By Tim Binnall
A lighthearted campaign aimed at getting people to spend more time in the picturesque parks of Montana took a sour turn when a Sasquatch display that had been one of its centerpieces was stolen. According to a local news report, the comical cardboard cutout had been placed along a trail in the city of Helena by their parks department earlier this summer. The idea was to inspire people to get out into nature and go find the faux Bigfoot for selfies to share on social media.
Unfortunately, the concept may have actually been too successful as it not only attracted ambitious residents in search of the Sasquatch spot, but also some ne'er-do-wells who wanted more than just a photo. At some point earlier this week, a miscreant made off with the Bigfoot, leaving behind only some broken bindings which had been used to secure the cutout. The theft was particularly disappointing to the parks department director Amy Teegarden, who had initially worried about such a scenario unfolding earlier in the summer, but grew less concerned as her fellow Helenians left the display undisturbed in the wilderness for weeks.
Sadly, that sense of relief was shattered after the Bigfoot vanished. "You know, it spoiled some of the fun," she lamented, "I'm hoping that whoever decided they needed to take Sasquatch will return him. No questions asked." While Teegarden waits to see if the culprit comes clean or, at least, leaves the cut out at a location where it can be recovered, police in Helena are on the lookout for the lost display. And, fortunately for residents still hoping to 'hunt the creature' before the end of the summer, there's a second, presumably now quite lonely, Sasquatch at another location in the city.