yowie

The yowie is an Australian ape-man that was mentioned only in Aboriginal folklore until the 1800s, when European colonists began claiming they had actually seen it. Since then, there have been numerous sightings reported. According to witnesses, the creature stands on two legs to a height of approximately 6 feet (1.8m) and has a gorilla-like body covered in reddish brown hair, a face that appears human except for a pair of fangs, long arms, and unusually big feet, much like bigfoot, a similar apeman in North America. Prior to the 1970s the yowie was usually called the yahoo; the reason for this name change is unclear.

SEE ALSO:

• Bigfoot

SOURCE:

The Greenhaven Encyclopedia of Paranormal Phenomena – written by Patricia D. Netzley © 2006 Gale, a part of Cengage Learning