Lauren Daley writes in the Standard-Times on December 9, 2007, of her recent interview with The Polar Express (1985) author Chris Van Allsburg, 58, of Providence, Rhode Island. Daley mentions a good quotation in Van Allsburg’s 1986 Caldecott Medal-winning acceptance for the now classic Christmas book: “A world that might have Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster is clearly superior to one that definitely does not.” Certainly, a world with cryptozoology in it appears to be one that is more hopeful about new animals and species, the human imagination and various possibilities, than one that only reflects some kind of [...]
Loren Coleman
Women in Cryptozoology: Jan McGirk in Johor
Flashback: Let us trek back to Johor with newswoman Jan McGirk and revisit the Malaysian situation before it got lost in the morass of the photo hoaxing, to the events surrounding the initial finding of the now famed track cast. Jan McGirk, on the right, assists with the casting compound, to mold the footprint she first found in Johor, the one often shown being held by Joshua Gates. ++++ The unknown world: How I tracked Bigfoot through the Malaysian jungle (by Jan McGirk). Jan McGirk joined a team of paranormal investigators to check out reports of 10 ft giant apes [...]
Replica Cryptia: Cryptid Love
Someone put to good use their cryptid collectible replicas together with music. It is a relaxing video for a slow northern winter weekend. BTW, there is nothing but “free parking” ads, and gaming links at monsterhuntersclub.com/ Don’t waste your time going there.
Giant Spitting Cobra Discovered
Richard Leakey has given an excellent quotation for reflection when thinking about the foundation pursuits of cryptozoology. With regard to this new discovery, Leakey has said: “There have to be many other unreported species.” True, indeed. A new giant species of spitting cobra — about 2.6 metres (8.5 feet) long and with enough venom to kill up to 20 people in one bite — has been discovered in Kenya, a study said Friday. The large brown spitting cobra, initially included under the black-necked spitting cobra species, was discovered at a snake farm in June 2004, but confirmed as a separate [...]
New Species Discovered in Ghana
A new species of tickspider (Ricinoides sp. n.). Photo by Piotr Naskrecki (CI) Conservation International has announced findings from their 2006 expedition to Ghana’s Atewa Range Forest Reserve (Atewa) led by CI’s Rapid Assessment Program (RAP), which include news of nine new species discoveries. The report was released to the public on December 6, 2007. Chameleon Chamaeleo gracilis. Photo by Piotr Naskrecki (CI) The RAP discoveries include a Critically Endangered frog species (Conraua derooi) whose presence in Atewa may represent the last viable population in the world; an unusually high 22 species of large mammals and six species of primates [...]
Dwarf Hippo Fossils Discovered
Paleontologists have unearthed an estimated 80 dwarf hippo’ fossils in recent digs at the site just outside the resort of Ayia Napa on Cyprus’ southeastern coast. The dwarf hippopotamuses were herbivores, like their modern cousins, but were only about 2 1/2 feet (0.76 m) tall and 4 feet long (1.21 m). Unlike modern hippos, whose upturned nostrils seem designed for swimming, “Cypriot hippos” had low-slung nostrils better suited to foraging on land. Scientists said the fossils show the Cypriot hippos had legs and feet adapted to land, enabling them to stand on their hind legs to reach tree branches. Experts [...]
McGirk Exclusive: Johor and Yeti Prints
As you may recall, British newspaperwoman Jan McGirk has shared exclusives with us before, from the jungles of Johor. Here’s her latest on the new questions about the Johor cast and thoughts on the recent Yeti finds. McGirk’s email is followed, for visual context, by a video from September 5, 2006, of Jonathan Kent’s BBC report on the “Johor Bigfoot” reports. The Seekers are posing with the Johor cast in February 2006. Australian tracker Tony Burke stands behind a group of Seekers, from left to right, Sis, Adeek, and Illa, in the Johor bush. I’m Jan McGirk (a journo writing [...]
“Mutant Canines” on MonsterQuest
On Wednesday, December 05, 2007, at 10:00 PM Eastern, with repeats overnight and in coming days and weeks, the broadcast of the “Mutant Canines” episode of MonsterQuest will occur on the History Channel. Check your local listings for time and channel. The official description of the program hints that one of the core stories is about the Turner, Maine, “beast,” with interviews of eyewitnesses, as well as reporter Mark LaFlamme and cryptozoologist Loren Coleman. MonsterQuest: Man’s best friend is many times our last line of defense. But something strange is killing Fido. In 2006, a rash of pets were killed [...]
Bad Yeti Science from Ben Radford
Benjamin Radford, who is called LiveScience’s “Bad Science Columnist,” lives up to his title in a new posting about Yeti in which he spreads more bad science. I understand that newspaper writers are often not to blame for their headlines, but in this case I wonder if Radford dreamed up the headline for his own column? Entitled “The Truth About the Abominable Snowman,” it sounds dangerously close to stating an absolute and true believer stance, if you ask me. That Radford would think he has the “truth” about anything seems a bit much. He has stumbled in this attempt. The [...]
Yeti on Fox + New Gates Video
Fox News, December 4, 2007: The Yeti exchange unfolded routinely, as per what has come to be expected for such two-minute-moments on news programs. When Patrick Huyghe (correctly pronounced “Weeg” with a soft “g”) is off-interview, the “Fox news hosts” then tried delivering their debunking humor points, as usual. I congratulate Fox News for running a full credit to artist Harry Trumbore for his drawings of various types of Yeti taken from our cryptozoological field guide. Parts of the Joshua Gates news conference footage has turned up on two YouTube videos:
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