Homo erectus is a species of hominid believed to be an ancestor of modern humans that existed about two million to 400,000 years ago.

Chow, who has been lobbying the government to look into the the hairy man-like beasts, has ventured into the jungles of southern Johor state to look for the creatures.

He said studying Malaysia's "Bigfoots", whose existence have never been proven, could shed new light on human evolution.

"It could have evolved into a new species over thousands of years," Chow told AFP. "It will revolutionise the way how we look at our origin."

Chow said his opinion was based on footprints and eye-witness accounts from indigenous people and loggers.

He warned their survival was being threatened by deforestration.

"I fear for its survival. It has lost its traditional home. Many parts of the jungle have been converted to palm oil estates," he said.

Sightings of the animals in Johor hit headlines last December and generated intense interest from international wildlife experts.

The mythical ape-like creatures have been reported in wilderness areas all over the world. They are known as "Bigfoot" or "Sasquatch" in the United States and Canada, and "yetis" in the Himalayas.

Chow said the "Bigfoot" found in Malaysia was about seven to 12 feet (2.3 to four meters) tall and hunts wild boars and catches fish in the river.

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