(AHN)-Amid fevered speculation over the existence of the mythical creature in the nation's southern jungles, Malaysian wildlife officials deny capturing a baby "Bigfoot."

Two weeks ago, the Berita Harian newspaper reported that a young Bigfoot was caught by a group of men thought to be from the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) near the southern town of Kota Tinggi.

However, the department's director-general Datuk Musa Nordin denies the report, saying "During the period reported, Perhilitan did not mount any operation in the area."

Freddie Long, the Tourism and Environment Committee chairman in southern Johor state, affirms Musa's statement, saying that if a Bigfoot had been captured, it should have been given to local authorities for research.

According to the report, "Bigfoot fever" erupted last December when some workers claimed to have spotted three of the beasts, two adults and a youngster, on the edge of a Johor forest reserve.

Meanwhile, tales of mythical ape-like creatures have been reported in wilderness areas all over the world, commonly referred to as Bigfoot or Sasquatch in the United States and Canada, and yetis in the Himalayas.