Cryptotourism

Searching For the Ropen in New Guinea: “Destination Truth” Makes Contact From Rainforest

I have heard from Neil Mandt (above), the executive producer for "Destination Truth," the new series that will be appearing on the Sci Fi Channel this spring. He’s been corresponding with me for some months now, and decided to give Cryptomundo an exclusive on what he and his crew are up to right now. One location the series explored was Johor (above) to investigate reports of the Malaysian Bigfoot. Another they are going to deal with is Mongolia. Incredibly, thanks to modern technology, Neil emailed me yesterday – from the rainforest – to give me an update and exclusive on [...]

Lake Merritt Monster

Ginny Prior, The Town Crier of California’s Contra Costa Times talks in her column of January 12, 2007, about the "Beast [that] dwells in [the] murky waters of Lake Merritt." She writes: I’ve always suspected something was lurking, just below the murky green surface. Now it’s been confirmed — Oakland’s Lake Merritt has a monster. Like Scotland’s Loch Ness and Lake Champlain’s Champ, this creature eludes all but the most vigilant observers. Richard Bailey, the resident expert, has seen the great head of the beast — with its glowing red eyes and spiked horns. "It’s got six or seven humps [...]

Mystery Tusk: Definitely Mastodon Not Mammoth – Perhaps

This mastodon (Mammut americanum) is the life-sized bronze representation at the Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, the home of the “Mastodons.” As you will recall, on the 8th, you first read here about the “Mystery Tusk.” Now comes a “confirmed” answer. Or is it? Therein lies the tale behind the splash on the television screen. The video is running on the local news this morning and WCSH-6 has run a backup item on their website by Peter Weyl. The mystery tusk was discovered by Tim Winchenbach of Cushing. He found it in a scallop net brought up from the Georges [...]

Scorpions On Planes

Two incidents in one week. Two scorpions on two separate planes. The news is coming in so rapidly this week, I shared this one directly with Chad Arment’s Strange Ark, a good site for you to know about anyway. Read more fully about the scorpions on the planes, here.

Never Stop Asking Nessie Questions

Before this bit of news gets too old, I want to mention the seemingly funny media mentions last week about tourists in Scotland asking silly questions. The media had a bit of laughter over some questions from visitors, and, of course, Nessie was right up there at the top. According to a Travel Connect article entitled “Tourists Ponder Loch Ness Monster’s Feeding Times,” the tourism agency VisitBritain compiled “some rather puzzling queries from befuddled travellers.” As the headline to their article gives away, one inquiry they highlight dealt directly with the topic: One such visitor was evidently unfamiliar with the [...]

“Yeti” Photographed

The famed coelacanth researcher and dinofish.com site author Jerome Hamlin sends along the above photographs. Hamlin writes: Here’s a picture of a “Yeti” that approached our car at a gas station in India last April! I thought of you when I snapped it. I was quite impressed by the outfit and in the heat. I think his idea was to approach tourist cars for money. He’s worth it. I have him on video as well, making hissing growls. I was also surprised by the cultural influence. Many of these far away places have learned to parody themselves in situ! Our [...]

Nashville And Bobbing Black Cats

Nashville Cats, play clean as country water Nashville Cats, play wild as mountain dew Nashville Cats, been playin’ since they’s babies Nashville Cats, get work before they’re two — by John B. Sebastian, Lovin’ Spoonful, 1967. Is this cryptid black cat a melanistic bobcat (Lynx rufus/Felis rufus)? Back on November 19, 2006, I wrote about the sightings and then videotape of a large short-tailed cat seen in Nashville, Tennessee. Speculations covered caracal, lynx, and bobcat. The two images below are from the video taken of the Tennessee Mystery Cat: Ben Willis of Bigcats.org brings to my attention that a road-killed [...]