Cryptozoology

1948 “Birdmen” Cases Revisited

You have probably read about the case before. Soon after the sightings and interest in other strange things in the sky, perhaps even thunderbirds and flying men in Washington State, the Zaikowskis were quoted as saying they had seen a “flying humanoid.” The cases have been background to other discussions, as for example, when they were discussed in “The Black Flash of Cape Cod” by Theo Paijmans, about the phantomlike creature that plagued Provincetown in the 1930s, published in Intermediate States Anomalist 13. In 1948, reports of “flying humans” were coming out of two towns, Longview and Chehalis, Washington. On [...]

Dynamic Discoverer of Ants Dies

Roy Snelling (1934-2008). Cryptozoologically, insects are not really in the realm of animals that Bernard Heuvelmans, myself and others strictly defined as of interest to the field, but nevertheless, we must admire those toiling to make the new discoveries of all those little animals out there that remain to be described. One such giant in that arena of insects is to be celebrated in his passing. For many of us, our first intrigue may have been with the tiny crawling and flying things found around our backyards, and for some, such as this explorer of the kingdom of ants, the [...]

Celebrity Naming of Cryptids

His name is Bond, Jason Bond. Names are important, and Eastern Carolina University professor of biology Jason Bond has decided to name a new spider he discovered after his favorite musician. You may have already heard the story. It made me wonder after whom various Cryptomundians would name cryptids found to be new species? Heuvelmans? Sanderson? Meldrum? And tied to what cryptids? Bond’s newly discovered trapdoor spider has officially been name Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi. Above is a male specimen of Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi living in Santa Rosa Co., Florida. (Credit: American Museum of Natural History) “There are rather strict rules about how [...]

Oldest Captive Gorilla Turns 55

Jenny at 55. Photo by Tony Gutierrez/AP. Jenny at 52. Photo by Jim Mahoney/Dallas Morning News. Before gorillas were discovered, they were cryptids. Now one of the oldest non-human primates among us has reached an age milestone. Gorillas, still rare in the wild, are more so in captivity. But it takes a special one to be noticed. For example, the world’s only captive albino gorilla, Snowflake (above) died from skin cancer in 2003. Snowflake lived beyond 40 years old; most male gorillas only live to be about 25 in the wild, although some female gorillas have a life expectancy of [...]

Spring’s White Moose & Brood XIV

The spring accounts for some of the strangest sightings. With the warmer weather finally hitting the northern hemisphere, some strange animals and cryptids may be soon visible along roadways and trails across North America and Eurasia. Here (above) a white moose is seen in Norway. Have any weird sights been reported in your area? Meanwhile, the Brood XIV seventeen-year-cicadas are waking up in the midwestern, border, and a few eastern states of the USA. They were first reported in Ohio in 1804. Their song will soon be a sweet and hauntingly familiar but short part of the evenings in those [...]

San Francisco Pythons by 2020

Some studies indicate that due to projected climate change, pythons will be a common feature of the “alien wildlife” in San Francisco by the year 2020.

Black Lions Prowling

[Reports such as the following are rare, indeed, and do get us solidly back to a cryptozoological frame of mind. Needless to say, for those not knowing, melanistic lions - even in South Africa - are not scientifically verified. - LC] A black lion known to exist is the guard of the Pszczyna castle, Poland, 15th century. From Nelspruit, South Africa, comes this breaking story: Big black lions are said to be roaming the streets of Matsulu township outside the Mpumalanga capital, terrifying residents who say they are too afraid to walk outside at night. Residents have been making anonymous [...]