The Association Belge d’Etude et de Protection des Animaux Rares (ABEPAR) asbl have organized its 8th Symposium at Engreux, to be held in The Ardenne, south of Belgium, on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th September 2008.

The thema is “Mysterious Animals from Waters and Woods.”

They have opened, for consideration, a call for papers of fifty-minute long presentations (maximum lecture + questions/answers) in English, but best in French if possible. (They will not be paying for your travel expenses, even for accepted speakers. You must find your way to Belgium. I would love to give a formal analysis of Bigfoot conspiracy theories, for example, for this European event, but I can’t afford such a trip.)

If you are able to go to Belgium and wish to give a paper, please send a short summary of your proposed lecture and a short biography before 1st July 2008, to E. JOYE (abepar@zigzag.be) or via his website.

The confirmed presenters are:

1) Michael Trachtengerts (Russia) & Dr. Marie-Jeanne Koffmann (France-Russia) : New cryptozoological observations in Russia;

2) Dr. Marco Signore (Palaeobiology of Predation, Functional Morphology- Italy) : Blast from the past: palaeontological and archaeological help in Cryptozoology;

3) Pasquale Saggese (Biologist – Italy) : The cryptozoological analysis;

4) Florent Barrère (Etudiant en cinéma – France) : Comment filmer un cryptide ou les enjeux de l’image dans la nomenclature scientifique.

The film of Eric Joye’s recent expedition in British Columbia will be showed during the event.