video appeared to show a sizeable hairy hominid we might call Bigfoot or Sasquatch striding through an open field and stopping to squat down—a squatting Squatch, if you will.

The story has been thoroughly debunked as a product promotion by a local company. While the company has denied it by posting a tweet (or an X or whatever we’re calling it now) that said very simply, “It wasn’t us,” most feel it was a promotional prank they perpetrated.

While this may have been all in good fun (or good business) for those responsible, we wonder if gags like this further damage the credibility of authentic sightings.

There have been thousands of reports by people from all walks of life who have seen or had up-close-and-personal experiences with the mysterious creatures. Those individuals are nurses, bankers, teachers, coaches, truck drivers, and homemakers, each with nothing to gain by sharing their stories. In many cases, they risk ridicule from friends, family, and co-workers.

According to Live Science, there have been over 10,000 Sasquatch sightings in the continental United States, with reports from every state. There are many credible reports. Let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater because of one more hoaxster.

Happy Sasquatching!!