According to a pair of hunters in the US state of Georgia, it is.

They claim to have found the apparently male creature - which is seven feet, seven inches tall, weighs more than 500 pounds, and has reddish hair and black-grey eyes.

But the crucial evidence lies, they claim, in its enormous feet, which they purport to be 16 and three-quarter inches long.

And to back up their astonishing story, they say they intend to present conclusive proof at a press conference tomorrow (Friday, August 15).

The pair - Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer, who run Bigfoot expeditions - claim they made the discovery in the woods of north Georgia two weeks ago.

They have won support from self-styled "real Bigfoot Hunter" Tom Biscardi, who says he believes the find is authentic.

The incredible story broke after Whitton, a Georgia police officer, and Dyer, a former prison officer, posted photos of the alleged apeman on their website.

The resulting rush of interest caused their internet server to go offline yesterday, having exceeded its bandwidth.

Dyer and Whitton say the other most distinguishing features are the creature's hands and teeth, which they claim are "more human-like than ape-like".

But if that's not sensational enough, the duo say there are more Bigfeet out there in the Georgia backwoods.

They have ruled out disclosing the actual location, however, to avoid causing a stampede of curious - or gun-toting - visitors, keen to catch a glimpse.

Sightings of massive ape-like creature have been reported from around the world, most notably in the Pacific northwest region of the United States, British Columbia in Canada, as well as the Himalayas of Asia.

Many folk cultures have their own versions and names, such as sasquatch, yeti or even, in Australia, yowie.

However, all seem to describe the same thing - a bipedal hominid of over seven feet and covered in hair.

They are said to inhabit remote forests and mountainous regions, but skeptics say hard evidence of such a large creature has not yet been presented.

With the latest Georgia "discovery", however, this could soon change ....

Related story: The day I hunted Bigfoot ... in Northumberland.