People,
Here is something from the Puranas of India, about a run-in which The Krishna Avatar had with a giant simian-like creature called Jambavan. He is called the gorilla king here.
It is interesting to note that this narration comes to us from the Hindus, who weren't exactly ignorant people; the Hindus had a developed calendar system, were developed in mathematics, astronomy, and spoke and wrote a language which was/is so sophisticated that the modern Indo European languages are but a
simpler fragmentation of it. In this text which I have culled, you will see that the "gorilla king" lived in an underground home accessed through a tunnel, that he had a child to whom he gave the stolen jewel as a toy, that there was a nurse-maid watching over the child, and that the gorilla king was religious, participating in the religious system of the Hindus because he was a devotee of Rama.
The Yowie and big foot seem to have some intelligence, too, because they systematically avoid detection and live underground.
Remember also, that when this incident took place, the Kali Yuga had not begun yet, and men were described as having photographic memories and a duration of life up towards 1,000 years. So how would the simian creatures of the day have been?
Dean
The narration:
After this incident, Satrajit's younger brother, in order to display the
opulence of the family, took the jewel, put it on his neck and rode on
horseback into the forest, making a show of his material opulence. While the brother of Satrajit, who was known as Prasena, was moving here and there in the forest, a big lion attacked him, killing both him and the horse on which he was riding, and took away the jewel to his cave. The news was received by the gorilla king, Jambavan, who then killed that lion in the cave and took
away the jewel. Jambavan had been a great devotee of the Lord since the time of Lord Ramacandra, so he did not take the valuable jewel as something he very much needed. He gave it to his young son to play with as a toy.
In the city, when Satrajit's younger brother Prasena did not return from the forest with the jewel, Satrajit became very upset. He did not know that his brother had been killed by a lion and that the lion had been killed by Jambavan. He was thinking instead that because Krsna wanted that jewel and it had not been delivered to Him, Krsna might have therefore taken the jewel away from Prasena by force and killed him. This idea grew into a rumor which was being spread by Satrajit in every part of Dvaraka.
The false rumor that Krsna had killed Prasena and had taken away the jewel was spread everywhere like wildfire. Krsna did not like to be defamed in that way, and therefore He decided that He would go to the forest and find the Syamantaka jewel, taking with Him some of the inhabitants of Dvaraka.
Along with important men of Dvaraka, Krsna went to search out Prasena, the brother of Satrajit, and He found him dead, killed by the lion. At the same time, Krsna also found the lion which had been killed by Jambavan, who is generally called by the name Rksa. It was found that the lion had been killed by the hand of Rksa without the assistance of any weapon. Krsna and the citizens of Dvaraka then found in the forest a great tunnel, said to be the path to Rksa's house. Krsna knew that the inhabitants of Dvaraka would be afraid to enter the tunnel; therefore He asked them to remain outside,
and He Himself entered the dark tunnel alone to find Rksa, Jambavan. After entering the tunnel, Krsna saw that the very valuable jewel known as Syamantaka had been given to the son of Rksa as a toy, and in order to take the jewel from the child, He went there and stood before him. When the nurse who was taking care of Rksa's child saw Krsna standing before her, she was afraid, thinking the valuable Syamantaka jewel might be taken away by Him.
She began to cry loudly out of fear.
The Killing of Satrajit and Satadhanva -- Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead The Killing of Satrajit and Satadhanva -- Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead