The southern Malaysian state of Johor has threatened to jail foreigners who venture into its jungles looking for a legendary ape man, dubbed 'Big Foot'. The state's Forestry Department says Big Foot enthusiasts found on its land without a permit will face up to three years jail or a fine of up to $2,500. The hunt for Big Foot has gripped Malaysia after a spate of sightings. Now authorities are determined that if the ape man exists, Malaysians will be the first to find him. Malaysians are being invited to pay just over $1 for a permit to roam around Johor state's forest reserves, where most of the reported sightings have taken place. The state also plans to sponsor a scientific expedition, and although Malaysia has few primate specialists, foreigners will again not be invited. Local tourism industry leaders told the BBC the ban on non-Malaysians entering forest reserves was daft and should be rethought.

The country hopes to lure 20 million foreign visitors next year and its main attractions are its beaches and its jungles. Tourism bosses say the move will simply confuse and possibly drive away just the people they want to attract.

View: Full Article | Source: BBC News

Thats a bit ...hmm not racist. But its just not right.

Oh yeah sure, lets let the gung-ho white folk into the jungles.

What do you think will happen? A nature reserve trampled under heavy feet and a potential new species slaughtered to extinction for their hides and heads.

This is starting to reek of a hoax to boost tourism. Hope it isn't though.

No, other report says foreign experts will be invited to join the hunt. We do need advice and expertise of foreign experts.

^Of course to go trampling through the jungle "accidentally" killing a number of creatures as they go searching for this supposed 'Big Foot' that there is no real evidence of.

Today's local newspaper reported that the tracks maybe of a mawas (orang utan) released into the jungle by the late Sultan of Johor. The Sultan was an animal lover and at one time had about 40 orang utans. He even donated one to the Perth Zoo, Australia, which just died.

According to the news, orang utan can reach 2 metres in height and weighing 120kgs. That's a bigfoot size, isn't it?

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However, if it was really an orang utan, the Orang Asli (Aborigines) would have recognised it, eventhough orang utan is not native to the jungle in Peninsular Malaysia. As jungle-dwellers, the Orang Asli have been telling us of creatures even they do not recognise or have seen before. So there must be new species to be discovered there

there's no way the locals there can mistake an orang utan for a big foot thingy. Orang utan get to carry their own identification cards, big foots aren't registered yet.

Well this is bad and good

Bads:
1. Its starting to sound a hoax i have to agree
2. Mayasians are getting greedy
4. There charging money to find a species HOW DUMB IS THAT!!
5. So we go to jail for trying to make a world changing discovery


Goods:
1. it only costs a dollar