Footprints Found!!!!

[yowiedan]

I recently came across a set of prints that looked like handprints in mud, I found these under a rock ledge right next to the Glenbrook Creek. As I didn't have any casting material on me I had to return 2 days later. Between that time a storm went over the Blue Mountains and made the water rise enough to cover the print by 1 foot, Bugger. But luckily for me, another print just as good was centimetres out of the water. So I then had the arduous task of mixing the right consistency and once that was done to then bend over and hold my body up with one hand while crouching and also not to get wet by the water while pouring the casting mixture into the print. After doing this I then had to wait around 20 minutes for it to set enough to be removed safely without cracking. The pictures I took 2 days prior to casting really did look like a hand or Foot had been placed there in a very hard place to get to for a human. I ruled out humans after doing the cast as it was so hard to get to. Now once I retrieved the cast and cleaned it, I had the task of trying to tell if it could be from a Yowie or Jundagee. My first task was to dismiss any Australian Fauna that lives in this area. While doing this I came across a wombat print, I know Wombats frequent the area as I have seen their Holes a few hundred metres down the trail.
So without getting into a long story here is a picture of the actual print and the cast and a comparison to a Wombats foot. I forgot to add the print found had a length of 7 inches and width of 4 inches.

[TrevorPeters]

Good work and follow-up Dan.

Appreciate your post here. Now it's in the reference section.

[Shazzoir]

Well done, Yowie Bait!

In my opinion, that is a very narrow/shallow area under the ledge, and though I can't get a super good idea of scale, I doubt a human could get a grip there, (or even crouch under that ledge) and leave such a clean print without it being super obvious it's a human hand print.

I'm going to state the obvious and say that I believe it's a hand print, by the way, not a foot print.

I believe your cast print (of unknown origin) has a much wider 'heel' than the photo of a wombat foot does, and bear in mind, the 'heel' of your palm is a term commonly used with hands as well as feet. At this point, though, we don't know if it's a hand or foot print you have such a fantastic cast of, so I won't attempt to claim it's one or the other, since we don't know what made it.

Toes generally are shorter and stubbier than fingers in humans, and maybe Yowies too, though.

Likewise, the arrangement of toes/fingers is not 'spade' shaped, with the toes decreasing in length as you move distally from the big toe to the little toe, as the wombat's is. The fingers are splayed and in the same 'arch' shape as human fingers are, which have the phalanges joining the palm flesh in a slight arc or curve, with the second finger usually being the longest (though there are differences in plenty of human hands).

Thirdly, the 'thumb' of your cast seems to spring almost from the side of the heel, whereas the wombat 'thumb' is almost halfway up the foot's length.

The wombat foot has pronounced, strong toe nails as well, and I would imagine they would have left divots in the soil where you found the print, but this doesn't seem to be the case here. The digit ends (toe or finger) seem smooth, and to have a pad much as ours do. I am not sure, however, if the digit ends are pads of finger flesh, or smooth nails, as they are slightly skewed to the side, and don't appear to follow the generally straight line of the fingers/toes. This could indicate they are nails of some kind, but I've not seen enough casts to say.

The digits seem to only have two 'finger joints' (not counting the join where they emerge from the palm area), like human hands do, as well.

All in all, you have found yourself something utterly fascinating, and honestly, sharing it here with your thoughts is so valuable, and much appreciated.

I look forward to reading others' thoughts on the cast too. Man, I love this site!

Shazz

[Shazzoir]

GAH! SORRY! YOWIEDAN, not YowieBait! So sorry! Can't edit! Forgive me!

Shazz

[yowiedan]

GAH! SORRY! YOWIEDAN, not YowieBait! So sorry! Can't edit! Forgive me!

Shazz

Sorry Shazz I will never ever Forget being Called Yowie Bait LOL.

[Slats]

Hi Dan
I noticed when watching the video you posted on your Australian Yowie YouTube channel (another plug for you there mate) that there was some other impressions that could be suggestive of something kneeling to coincide with the larger impression you photographed (possible hand print). In Shazz's comments I'm reminded about something I read about the Sasquatch from Dr Jeff Meldrum. That the non-human primates thumb is lower on the hand and is more inline rather than opposing like ours.

Although we can only speculate I was unable to find any wombat paw average dimensions so maybe a Junjadee was hoping for a bit of wombat stew......?????

But I highly rate your work Dan and can only draw from the knowledge you and others bring and strive for the same level you guys set in my own field work.

Cheers

[Rusty2]

Daniel , that is one of the most incredible prints I've ever seen !!!

Surely they must be primates ?

[Rusty2]

Sorry , I do get a bit carried away .
What gets me is the two middle toes are so much longer than the others and the side digit is way back on the foot , to me this looks like a primate .

Compared to the wombat foot , the wombats toes are slanted , each one slightly longer than each other . The wombats side toe is is on the middle of the foot , not the back like Daniels print .
I think it's something very cool but I'm no expert .

A link to pictures of primate feet/hands .

http://www.ufovideo.net/BIGFOOTxSASQUAT ... xlarge.jpg

[Rusty2]

A better example from what I see .

[yowiedan]

Rusty, you REALLY have me thinking now about this print. I might have to go and ask an expert on this.

[Slats]

Dan
I know I initially said wombat but the more and more I look at it and then Rusty's picture. I'm getting more and more curious about it but I do think if it is that it's a handprint not a footprint like you initially thought.

[Slats]

Sorry , I do get a bit carried away .
What gets me is the two middle toes are so much longer than the others and the side digit is way back on the foot , to me this looks like a primate .

Compared to the wombat foot , the wombats toes are slanted , each one slightly longer than each other . The wombats side toe is is on the middle of the foot , not the back like Daniels print .
I think it's something very cool but I'm no expert .

A link to pictures of primate feet/hands .

http://www.ufovideo.net/BIGFOOTxSASQUAT ... xlarge.jpg

All right looking at that link if it is.....its gotta be some kind of relative of the orangutan

[Yowie bait]

GAH! SORRY! YOWIEDAN, not YowieBait! So sorry! Can't edit! Forgive me!

Shazz

Sorry Shazz I will never ever Forget being Called Yowie Bait LOL.

Gave me a good laugh! Great work Yowiedan. It really does looks like the primate prints in the guide and photo Rusty posted. It will be interesting to hear the results if you take it to a Primate expert. Will you tell them what you think it is ?

[yowiedan]

GAH! SORRY! YOWIEDAN, not YowieBait! So sorry! Can't edit! Forgive me!

Shazz

Sorry Shazz I will never ever Forget being Called Yowie Bait LOL.

Gave me a good laugh! Great work Yowiedan. It really does looks like the primate prints in the guide and photo Rusty posted. It will be interesting to hear the results if you take it to a Primate expert. Will you tell them what you think it is ?

Before I do anything like that I'm going to a well an area I know there are a lot of Wombat Holes. With the bit of rain, we have had it should have softened the ground enough to get a cast of a Wombat Track right near its hole. Hoping to Compare the two once I get home. Then I will post the Results on here.

[Wolf]

Hi Dan
I noticed when watching the video you posted on your Australian Yowie YouTube channel

Cheers

Got a link? I can't find it

[Slats]

Hi Dan
I noticed when watching the video you posted on your Australian Yowie YouTube channel

Cheers

Got a link? I can't find it

I hope this works
https://youtu.be/j8u4Ne4KDuw

[yowiedan]

Thanks Slats. Your my new Manager lol.

[Slats]

Thanks Slats. Your my new Manager lol.

He quoted me so I thought I'd help out