The Hubei Wild Man Research Association is spending 10 million yuan on an expedition to search for wild men in the mountains of Shennongjia in Hubei Province. The expedition will recruit members from around the world and use advanced technology.

The Shennongjia Forestry District lies in a mountainous area of central China's Hubei Province. It includes the world-famous Shennongjia National Nature Reserve which is listed on UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

Stories of wild men living in Shennongjia date back hundreds of years, and in the 1970s there was a rash of “sightings”. An expedition organized by the Chinese Academy of Sciences went to the area in 1977 but found no evidence of the existence of wild men after scouring 1,500 square kilometers.

A further investigation was conducted along the Licha River in the same area in 2007. This time the research team found a series of strange footprints averaging one meter apart along the riverbank. Nearby they also found three branches they said might have been broken by "wild men", China.org.cn reported.

But Zhou Guoxing, a well-known paleoanthropologist who participated in the 1977 expedition, said no expeditions had provided any real evidence for the existence of wild men. “Wild men” killed by human beings always turned out to be bears. Hair and footprints of alleged “wild men” were shown to be of bears and human beings.

From a theoretical point of view, Zhou said, wild men are a separate species not a lost tribe of humans. He added that, in his view, they are no more than to folk tales and figments of people’s imaginations.

But he added that the enigma of the wild men could help stimulate the interest of teenagers in exploring the thick forests of Shennongjia, and raise their awareness of the need for environment protection.

He said more research on the flora and fauna of the Shennongjia forest district was needed. And if speculation about wild men helps stimulate interest and boost funding so much the better. It makes sense for NGOs and individuals to sponsor the research program, Zhou added.