Imagine Pandas by Craig A. Foster & Kelsey M. McGinn

Craig A. Foster and Kelsey M. McGinn revisit a 1979 Skeptical Inquirer story about a missing red panda in the Netherlands, where false public sightings emerged even after the animal was confirmed dead. They argue this "red panda effect" illustrates how human error and memory distortions can generate sincere but false testimony, a key lesson for evaluating claims like Bigfoot. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2025/08/imagine-pandas/ About the Authors: Craig A. Foster is a CSI fellow and the director of research and evaluation at Northshore School District in Bothell, Washington. Kelsey M. McGinn has a master's degree in social work from the University of Albany and works in the field of special education. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/ Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition is a production of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and the Center for Inquiry.