QUOTE
Local podiatrist will appear on 'MonsterQuest'
March 16, 2009
By Elizabeth Lisican
Post-Tribune correspondent
It's one of the Pacific Northwest's most intriguing stories: A great ape-like creature lurking in the forest.
For years, the Sasquatch, also known as Bigfoot, has sparked debate. Recently, local podiatrist Dr. Michael Nirenberg applied his forensic skills to alleged footprints of the creature at the request of The History Channel's "MonsterQuest." The episode is tentatively set to appear in early April.
"MonsterQuest" is a series that follows researchers studying peculiar creatures. In November, producers of the show contacted Nirenberg and flew him to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, to meet with wildlife biologist and Bigfoot aficionado John Bindernagel. Nirenberg examined about 20 footprint casts and molds.
"They never before had a podiatrist look at these footprints," Nirenberg said. "They had zoologists and different specialists look at them."
Before viewing the footprints, Nirenberg said he was a bit cynical about the existence of Bigfoot, but kept an open mind.
"I met with (Bindernagel) and we looked at the prints, and they videotaped me talking to him about the footprints, and looking at them and studying them," Nirenberg said. "After that, they gave me a few hours to study the footprints. They then asked me what I thought: Did I think they were a hoax? Did I think they were real?"
"At the end of all of this, there was nothing there I saw that screamed hoax. I think for someone to hoax these footprints would be very difficult."
He said he based his opinion on the detail in the footprints, particularly the positioning of the toes and area under the toes, and the arch of the foot.
"The proportions of the footprints were different than that of a human being, generally," Nirenberg said. "So, generally, they did not look like human footprints."
The sizes of the footprints were extraordinary -- about 15 to 20 inches in length. Some of the circumstances surrounding the discovery of some of the footprints make the case for Sasquatch more likely, Nirenberg said.
"I'm led to believe there's some kind of creature out there making these footprints," Nirenberg said. "In particular, there was one footprint that had been recovered by a sheriff that was very realistic.
"There was a footprint that was recovered by somebody in one remote area of Vancouver Island, and a very similar footprint a year or two later, 50 miles away, and they looked very similar. For someone to be hoaxing footprints, that's a real dedicated hoaxer."
Nirenberg said his love of problem-solving and learning led him to pursue forensic podiatry, along with regular patient care. Originally from Toronto, he attended the University of Western Ontario in London, and the Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine in Chicago.
Nirenberg runs a practice, Friendly Foot Care, with fellow podiatrist Dr. Michael Lacey in Crown Point.
Nirenberg has helped in a few police investigations, and lectured on the subject to members of law enforcement, forensics and podiatry. He also is on the board of directors of the American Society of Forensic Podiatry.
Nirenberg said his experience with Sasquatch footprints has made him more open-minded about the unknown.
"There are species and animals out there that are still being discovered," he said, "so we don't know every animal that's out there."
Nirenberg said he hopes more scientists will take a serious interest in the topic.
"I don't know what's out there," he said. "I can only say these looked real, and they did not look human."
March 16, 2009
By Elizabeth Lisican
Post-Tribune correspondent
It's one of the Pacific Northwest's most intriguing stories: A great ape-like creature lurking in the forest.
For years, the Sasquatch, also known as Bigfoot, has sparked debate. Recently, local podiatrist Dr. Michael Nirenberg applied his forensic skills to alleged footprints of the creature at the request of The History Channel's "MonsterQuest." The episode is tentatively set to appear in early April.
"MonsterQuest" is a series that follows researchers studying peculiar creatures. In November, producers of the show contacted Nirenberg and flew him to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, to meet with wildlife biologist and Bigfoot aficionado John Bindernagel. Nirenberg examined about 20 footprint casts and molds.
"They never before had a podiatrist look at these footprints," Nirenberg said. "They had zoologists and different specialists look at them."
Before viewing the footprints, Nirenberg said he was a bit cynical about the existence of Bigfoot, but kept an open mind.
"I met with (Bindernagel) and we looked at the prints, and they videotaped me talking to him about the footprints, and looking at them and studying them," Nirenberg said. "After that, they gave me a few hours to study the footprints. They then asked me what I thought: Did I think they were a hoax? Did I think they were real?"
"At the end of all of this, there was nothing there I saw that screamed hoax. I think for someone to hoax these footprints would be very difficult."
He said he based his opinion on the detail in the footprints, particularly the positioning of the toes and area under the toes, and the arch of the foot.
"The proportions of the footprints were different than that of a human being, generally," Nirenberg said. "So, generally, they did not look like human footprints."
The sizes of the footprints were extraordinary -- about 15 to 20 inches in length. Some of the circumstances surrounding the discovery of some of the footprints make the case for Sasquatch more likely, Nirenberg said.
"I'm led to believe there's some kind of creature out there making these footprints," Nirenberg said. "In particular, there was one footprint that had been recovered by a sheriff that was very realistic.
"There was a footprint that was recovered by somebody in one remote area of Vancouver Island, and a very similar footprint a year or two later, 50 miles away, and they looked very similar. For someone to be hoaxing footprints, that's a real dedicated hoaxer."
Nirenberg said his love of problem-solving and learning led him to pursue forensic podiatry, along with regular patient care. Originally from Toronto, he attended the University of Western Ontario in London, and the Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine in Chicago.
Nirenberg runs a practice, Friendly Foot Care, with fellow podiatrist Dr. Michael Lacey in Crown Point.
Nirenberg has helped in a few police investigations, and lectured on the subject to members of law enforcement, forensics and podiatry. He also is on the board of directors of the American Society of Forensic Podiatry.
Nirenberg said his experience with Sasquatch footprints has made him more open-minded about the unknown.
"There are species and animals out there that are still being discovered," he said, "so we don't know every animal that's out there."
Nirenberg said he hopes more scientists will take a serious interest in the topic.
"I don't know what's out there," he said. "I can only say these looked real, and they did not look human."
This looks promising.
