The Yeren of Shennongjia
In the remote forests of Shennongjia, people describe a tall, red-haired 'wild man' that walks on two legs.
What was reported
Shennongjia is a mountainous, forested region in Hubei province, central China. For centuries, people have described the yeren, or 'wild man': a tall, reddish-haired creature that walks upright. Ancient Chinese poems and books mention similar beings.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the Chinese Academy of Sciences sent several expeditions to search for the yeren, collecting hair, footprints and hundreds of eyewitness accounts.
Explanations offered
Hair samples analysed so far have come from known animals, and no clear photographs or remains have been found. Suggested explanations include golden snub-nosed monkeys, macaques, bears and people. Shennongjia is now a protected area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- When
- Reported for centuries; expeditions since the 1970s
- Where
- Shennongjia, Hubei, China
- Witnesses
- Villagers, forestry workers and researchers
- Status
- Unconfirmed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.