Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Yowie?
The Yowie appears to be some kind of relict hominoid. There may be more than one kind. They may be descendents of Gigantopithecus, a version of robust Australopithecine, or a mega-version of Homo erectus descended from Java Man. Rex Gilroy favours the Gigantopithecus and H. erectus ideas, while others feel it may even be a bipedal marsupial. Others feel that it is some kind of bush spirit from the dreamtime, or may be partially flesh and blood and partially paranormal.
We tend to think that the simplest explanation would be that it (or they) are either descendents of Gigantopithecus or some kind of hominid or both.

How did it get here?
How it got to Australia if it is one of these can be surmised simply. It crossed into Australia from Asia some time during the Pleistocene when sea levels were lower than they are today. Even then, however, there was a deep ocean trench between Bali and Lombok that has been said to be responsible for the failure of Asian fauna to migrate south to Australia and Papua New Guinea (The Wallace Line).
But wait! Recent work on primate migration during the Pleistocene suggests that the Wallace Line may not have represented such an impossible barrier to cross as has been previously thought.
Of course, until someone drags one of these things out and puts it in front of a million people, the mainstream of Australia's scientific community will not focus on how it got here.

Are you people kidding?!
No! The more we investigate this phenomenon, the thicker the plot gets. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of sightings, from the first days of British colonisation. The aborigines have stories of these things going back who knows how long. We and others have interviewed many many very normal people with extraordinary experiences of huge ape-like creatures. Entire communities in the Blue Mountains know about these things. Local people have joined in the chase for them. Politicians have reported seeing them.
And through all this, we maintain scepticism. And if we are fortunate enough to see one of these things with our own eyes, we will no doubt transform into one of the "believers". SOMETHING is definitely going on that isn't shown on TV, just exactly what it is, we are not yet sure.

Is the Yowie a Hoax?
No. Neither is it a myth. "It" exists, no question, whatever "it" is. If not, it would have to be an incredibly elaborate system of hoaxes going back over hundreds of years. There are just too many people with physical experiences of it to be dismissed as a big hoax or "old tales". Sightings are on-going, right now! In some areas of high yowie activity, sightings are frequent down entire streets backing onto bush. Entire neigbourhoods know about the antics of these things. When a Yowie stands 1 m in front of you and roars, you are not likely to think it's a possum or a cockatoo, are you? When we talk to these people and tell them that city folk laugh about people who believe in Yowies, they just say they don't care if others believe or not. They know it exists and many just couldn't be bothered proving it to the rest of the world.
"Those who ridicule the existence of the Yowie are simply ignorant of the facts".

Why isn't there any hard evidence of the existence of yowies?
The only thing that hasn't been brought to the public's knowledge is a skull or body, although there are a few reports of people having shot them and the bodies carted away by "authorities".
Experienced bush people would know that flesh, blood and bones decay very rapidly in the bush. The reason for lack of photography is probably due to the fact these things are mainly nocturnal and very evasive. They are intelligent. There are not very many of them. They live mostly in areas where there are no people.

Can we find a Yowie?
There have been many expeditions searching for yowies. Some have been very successful (see www.yowiehunters.com). However, if you have spent any time at all trying to cover valleys in search of potential hiding spots, you would know that even within a kilometre or so of civilisation, are places where people rarely ever go, and where undergrowth is difficult to get through.
In the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, there are numerous bush valleys backing onto residential areas. These valleys extends away from suburbia for 10's of km. Just about anything could be out there. Unless a particular Yowie lives close to a built up area, the chances of stumbling upon them in the bush are very small. They seem to not want to be found.

Could someone catch a Yowie?
You could certainly try. Many, very enthusiastic people and local residents have tried to get evidence of them. The challenge is that they are intelligent, evasive and move much faster than humans. They are also stronger and bigger. These things are smart enough to dismantle tree-mounted cameras designed to catch them on film, so any efforts to catch them would require some very complex planning and lots of good fortune. Then of course there are the moral issues. Those who live in areas of frequent sightings have tried many ways to get decent evidence. The best results so far have been some distant photos and footprint casts. Groups of neighbours and local police have at time tried to catch up with one particular creature in an area in the lower mountains. Without any luck, as it has evaded them each time.