After police received reports of sightings of the mythical Bigfoot in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, they headed off to investigate. However a plumber, who hails from Minneapolis, has since come forward to say it was him, all dressed up in a homemade suit of raccoon pelts. 36-year-old Gawain MacGregor said he didn’t intentionally head out to fool the group of Bigfoot hunters that spotted him.

Man dresses up as Bigfoot for shamanistic ritual

MacGregor said he was in McDowell County on his own Friday night when he climbed into his fur suit to perform a shamanistic ritual.

However later that night he saw lights and heard sounds as he encountered the Bigfoot hunters. Saying he and they were startled, he decided not to say anything and just turned around and headed back to his tent to sleep. MacGregor said the people didn’t speak to him, but when he saw a news report of a Sasquatch sighting, he instantly called the police to tell them it was him.

Bigfoot hunters don’t believe the story

According to a report by the BBC, despite the fact MacGregor contacted the police to clear up the mystery, John Bruner of Bigfoot 911 went on to post on their Facebook page that he had been part of the team who spotted Bigfoot that night.

According to the Charlotte Observer, Bruner claimed to have seen details of the creature and that the eyes were wider apart than human eyes. He also said he clearly saw the face and that the hair was “matted and stringy.” Bruner had also seen photos of MacGregor on his website and said the Bigfoot they saw was much taller.

Greenville Police in South Carolina couldn’t resist heading to their own Facebook page to issue a tongue-in-cheek warning about Bigfoot sightings.

They included video footage from 2015 of another possible sighting in Boone, NC. Their post went on to say that it was clear that proof of the existence of Bigfoot “still eludes us.” However they went on to say, in a likely more serious tone, that should someone believe they have spotted Bigfoot, please don’t shoot, as you are most likely facing a fun-loving, well-intentioned person in a gorilla costume.

Several Sasquatch encounters in the past

According to MacGregor, he has experienced several Sasquatch encounters in the past in three different states. He went on to say he has worn his costume for more than five years and has encountered people before. While he said some people had asked to take photos, MacGregor added he had never had any trouble with law enforcement before.