Sasquatch Chronicles Blog

Dec 15

Be careful when you see eye shine

You never know what you are going to run into in the woods. Look at the size of this cougar.

ABC7 News writes “First you see its eyes, then light shines from the porch of a home in Hillsborough and reveals an incredible sight for the suburbs.”

 

23 Responses to “Be careful when you see eye shine”

  3. Alexander F

    Awesome stuff!!

    This makes me want to bring a salient point to the discussion of Sass: There’s a very compelling thesis (posted to the Bigfoot SubReddit) from a biologist, who states that any report that involves eyeshine cannot actually be a Bigfoot. That is, if BF is an ape or in that lineage.

    Here’s why: No ape of the Old World or New World (or as best can be told from any era ever) has ever been nocturnal. That said, they do not have the physiological components that cause eyeshine—just as humans do not cause eyeshine.

    That’s as nutshell’d as I could make it. I’d recommend giving it a read. I think we need to start embracing the intelligent, respectful skeptics and their science. Points like that only help us get closer to the truth. Not further away, guys.

    • Glen K

      Alexander, I didn’t read the report. However,seeing as no one knows for sure What exactly Sasquatch is, how can this biologist even posit one way or another about eyeshine? Assuming Sasquatch is an “undiscovered primate,” how can he possibly know what their physiological components are ??

      • Alexander F

        Well, what he’s saying is a thesis based an inference which is based very soundly in science. He’s inferring that, given the fact that no primate, old or new, present or past, has the physiological capacity to produce eyeshine–and, positing that (in this thesis only) bigfoot are primates–therefore, a bigfoot cannot produce eyeshine.

        He’s making a modus ponus logical equation: If A then B; A therefore B. If bigfoot are apes, they cannot produce eyeshine. Bigfoot are apes; therefore, they cannot produce eyeshine.

        That’s all. I think it’s a great way of thinking through some of this. Instead of just throwing darts at the wall of theories and conspiracies, having some good, sound backing makes a lot of sense.

        • Glen K

          I understand what you are saying. Nevertheless, hundreds of eye witnesses have reported some sort of eye shine or “glowing eyes” when they encountered a Bigfoot! So, therefore, there must be “something” going on . This biologist is making a thesis based on known science. I’m just saying that there is a Lot we don’t know about this enigmatic creature, be he ape, human, or whatever?

    • Martin Z

      What if this is the ONE undiscovered species of primate that does have the physiological components for eyeshine? Now what? Until this thing is brought in we won’t know what it is and no one can say for sure, only speculate.

      • Alexander F

        So, the only problem with that is I wouldn’t think it COULD be a primate, then. Primates, by their definitive traits, do not have the hardware for that eyeshine. I couldn’t imagine 1 of the countless species, past and present, would suddenly have such a distinctive and defining trait.

        Of course, it COULD happen. Stranger things have, surely, occurred. I’d just be surprised.

        Point being, I find this notion fascinating. I get that hundreds (if not thousands) of reports include eyeshine. I do discount the ones that claim “glowing” eyes or eyes that emitted light. There is no creature on earth that has bioluminescence in the eyes. If you think about the physics of that, it very plainly doesn’t work.

        So, glowing eyes must then equal a non-physical being. I simply do not find the notion of a supernatural BF very compelling. If it’s just some ghost or daemon or spirit (or whatever), ehhh … I really do love the flesh-and-bone notion. And, still believe that is the most likely answer–if this creature exists at all.

        I do hope that none of you take my skepticism as anything but healthy. I find it so odd that folks get miffed or outright angered over someone, in a place like this, even suggests disbelief or incredulity, however slight (or severe). Is there anything, in this life, that you truly take at 100 percent belief? I sure don’t.

        Not sure why a creature that has soooooo many unanswered (and unanswerable) questions surrounding it should ever be taken at face-value.

        Enough of my ramble and bramble. Fingers crossed that a body is, one day, found by science.

  5. Glen K

    WOW!! You don’t see that everyday!! I believe they’re referring to Hillsborough, N.J. But for whatever reason, the Exact location is not given. I guess to annoy me! Haha. Anyway, if you’re reading this Wes, Please disclose the Location where the various episodes and encounters take place. Thank you !!

  6. Trey

    Humans can have eye shine. Ever seen someone in a picture with flash that has red eyes? It’s just not a prevelant or noticeable as it is in other species

    • mermaidmood

      No Trey, actually humans do not exhibit “eye shine.” Heres why: humans do not possess a tapetum lucidum. The tapetum lucifum is what gives nocturnal carnivores superior night vision. This is what humans lack. Humans having red-eyes in pictures, known as the “red-eye effect,” occurs when a camera captures light reflecting from the retina at the back of your subject’s eye when a flash is used at night and in dim lighting. This is not, however, retrofraction…eye shine. Eye shine comes from light entering the tapetum lucifum and reflecting LIGHT back out. This only occurs in some animals. If a flashlight is shown (at night, say) into human eyes, there is no shine (light coming out of the human eyes.) No glow, like you see from your dog or cat.

      Interestingly, most primates, including humans, lack a tapetum lucidum.

    • Alexander F

      That’s not eyeshine. That’s a very specific thing to camera flashes–and it only shows in the picture itself; not in real-life. When you snap that pic, do you actually see red in that person’s eyes, as you watch them get snapped? Nope; it only exists in the film itself.

      Eyeshine is the night-vision part of the eye reflecting light back. If you shine a light directly into a human’s eyes, there is no reflection back, b/c we do not have that material in our eyes. No primate does.

  8. James M

    WOW, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL ANIMAL!!!! T hey tell us there are no cougars in New York State ,but my brother saw a female with 2 cubs 15 mile from Rochester N.Y. They don’t tell the truth about non- cryptids either

  9. June P

    Yikes!!! I saw him pick up his kill and was like, “wow!” He was probably going to eat it on the porch area there…!!! Could you imagine coming out in the morning and seeing blood and other small body parts left behind from the cougar?!!!

  10. Kent C

    Hmmmm……….

    “No ape of the Old World or New World (or as best can be told from any era ever) has ever been nocturnal. That said, they do not have the physiological components that cause eyeshine—just as humans do not cause eyeshine.” While this statement may be accurate concerning humans and known species of apes, ……..aren’t you all overlooking one point???

    That point being that we know from thousands of reports that Boogers ARE nocturnal! …….And if you give any credence at all to the reports from people like Tim “Coonbo” Baker, Jim “Bear” Grant, and Bob Garrett, you should also note that Boogers are reported to have a remarkable visual capability in the dark!

    ……..So maybe, ….just maybe, generalities about “other great apes” might not apply here???

    KLC

    • Alexander F

      Well, there are certainly nocturnal-acting primates. Many of the smaller lemurs and tarsiers have gigantic eyes, relative to body mass. That said, they still do not have “night-vision”, in the sense of a visual acuity in the dark beyond what their large eyes can gather in.

      The point is, BF may well be nocturnal. That’s fine. Makes sense, actually. But, if he is a primate, he won’t have the capability to give off eyeshine. That’s all.

  11. NW Mike

    yeah beautiful…until one of them sneaks up behind you to try and break your neck so he can drag you into a bush and eat you. Cougars are beautiful, in the abstract and from a distance. Up close and personal they are not so cute and cuddly. Kinda like Bigfoot.

    • Alexander F

      Yes, but they really don’t ever do that to human beings. Honestly, take a look at the statistics–cougars have killed a handful of persons in the whole recorded history of North America. Domestic dogs, on the other hand, injure and maim 3-5 million people a year. Good thing we don’t use logic when deciding hunting practices or “predator control” outings…

  12. Nathan E

    Saw this bit on another news site earlier. Yeah, the eyeshine may be something quite dangerous! Having a cougar kill a deer on the porch is grounds for building a fence around the yard.

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