Yowie Rocked Campervan, and Left Footprints, Group Says
Source: AAP March 14, 2000
A YOWIE rocked an elderly couple's campervan, as they took part in a weekend stakeout for the mythical beast, it was claimed yesterday.
Dean Harrison, who heads Yowiehunters, a Queensland group dedicated to searching for the elusive ape-like creature, said the incident took place in a rugged, undisclosed location, west of Gympie. Around 2am on Saturday morning, the couple felt their van shaking, Mr Harrison said.
"We are over the moon, we are so excited," he told AAP.
"This thing had run up to the van and given it such a bang that the man inside, George, had almost fallen out of bed." Scientists have yet to prove the existence of the mystery beast. However, there have been numerous apparent sightings of Australia's answer to Big Foot over the years, and
the beast has built up a dedicated following, eager to prove its
existence once and for all. George, whose surname was not available, thought that whatever was shaking the van may have been one of the group playing a practical joke on them and got out of bed.
"He opened the door and this thing ran off through the bush," Mr Harrison said.
"He didn't get a good look at it but he heard the foliage breaking and the footsteps," Mr Harrison said.
Mr Harrison said that the group had been unable to capture the unknown creature on film despite using movement sensing equipment, heat-seeking devices, infra-red spotlights and video recorders, night vision scopes and sound recorders.
But he said the "definitely not human" creature had left huge footprints measuring around 40 centimetres by 20 centimetres each.
Photographs had been taken and casts were being made to preserve them.
The "yowie" had also defecated and the group had collected the stool for analysis [I await their call - pd].
Mr Harrison hopes to return to the same area in around a month's time with better equipment to capture the creature on film.
(Via Newslimited)