Tuesday March 7, 2006
JB shop uses Bigfoot mask to draw customers
By MEERA VIJAYAN
JOHOR BARU: Bigfoot mania has hit this city with a shopkeeper suddenly making a small fortune by displaying an ape-like mask on his premises.
Although the shop Pop Kaki Lima in Plaza Angsana here sells a selection of bags, shoes, wallets and pouches, it is the mask that is attracting passers-by.
According to salesgirl Chang Shu Chien, 17, people used to walk past the mask last time without paying any attention, but with the Bigfoot craze, things have changed.
“After Bigfoot became popular, we have had people walking in and asking permission to put on the mask and take photos.
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ARGGGH!: This group of young girls had a scare when a Bigfoot-like creature pounced on them at Pop Kaki Lima in Plaza Angsana, Johor Baru, on Sunday. |
Chang said sales had gone up with more customers visiting the shop.
“The people who come in just to look at the mask end up buying some of our things, too. So that is good for business,” she said.
The Bigfoot mania, which started following recent eyewitness reports and the discovery of large footprints in the jungles of Johor, has stirred up interest among the public.
There were claims that the creature was seen at the Sungai Sedili area in 1950s; Mersing Forest Reserve in 1989 and 1996; Sungai Kinchin, Mersing, in 2001; Sungai Madek Forest Reserve, Kahang, in August and November last year; Kampung Mawai, Kota Tinggi, last November; and Lenggor Forest Reserve last December.
The latest episode attracted such international interest that the state government decided to bar foreigners from searching for the mythical creature.
State officials had sent expedition teams into the jungle while independent bio-researchers conducted their own studies to track down the elusive Bigfoot.
So far, researchers claimed to have found footprints, along with strands of hair, believed to be from the creature as well as broken and uprooted branches.
The latest team returned on Saturday without much success. Another expedition is slated for next month.
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