Do you believe in monsters? A scientist does, at least when belief becomes a prompt for serious inquiry. Jeffery Meldrum, a professor at Idaho State University, treats legends as a prompt to test ideas with careful methods. He doesn’t let skeptics decide what might be possible; instead, he sets out to gather observable facts about Bigfoot. The plan centers on a remotely piloted blimp that can sweep the U.S. Mountain West from an elevated vantage, equipped with a thermal imaging camera and a stable recording setup. The goal is to catch heat signatures or motion that would stand up to later verification, not simply to chase a rumor. The mountain forests and rugged canyons that define the region pose real observation challenges: dense cover, variable weather, and the long distances between potential sightings. A high, slow air-borne platform could provide a consistent line of sight over broad swaths of habitat, a tool that traditional ground searches seldom offer. Meldrum is hopeful that this approach can yield data that would be worth a closer look, both for enthusiasts and for the scientific community. Today, thermal imaging and stabilized airborne platforms are common tools in field biology, used to monitor wildlife and verify sightings with more precision. According to Idaho State University, the project is designed as a careful test of whether modern sensing technologies can help illuminate questions that have persisted for decades.
Meldrum is seeking to fund the effort with a target around 300,000 dollars to cover the design, construction, and operation of a custom remote-controlled blimp. The craft would carry a thermal-imaging system, perhaps a visible-light camera, stabilization gear, and data logging that can store footage for later review. The team envisions launches from practical takeoff points in the Mountain West and sustained flights that can scan forest corridors, ridge lines, and water courses where wildlife moves under cover. The project emphasizes safety, regulatory compliance, and careful data management, so that any observations can be vetted through standard review processes. The aim is not to sensationalize a myth but to build a baseline of objective evidence that can be evaluated by researchers. If enough support comes in, field tests would begin with controlled trials to refine flight paths, camera settings, and data workflows. The plan reflects Meldrum’s belief that rare, nocturnal, wide-ranging animals require tools that can view from above, where humans on foot might never reach and where many misidentifications occur in the dark.
Meldrum has suggested that Sasquatch, the creature of legend, may descend from a large ape lineage thought to have existed in Asia and later crossed into North America. He argues that a combination of weather, habitat, and animal behavior makes locating such a creature exceptionally difficult, but that new technologies can shift the odds toward meaningful observation. The statement underscores a classic challenge in zoology: separate legend from possible fact through repeatable methods and careful interpretation. Critics caution that extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof, and they advocate rigorous peer review before drawing conclusions. Supporters, meanwhile, see a chance to thread together multiple data streams—thermal signatures, contextual environmental data, and high-quality imagery—to build a robust record. Even if no definitive sighting occurs, the project promises to sharpen our understanding of how to search for elusive wildlife using scalable, transparent techniques.
Readers are invited to weigh in on whether Meldrum’s premise and the proposed methods could yield credible observations. The discussion emphasizes science in action, using modern tools to test an enduring question about a wilderness legend. The outcome may affect how future field studies are designed, how evidence is collected, and how the public perceives claims that sit at the edge of conventional knowledge.