Captured Bigfoot Researched by Russian Scientists

Perhaps the best documented (and most intriguing) case of a hominid with both human and ape-like characteristics that was captured in the wild and lived for many years amongst humans is that of Zana. And the most astonishing and significant aspect of her life was that she inter-bred with humans!

The precise details of her capture are not fully known, but due to the fact that there were no reported severe injuries or resultant disabilities likely indicates that a mode of capture such as a baited snare or covered-pit trap were employed either by chance or design that led to her captivity. Zana was captured in the present day country of Abkhazia, on the eastern shore of the Black Sea along the Caucasus Mountain range. In the previous century, Abkhazia was part of the Soviet Union. Beginning the 1960s, Russian scientists Boris Porshnev and Alexander Mashkovtev researched Zana's story. Later researchers included Dmitri Bayanov and Igor Bourtsev (presently active). In Central Asia, creatures that resemble the American Bigfoot or Sasquatch are sometimes referred to as Almas or by the Russian plural, Almasty.

After her capture (in the mid 1800s), Zana was presented to the prince of the region, D.M. Achba, who later gave charge of her to one of his vassals, named Chelokua. Ultimately she was passed on to a nobleman named Edgi Genaba, when he visited the area. Genaba brought her back to his home in the village of T'khina.

Zana's story was confirmed by interviews of over 100 villagers and residents of her homeland. They described her as having dark, greyish-black skin, bare on the face, but elsewhere she was covered in reddish-black hair. The hair on her head was a bit darker and formed a thick, tousled mane that hung down her back. Her face had a sloping forehead, prominent brows and cheekbones and massive jaws . Her nose was broad and flat, her eyes were reddish and she had large, strong white teeth. Her body was robust and muscular with well-developed breasts. She was tremendously strong, and also swift, able to even outrun a horse!

Although she walked and ran upright on two legs, her arms were proportionately long and her toes could be widely splayed, especially the big toes which she could move separately. She would climb trees to get fruit and nuts and could crack walnuts in her bare hands. Her appetite was tremendous, and she would eat any food the villagers offered her. She would pull down an entire wild grapevine from the tree to feast on the grapes. She also had a particular fondness for wine, and would often drink considerable amounts, after which she would relax in a swoon-like state.

At, first Zana was fierce and belligerent and was kept in shackles and chains. Food was thrown to her from a distance. After a while she became calmer when approached, and then she was moved to an enclosure with a wattled fence, on one side of which was a building with an awning. Zana dug a shallow hole underneath the awning, where she slept. Her favored position for sleep and rest was to crouch on her knees and elbows with her hands clasped behind her head. Zana spent about three years inside the enclosure with little contact, but gradually became more cooperative and docile. She began to show signs of intelligence and the ability to respond to direction. Eventually, her captor, Edgi Genaba became confident enough in her to allow her to roam the countryside freely.
Zana seemed to accept her life among the villagers. She showed an interest in taking part in human activities and Edgi taught her to grind flour from grain, to fetch firewood and water and carry sacks of flour to and from the water-powered mill in the village. (Zana could easily pick up a full sack of flour with one hand.)She would even pull Genaba's boots off at night. Zana preferred her own natural coat of hair to manmade clothing. Although given dresses to wear, they would soon become torn from her vigorous activities. Later on she would tolerate the wearing of a loincloth. Zana had a favorite activity; rapping stones together and splitting them.

Zana preferred the colder weather and seemed to tolerate the winter chill with no discomfort. On warm summer days she enjoyed cooling off in the ponds with the domestic buffalo. Zana would swim in the Molkva river all year round, even in winter and in the raging spring floods. She spent most of her time outdoors but occasionally visited houses when invited indoors.

The villagers of T'khina overall showed a tolerance and acceptance of Zana. She could react angrily if provoked, barring her teeth in warning, and even biting if severely provoked . She could wield large sticks to protect herself from dogs. Her appearance was somewhat frightening and many people were wary of her and would only interact with her when she was in a gentle mood. Occasionally she would laugh spontaneously, showing her huge, very white teeth. She apparently both feared and respected Edgi Genaba, who could discipline her by scolding or shouting when she did something he considered inappropriate. Although she could understand requests and directions, Zana seemed unable to articulate speech and was not recorded to have spoken a single word.

But the most remarkable and important feature of Zana's interaction with the villagers was that on at least six occasions, she conceived children, perhaps by a few different men. Amazingly. the four children who survived infancy grew to adulthood and were intelligent, articulate in speech and had other talents as well. One becoming an accomplished pianist.) The first two children died shortly after childbirth, apparently following Zana's having washed them in a cold-water
spring.

The next four offspring, two girls and two boys, were then taken by the village women and raised as normal children. The babies were said to have looked just like human infants, only slightly smaller. As they matured, their appearance was more like their father's. Although their skin was somewhat dark, and their facial structures with elements in common similar to those of our fossil ancestors, they lacked the covering of body hair that their mother had. They were physically strong and able to engage in work and social activities.

The oldest son was Dzhanda, the youngest, Khwit. The older girl was Kodzanar and the second, Gamassa. All of them had children of their own, and their descendants are dispersed across Abkhazia. In the official census their last name was listed as Sabekia, although the two youngest, Khwit and Gamassa were raised by Edgi Genaba's wife. (It was rumored that Genaba himself fathered those children). Their birthrates are listed as: Dzhanda; 1878, Kodzanar; 1880, Gamassa; 1882 and Kwhit; unknown.

Of the four offspring, Khwit was perhaps the most commented on in the villagers remembrances. He was said to often be difficult to deal with and quick to anger. He lost his right hand in one of the many fights he was engaged in, but was still strong and fit enough to climb trees and work on the collective farm. It is significant in that, a decade after his death in 1954, his body was exhumed and the skull removed and sent to Russia for scientific research. The skull with it's large facial span, pronounced brow ridges, large teeth and jaws seems to evidence the characteristics of proto-human ancestors blended with modern man. link to image of Khwit's skull) DNA testing indicated no presence of known Neanderthal genetic sequence. Another burial adjacent to that of Kwhit was found, and the skull, significantly smaller and perhaps that of a child, also had features not in common with the Caucasoid types of the regions. DNA testing has indicated that Kwit and the smaller individual, a female were related.(Result of the initial DNA tests were released in1987. Additional tests have been run as recently as 2006.

In his field research interviewing the residents of Abkhazia, Porshnev met several of Zana's grandchildren. He remarked that he was immediately impressed by
their dark skin and non-Caucasoid looks. One of the grandchildren, Shalikula was exceptionally strong, and could pick up a grown man sitting in a chair by grasping and lifting the chair with his jaws and teeth! Two other grandchildren, Chalikoua and Taia, were also reported to have the same general appearance and notably robust jaw muscles and bone structure.

Searches for the remains of Zana herself have not had results. Currently, since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, socio-ethnic conflicts have made further research difficult and risky. Abkhazia is no longer part of the Soviet Union, and travel within the country is restricted. An as with all scientific endeavors, the financial backing required can be very difficult to procure, from either government or private sources. In researching this article I found the official website of Igor Bourtsev and Dmitri Bayanov who are in the forefront of research on hominology in Russia today. (This link to their website). http://hominology.narod.ru./eng.htm] They have established a fund for furthering scientific searches and expeditions on cryptic hominids worldwide, named the Cryptosphere Fund.

Resources:

Online:
http://hominology.narod.ru./eng.htm
http://alamas.ru/eng/publicat/Burtsev.htm
http://www.bigfootencounters.com/articles/zana.htm
http://www.lloydpye.com/A-BigfootDoco.html
http://www.bfro.net/GDB/show_article.asp?id=441

Print media:
"The Struggle for Troglodytes" by Boris Porshnev, printed in 1968 in Alma Ata, Kazakhstan, in the literary magazine "Prostor" ( No. 4-7).