Media Appearances

Bring Forth The Track Cast of Nessie!

A few years ago, the cry across the land was to have the head of a Sea-Serpent brought to Science. I place the same kind of call out there regarding the alleged track cast of the footprint of the Loch Ness Monster collected in December 1933, some 74 years ago. Of course, we all take it to heart that the footprints found on the shores of Loch Ness were fakes made by Marmaduke Wetherell. But within cryptozoology, we must be skeptical in all directions. How many times have I heard about a “hoax” claim, especially with tracks, which has as [...]

Clemson Panther Alerts

In an era of university shootings, campuswide notices from college law enforcement that there is a danger on the grounds of the university are taken a lot more seriously than they use to be. On Sunday, December 16, 2007, such warnings went out across the campus of Clemson University in South Carolina, not about a rampage shooter, but regarding the sightings of a cryptid cat, a panther. One Cryptomundo reader forwarded the following note and two campus alerts: I work at Clemson University in upstate South Carolina. We receive news alert broadcasts from time to time, through email from campus [...]

Foja Mountains’ “Lost World” Mammals

Martua Sinaga holds this 1.4 kg giant rat that is probably a species new to science. Photo by Bruce M Beehler On Sunday night, December 16, 2007, the CBS program “60 Minutes” ran a segment on the research discoveries of Bruce M. Beehler in Indonesia’s remote Foja Mountains of western New Guinea. The discovery of this so-called “lost world” was a media event earlier on February 7, 2007 (see here). A probable new species of pygmy possum in the genus Cercartetus (Pygmy Possum). Photo by Bruce M Beehler The earlier media treatments of the findings had gotten somewhat overblown (see [...]

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 [...]

“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 [...]