Mothman Musings

Regan Lee's latest post on Mothman over at Mothman Flutterings. Check it out, if you haven't already.

A Welsh Crocodile

Many thanks to Siani for this new story about a crocodile-like creature on the loose in Wales. Almost certainly, like several other such cases that have surfaced over the last half-a-decade or so in the British Isles, this one involves an exotic pet that some idiot bought, before realizing how much time and care is needed to look after such an animal. So what do they do? They dump them in ponds and pools - something that almost certainly ensures their death when winter comes.

This is essential reading too: a great new blog set up to dig into the mystery of the Welsh Croc.

Still in the News: The Lizard Man

The Lizard Man controversy shows no signs of going away anytime soon!

The Latest on the Cannock Chase Big Cat

On countless occasions at this blog (see this link) I have posted data on sightings of mysterious animals in the Cannock Chase woods of central England - a location I know well, as it's situated only a few miles from where I used to live.

Here's a link to those aforementioned posts.

And now there's another new story: this one relating to a sighting of a big-cat on the Chase.

More Mothman Flutterings

Over the last couple of days, Regan Lee has posted some more ingtriguing material at her new blog on that most mysterious of all beasts: Mothman. There is some good, thought-provoking stuff here.

Lake Monsters & Sea Serpents on Uncanny Radio

I'll be speaking on Uncanny Radio tomorrow night about lake-monsters and sea-serpents. Check out this link for times and how to listen to the show.

A Forthcoming Bigfoot Gig

I just received this from Eric Altman of the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society:


The Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society is proud to announce the return of the East Coast Bigfoot Conference for 2008.

There are great events scheduled for the weekend of September 26,27, and 28, 2008. On September 26, 2008, the Pa Bigfoot Society will hold a Meet and Greet dinner gathering for anyone interested. The Meet and Greet will take place at 7:00 pm at Pitzers Townhouse Restaurant 101 S. 5th St. Jeannette PA 15644. The meet and greet is open to the public and free to attend. Dinner is at your own expense.

On September 27, 2008, the PA Bigfoot Society presents the 2008 East Coast Bigfoot Conference scheduled for Noon to 8:00 p.m. with doors opening at 11:00 am. The Conference will be held in the hall above Pitzers Townhouse Restaurant 101 S. 5th Street, Jeannette PA 15644. The event will feature displays, vendors tables, authors/book signings, and fantastic speaker line up of East Coast Researchers.

This years line up includes 8 fantastic Speakers and 7 presentations

Eric Altman - Speaker and Master of Ceremonies - Pennsylvania
Joe Biello - Speaker - New York
Bob Chance - Speaker - Maryland
William Dranginis - Speaker - Virginia *** Just Added****
Steve "the Squatch Detective" Kulls - Speaker - New York
Tom L. - Speaker- Virginia
Diane Stocking - Speaker - Florida
Billy Williard - Speaker - Virginia

The Conference will also play host to the East Coast's Biggest "Bigfoot Auction" which you can bid on autographed books, DVD-s, T-shirts, Artwork, Bigfoot Collectibles. All Auction fund help to cover conference expenses.

The event will also feature a 50/50 drawing with a cash prize along with other great prizes to be given away.

There are two types of admissions for this years conference. We are offering:

Reserved seating - $20.00 which includes a seat in the first few rows (40 Reserved seats remaining), A limited edition 11 x 17 color conference poster, ticket for the raffle drawing, and conference program. These seats are perfect for photographing your favorite conference speaker, and up front view of all the great presentations.

General Admission seating - $10.00 which includes admission to the event and a seat in the hall other than at a vendor table or reserved seating, a raffle ticket for the drawing, and conference program.

Reserved seating tickets are only available on line on the conference website until they sell out or September 1, 2008. We are only selling 50 reserved seats and have 40 remaining. No Reserved seats will be sold at the door. General Admission seating is available on line and at the door the day of the conference.

On September 28, 2008, The PA Bigfoot Society will offer a driving tour (car pooling) and hike into several areas in Southwestern PA from Noon to 4 pm. The areas we will be touring have had sightings in 2006 and 2007 and are known active Bigfoot sighting hot spots. The tour is limited to the first 50 people and you must register at the conference registration table the day of the conference. You will also be asked to sign a liability waiver form or you will not be able to attend the tour.

***We are currently seeking donations for the Bigfoot Auction in the form of Bigfoot related items such as T-shirts, Books, DVDs, Bigfoot Collectibles, Artwork. We ask that any and all items donated be in good condition for the public to bid upon. Those donating items will have their name or organization listed on the Conference Website and in the Conference program under the Donations/Sponsors section. Please submit what information you would like posted in the form of a business card and include it with your donation. Deadline for donations is September 21, 2008. Please send them to the PA Bigfoot Society in care of Eric Altman, 181 Cardinal Drive, Jeannette PA 15644.***

For more information please visit the 2008 East Coast Bigfoot Conference website at www.eastcoastbigfootconference.weebly.com or email us at contact@pabigfootsociety.com or phone 724-516-6344.

Hope to see you at the 2008 East Coast Bigfoot Conference this fall!

Eric Altman
Director,Co-host, Conference Chairman
Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society www.pabigfootsociety.com
www.eastcoastbigfootconference.weebly.com
Beyond The Edge Radio
www.beyondtheedgeradio.com www.blogtalkradio.com/beyondtheedgeradio www.myspace.com/bigfootboy_2000

Creature Features

While I was away in California for 5 days at the Retro UFO gig, cryptozoological stories poured into my In-Box (isn't it always that way?). So, rather than write lengthy posts on each, I'm going to summarize them all here. That way, I'll be caught up today and can focus from tomorrow onwards on new stuff.

And so here they are:

1. A profile on the Texas Bigfoot Conservancy;

2. Great Snakes!

3. Another big-cat seen in Britain;

4. Nessie Graffiti;

5. Crypto PDFs;

6. H.P. Lovecraft fans: you will love this!

7. A guide to exotic animals;

8. The latest on the "Hobbit" controversy;

9. No monsters here; but a fascinating animal story, nevertheless;

10. Say hello to Ireland's new mammal;

11. Crypto-fiction;

12. Monsters in the Woods;

13. The 28 Days Later version of the British squirrel is on the rampage!

14. The Fresno Bigfoot;

15. Sasquatch in the Media.

Monsters! Booze! Jungles! Guns!

Those are broadly the four themes that dominate the packed-pages of a highly entertaining new book from Anomalist Books: Adam Davies' Extreme Expeditions - Travel Adventures Stalking The World's Mystery Animals.

Anomalist Books are at the forefront of publishing high-quality books on general Forteana, and Extreme Expeditions is a good addition to their line-up, and does not disappoint.

Basically, the book is a travelogue that sees our fearless author (and a variety of friends, colleagues and fellow monster-hunters) heading off to a whole range of exotic and far-away locations in search of mysterious beasts of a truly cryptozoological nature.

Like me, Adam is a Brit; and, as the book is written very much in the form of a personal diary, it contains (as the back-cover states): "...foul language, excessive drinking, sexual situations, and encounters with some creatures of the natural world that would scare young children and more than a few adults as well."

So, in other words, if you're looking to find out what really goes on behind-the-scenes during the course of a quest for monsters in exotic locales, then this is most definitely the book for you.

Adam writes well: he skilfully presents to his audience the details of the many and varied expeditions upon which he has embarked, including (A) 1998 trips to Sumatra (in search of the Orang-Pendek) and to the Congo (where he looks for the Mokele-Mbembe); (B) a 1999 quest to solve the riddle of the Norwegian equivalent of Nessie: Selma (a quest that is particularly - and spectacularly - successful); (C) a wild trek to Mongolia for the legendary Death Worm; (D) a second journey to Mongolia (this time for the Yeti-like Almas); and (E) much more of a monstrous nature.

The trials and tribulations that go with being a seeker of unknown animals are thrust into the spotlight time and again in the pages of Extreme Expeditions, too. Indeed, they demonstrate that, at times, monster-hunting can be a distinctly hazardous business. For example, Adam and his friends find themselves in more than a few dicey situations with gun-toting officials and military forces in the Congo; they cope with heat-stroke, wild animals, bites and stings as they scour strange lands for even stranger animals; they bargain, barter and do whatever has to be done to seek out their quarry; and (for those non-Brits that may want to read the book) you get to learn a great deal about British culture and how we like to pass the time of day - and night, too!

And with respect to the key issue of the book - strange and unknown animals - you won't be disappointed. Adam's search for Norway's Selma is a real highlight; and one suggesting the beast is a very real one. His quest to find the Orang-Pendek is illuminating (for what he discovers - such as some notable footprints); it's also tinged with sadness, however, as a result of the fact that the creature (whatever it really is) may very well be on the verge of extinction.

Adam also uncovers a wealth of data on the Death-Worm and the Almas (which, as the book shows, may also be on the verge of extinction, if it hasn't already gone belly-up), and makes it very clear to the reader that, despite what some people might assume to the contrary, our planet is still one steeped in mystery.

Easy to read, packed with adventure, intrigue, humor and (of course) monsters, Extreme Expeditions is a book that's entertaining, informative, memorable and instructive - in equal measures.

Back to Blogging

I got back home from the Retro UFO gig out in California late last night (which was great fun, by the way!), and so I'm back to blogging again - as well as putting the final touches to a backlog of posts, reviews and more that will be appearing here over the next 24 hours.

Going Off-Line...

I'll be offline from now until next Tuesday, as I'm lecturing at the Retro UFO conference in California this coming weekend. But I already have a load of material for next week (including some good, upcoming interviews...), and will catch up with you then. Unless I see you before at Retro!

The Goat-Sucker: The Early Years

This is pretty interesting: a look back at a 1995 interview that discusses early Goat-Sucker-style reports on the island of Puerto Rico.

Creatures of the Skies

Strange "winged-things" are very prevalent within cryptozoology. And here's another one.

Dreams of Mothman

Over at Mothman Flutterings, Regan Lee has an interesting new post on Mothman, dreams and Charles Manson.

Neil Arnold on "Tuesday After Twilight"

Neil Arnold (author of the book, Monster!) is interviewed on Tuesday After Twilight tonight. Here's the link. Neil's is a cool A-Z style book that lists countless weird beasts and creatures from all across the world. Well worth reading!

Bigfoot TV

Bigfoot hits the TV screens...

Creatures of the Underground

My good friend Micah Hanks (on the left of this photo, with me on the right, taken last October) of Asheville, NC has a new article online right now titled Facing Our Deepest Fears: Monsters Below The Earth.

As Micah says:

"While driving around one day I ended up playing a 'thought game' with myself where, in an effort to brainstorm ideas for short horror stories, I considered what things scared me most. The first things that come to mind for many of us involve sickness and disease, as evidenced by the growing number of films today which revolve around humankind being introduced to foreign strains of bacteria and infections, often leading to bizarre malformations and eventual death like in Danny Boyle’s film 28 Days Later, as well as the Resident Evil series based on the popular video game. But as I began to consider what really scares me deep down, I was able to relate my fears to my long-time interest in cryptozoology, and touch on something that I find both truly strange and fascinating, yet nonetheless terrifying. My own greatest fear, at least along the lines of a 'what if' basis, would have to be strange creatures living deep within the earth."

Here's the rest of Micah's article. Enjoy!

In many ways, it kind of reminds me of a number of stories I heard about ten years ago in England about wild animals roaming the darkened depths of the London Underground rail network.

In fact, I think I'm now gonna dig out my files and work on a posting on these London Underground stories for sometime next week.

Linda Godfrey Interviewed on Werewolves

Don't miss this one: an interview with the United States' leading werewolf expert, Linda Godfrey, author of the books The Beast of Bray Road and Hunting the American Werewolf. It's a 90-minute show available as a downloadable MP3 podcast. If you haven't read Linda's books yet, then this is a great introduction to her work, research, discoveries and theories pertaining to American werewolves and mysterious wolf-like creatures.

Creature Feature

Frankly, I think this is a hoax. However, as it was brought to my attention, I'll bring it to yours, too!

Regan Lee Comments on Keel

Regan Lee comments on John Keel - truly a giant within Forteana.

A Blast from the Past

Loren Coleman reveals details of a 19th century encounter with...well, something strange, that's for sure!

The Flores Hobbit - News Again

The Flores Hobbit controversy threatens to reach stratospheric levels in the wake of new revealations. Do the creature's remains show evidence that one of its teeth was subjected to dental work?! And if so, what does that say about the nature of the creature and its age? The answers to those questions aren't in yet; but here's the story!

Bear, Ape, Hoax?

Neil Arnold digs into the saga of the Hackney Horror...

A Celebrity Sighting

Glenn Benton, vocalist with death-metal rockers Deicide discusses his very own man-beast encounter in the woods of Florida.

Beasts of Turkey

Mysterious animals of Turkey in the news...

Monsters and Monster-Hunters in the Media

Profiling a monster-hunter.

Hexham Beasts

"...I'd say it was about the size of an Alsatian, but fatter, and it had a cat's face - it looked at me. It was jet black and it had a curly tail." These are the words of a new witness to a big cat encounter in Hexham: a town in the north of England.

Interestingly, Hexham has been the site of a number of weird animal encounters over the years. There was a wave of animal deaths in the town in 1904 - which were attributed to a wolf.

Without doubt, however, the town's most famous mystery beasts were those detailed in the saga of the so-called Hexham Heads - a very weird affair of a distinctly werewolf-like nature that occurred in 1972.

On top of that, Hexham is only 22 miles from Bolam - the site of a whole wave of Bigfoot-like encounters that enveloped the area a few years ago.

For more information on the mystery animal encounters of 1904 and 1972 at Hexham, click here.

More on the Beasts of Birmingham

On the issue of my previous post, the possibility that this story, of a fifteen foot long python found in a Birmingham canal in 2003, and others like it may be connected to the legend of Birmingham's "Great Eel" of the 1980s cannot be discounted.

The Great Eel of Birmingham

Within cryptozoology, there are some stories that become legendary. Some of them take on mythical status, even, and become known far and wide. Others, meanwhile, remain very much localized - albeit no less legendary.

One beast that definitely falls into this latter category I have dubbed "The Great Eel of Birmingham."

For overseas readers, Birmingham is a city in central England situated around seven miles from where I grew up. It's very much an industrialized area, and hardly the sort of place that would be considered home to a marauding monster.

But sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, and legends are duly born.

Back in the 1980s, as I well recall, rumors began to circulate among local Forteans of sightings of a huge eel seen lurking in the dark waters of the winding canals that both surround and cut through Birmingham.

One particularly memorable account originated with a lorry-driver who recalled such a sighting somewhere in Birmingham in the latter part of the 1980s; and that "shook the staff rigid" at a plumber’s merchants that overlooked the stretch of canal in question.

In this case, the animal was described as being dark brown in color and was said to be no less than an astonishing fifteen feet in length. Supposedly, it had been briefly seen by a fork-lift driver, who had sat, not surprisingly mesmerized, watching it "circling" one particular area of the canal frequented by a large number of semi-tame ducks that the staff at the plumber’s merchant would regularly feed with bread during their daily lunch-hour.

Several other such stories of a distinctly similar nature caught my attention during that long-gone era; and I'm actually in little doubt that something monstrous had indeed made the canals of Birmingham its home - albeit for a brief period, and presumably before moving on.

And although the eel appears to be long gone, the legend lives on.

If anyone knows more about this curious creature and its exploits, I'd be pleased to hear from you.

Lizard Man Latest

The latest on the Lizard Man controversy.

Bigfoot: a Tool-User?

Lisa Shiel places the "Bigfoot + Tools" issue under the microscope.

Bigfoot Humor

For a very welcome bit of Sasquatch-based humor, check out Bigfoot: I Not Dead.

As the publisher says: "In his eagerly anticipated follow-up to Me Write Book, Bigfoot returns from exile to share his inspiring, hilarious, and often deeply disturbing experiences as a misunderstood forest gentleman and tragic media darling. These entertaining and often grizzly stories stand not only as a testament to the greatness of the legendary man-beast, but also as a chilling cautionary tale of the downside of a life of celebrity, cannibalism, celebrity cannibalism, wanton violence, and lack of toilet training. As in Me Write Book, full-color glossy spreads depict every intimate, disgusting, and downright insane moment of Bigfoot’s life. Bigfoot: I Not Dead is an unforgettable memoir that will stay with readers long after his foul scent has dissipated."

Trust me; this is a book you definitely want. The author, Graham Roumieu, has written several Bigfoot titles - all of which are extremely funny and great reading. Buy!

Big Cats Abound

From today's edition of The Anomalist:

"Big Cat Seen Prowling in Barongarook. Tales of large felines prowling across Australia, where there are supposed to be no large native cats, continue to make waves. This time the culprit cat was spotted in Barongarook, an area where large cat sightings have been regularly made. Meanwhile, in Illinois, a state where the experts claimed native American cougars were extinct, a Chicago policeman had to put down a 150-pound specimen in a back alley. Loren Coleman has the story, with commentary and photos in Cougar Killed in Chicago and video here. And there's more from the big cat trail in the Cryptomundo report Devilish Melanistic Panthers."

Werewolf Hunter Linda Godfrey: On The Radio

This just in: Linda Godfrey, author of the books The Beast of Bray Road and Hunting the American Werewolf, will be the guest on this Thursday's edition of the AARF Radio show (click here for all the details re the time of the show, where to listen in, chat room info, etc).

This is one not to miss!

As the publicity blurb for the show says:

A professional artist, teacher, writer, and mother of two, Linda S. Godfrey has carved a niche for herself as one of the most respected authorities on anomalous animals and paranormal phenomenon in Wisconsin.

As the acknowledged expert on the creature knows as “The Beast of Bray Road,” Godfrey has been interviewed on a plethora of television networks and programs that deal with bizarre creatures, such as Inside Edition, Sightings, Animal Planet, Discovery Kids and the Sci-Fi Channel. Godfrey has also been featured on AMC’s expos’e of the realities behind the werewolf film “Underworld” entitled “Fang vs. Fiction” and has recently been working with an Australian team producing a show for the Discovery Channel.

As a journalist, Godfrey was the first to break the story of a terrifying, werewolf-like monstrosity lurking in the shadow shrouded forests surrounding Elkhorn, Wisconsin’s Bray Road. Since then she has gone on to author three books, "The Beast of Bray Road, Tailing Wisconsin's Werewolf," "Weird Wisconsin, Your Travel Guide to Wisconsin's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets,” (co-authored by Richard Hendricks) and "The Poison Widow, a True Story of Sin, Strychnine and Murder."

Godfrey has continued to pursue her interests in the unknown and has gone on to investigate an array of unusual animals allegedly lurking in her home state. Next on her slate is the forthcoming "Beyond Bray Road," which will continue her chronicle of this nefarious creature’s exploits with numerous additional sightings and encounters as well as further exploration of possible explanations for the so-called “wolfman” phenomenon.

For more information on the work of Linda S. Godfrey visit http://www.cnb-scene.com/

Tune in and interact with us! www.blogtalkradio.com/theaarfshow 10pm eastern time Thursday night. See you there!

Bob Hipp

The Wisconsin Bigfoot

Lisa Shiel describes a Wisconsin Bigfoot encounter from 1975 - which involved a family steeped in a history of high-strangeness. If you haven't taken a look at Lisa's blog yet, I recommend you do, as it contains a lot of notable articles and ideas that delve into the weirder aspects of the Bigfoot controversy.

Beasts of Brazil

This is an interesting article: it focuses on weird creatures of Brazil. There's quite a bit of UFO material; however, there are also intriguing insights into Brazilian man-beasts, giant-birds and aquatic monsters. A good one, packed with little-known accounts.

Mothman Invades YouTube!

Thanks to Regan Lee for this - the Mothman at YouTube.

In the Mail...

Just arrived in today's mail was a copy of the latest issue (no. 43) of the CFZ's in-house magazine, Animals & Men. There's some good stuff in this one: (a) plenty of news on new animal discoveries; (b) a review from Corinna Downes on the recent Big Cats in Britain conference; (c) cool photos of a huge freshwater stingray; (d) an interesting article on the Thylacine; (e) seldom-seen information on encounters with giant (and I do mean giant) eels in New Zealand; (f) the latest news on what the CFZ is up to; and (g) up-to-the-minute book reviews and letters-to-the-editor. Complete with a glossy, color cover, and 60 packed pages, Animals & Men is great value for money. For subscription details contact CFZ Director, Jon Downes at jon@eclipse.co.uk

Giant Skeletons

A friend of mine named Micah Hanks, who lives in Asheville, North Carolina, has just had an article published that is likely to be of interest to you - as a result of a possible Bigfoot link to the subject matter: namely, stories pertaining to the discovery of mysterious giant skeletons.

As Micah says: "My adventures have taken me all kinds of amazing places; from snow-capped mountaintops in the middle of July hiking through the Rockies of Montana in search of Bigfoot, to a haunted 19th century jail in historic Charleston, South Carolina. I’ve studied Martial Artists in Chicago who perform the ancient art of the 'Death Touch', and while I was there I also visited Resurrection Cemetery, famous location of “Resurrection Mary”, one of America’s most enduring hauntings. I’ve trudged through the mountains of Cherokee, North Carolina in search of 'Boojums' and what Cherokee natives described to me as 'The Wooly Ones', stomped through the foothills of Tennessee in search of the southern Skunk Ape, and struck the hills in the heart of Amish country in search of Ohio’s Grass Man."

Here's the link to Micah's article.

And on a related matter: I got to hang out with Micah (and local ghost-hunter and good friend Josh Warren) in Asheville late last year. If you haven't been to Asheville and you get the chance, definitely check it out. It has a great vibe, some cool places, and reminds me of a combination of Seattle and the British town of Glastonbury.

South Carolina Strangeness

There's weirdness afoot in South Carolina. Some say it's Bigfoot. And on the subject of Bigfoot, there this too.

The Mothman Resurfaces: On the Net

This is great news: Fortean researcher Regan Lee has set up a new blog (titled Mothman Flutterings) devoted to that most mysterious of all winged monsters - the infamous Mothman of Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Regan already has a number of intriguing posts at the blog that delve into such areas as weird dreams and synchronicities - and their connections to the Mothman. This is definitely a blog worth regularly checking out.

Big Cats in Britain!

Don't ever let anyone tell you that there aren't any big-cats roaming the British Isles!!

British Big Cat Researcher Spots Leopard

This just in from British Big-Cat researcher, Neil Arnold of www.kentbigcats.blogspot.com


"On Wednesday April 9th at 8:45 am, I was standing on land in Hempstead, behind a close called Cobblestones. It was a clear sunny day, and I was with my father. The area itself, being the back gardens, overlooks Capstone Road and a panoramic view of the fields, and where I stood wasteland that used to be an old farm shop that kept thousands of chickens.

"The previous day, I'd watched a fox, around 500 yards away mooching through a field of horses, and the animal was difficult to pick up against the grass. However, on the 9th April, I was walking towards the back fence of a garden and looked up to the back of the field where a fence runs across the horizon.

"Although around 800 yards away, I could clearly see a black animal moving slowly from right to left. I called to my father and we both stood for a minute and watched the animal.It was long in the body, longer than an Alsatian, but low in the back, and jet-black and it moved completely unlike a dog.

"On one occasion it stopped, sniffed the ground, and then sat on its haunches. Seconds later the animal walked again, almost weaving along the fence line. It walked past a small gateway and then turned back and slipped through it, out of sight into the foliage. Twenty-five minutes before at the base of the field an elderly gent and a woman were walking their two dogs, a small white terrier and a fox-sized black dog.

"They reached the top of the field, and walked along a field just behind the fence-line where the cat had prowled. Their dogs were scampering dots in the distance, and moved nothing at all like the animal we observed.We scanned the area for another five hours and a handful of people walked their dogs but again, not in that field but the one behind, and none of the movements of their dogs, or indeed the size, compared to what we'd seen.

"In 2000 we saw a black leopard on two occasions just a mile or so from that particular area which we determined crosses into Lordswood's HookWood, where other sightings have occurred.I would like to hear from anyone who may have been walking their dogs that day because they may have also seen the panther. A week or so previous there had been sightings at Wouldham, Blue Bell Hill and across at Halling.

"Whilst I consider it a privilege to see such an animal again, I also put it down to very good research!"

The Goat-Sucker Returns?

Has the vampire-like Goat-Sucker made a return?

New Blog: Man-Beast U.K.!

Here at the CFZ, and with surprising regularity, we receive reports that without doubt concern one of the most controversial aspects of Cryptozoology: namely, British-based Bigfoot reports. Of course, with Britain being such a small country, such reports are often ignored, and relegated to the world of hoaxing and mis-identification. Nevertheless, in many cases, it's very clear that something is going on, and people are seeing something. The big question is: what?

And with that same question in mind, I have set up a new CFZ-crypto blog that will run alongside this one: Man-Beast U.K. However, whereas There's Something in the Woods will continue to focus upon all aspects of cryptozoology and the work of the CFZ, Man-Beast U.K. will solely address the issue of Bigfoot in Britain.

As I say at the new blog:

"Are creatures that broadly fit the description of the North American Bigfoot, the Yeti of the Himalayas, and the Yowie of Australia really roaming the woods, mountains and forests of Britain? Are they physical animals? Do they have paranormal origins? Or can the reports be relegated to the realms of mistaken identity, folklore, fantasy and mythology? Man-Beast U.K. is designed to (a) answer these questions and (b) provide you with the biggest online resource for data, news, reviews, testimony, investigations, and much more on the many and varied reports relating to Bigfoot in Britain."

I've spent a couple of hours this morning loading the first batch of posts to the blog, and you can expect to see daily posts on the subject (yes, there really are that many reports available for study) from next week onwards.

Here's the link for Man-Beast U.K.

In Print: Extreme Expeditions

Now, this looks to be a great new book: Extreme Expeditions: Travel Adventures Stalking the World's Mystery Animals by Adam Davies. It tells the story of his adventures around the world in hot pursuit of all-things monstrous. I haven't read the book yet; but as soon as I do, I'll be posting a review here. In the meantime, here's what the publisher - Patrick Huyghe of Anomalist Books has to say about it:

"We’ve never met Adam Davies but from all indications he seems to be as nice a guy as you’ll ever meet. And there’s no question that when it comes to hands-on cryptozoology, he’s got a passion for it like no one else in the world.

"He doesn’t claim to be an expert on the subject; in fact, he defers to people like Loren Coleman and Karl Shuker when it comes to actual knowledge of the cryptids themselves.

"But we don’t know of anyone else who spends just about all their vacation time — and much of their discretionary income — traveling to some of the world’s most inhospitable and unexplored places looking for mystery animals such as the mokele-mbebe, Nessie, Selma, orang pendek, Almas, and the Mongolian Death Worm. Congo? He’s been there more than once. Sumatra? Ditto. Mongolia? Check. And Norway and Scotland, too, though we’re not claiming these are either inhospitable or unexplored!

"You’ve probably seen Adam on documentary programs on television and his discoveries have made headlines in newspapers around the world. Quite remarkable for a mild-mannered Civil Servant in the UK, wouldn’t you say? But don’t let your guard down. His new book, Extreme Expeditions: Travel Adventures Stalking the World’s Mystery Animals, is a very raw travel adventure.

"The warning label we put on the book might strike you as humorous and in a sense it is. But it’s all true. 'FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY: Foul language, excessive drinking, sexual situations, and encounters with some creatures of the natural world that would scare young children and more than a few adults as well.' Enjoy."

Regan Lee on "Beeping Creatures"

Now, here's a very interesting new article from Regan Lee: Beeping Creatures. Why are strange sounds - such as weird beeps - common to Bigfoot reports, UFO encounters, and other events of a Fortean nature? Regan addresses all these points in a very thought-provoking article. I hope this is a thread she will continue to investigate; as I have long suspected that it's within the truly strange cases that the answers we seek are going to be found.

Keep Your Eyes on the Skies...

Lock up your pets: Monty is on the loose!

Creatures on the Loose...

Bear-Wolves, mutant canines and more...

Monsters in the Magazines

Here's a quick round-up for you of what's afoot in the magazines this month of a monstrous nature:

The new issue of Fate magazine contains a couple of articles with a cryptozoological theme: one on the Lizard Man of South Carolina; and the other on Madagascar's monstrous Elephant Bird. Fate is always a great read, and these two articles are well worth digging into.

Meanwhile, the latest issue of Taps Paramagzine includes an interesting article from Loren Coleman titled The Windigo of the Hockomock.

As Loren states: "The Devil's Name that lives on in the Algonquian language moniker that is the 'Hockomock Swamp' is mirrored in a creature that haunted the swamp and similar areas on the East Coast, spreading into the Midwest. That beast was the Algonquian's Windigo, the monster of many names."

He continues: "What clearly appears to have occurred among many First Nations in eastern North America was a free exchange of information on these manlike hairy primates, and the names surprisingly merged into each other as the Natives talked about these very distinctive-looking huge, bipedal, hairy humanlike animals, across tribes."

Also, check out Loren's other article in the same issue, titled The Sinster Hoccomocco: a study of the infamous "Bridgewater Triangle" and its attendant mysteries - many of a distinctly cryptozoological nature.

And finally, the new issue of Britain's Fortean Times will be of interest to Bigfoot devotees for its article Walking in the Shadow of Sasquatch.

Enjoy!!

The Telepathic Bigfoot

Lisa Shiel, never one to shy away from controversy, digs into the issue of the "Telepathic Bigfoot."

Look Out! Angry Cryptozoologist On The Loose!

Watch out: Jon Downes goes off on a rant!

The Bear Essentials

Monstrous it's not. But animal-based and weird it is, so it deserves a mention. What is it? A pole-dancing bear, that's what! Check out the hot moves on this gyrating babe as she works the pole and shakes her stuff. Someone throw her a twenty-dollar bill! Well, after saying all that, I hope it's female!

The Cannock Chase Creatures: On the Prowl Again

Once again, my old stomping grounds - the Cannock Chase woods in Staffordshire, England - are in the news, as the killing of a deer on the Chase last Sunday prompts concerns that a big-cat is on the loose.

Mike Bradley, of the local Chase Post newspaper states: "The disturbing discovery of the fleshless corpse of a mutilated deer on Cannock Chase is leading many to believe that the mythical beast of Cannock Chase is back and on the prowl. The image was snapped by a local man out for a Sunday stroll with his family. Matthew Harrison, of Cannock, said that he was disturbed by the discovery. Every ounce of flesh seemed to have been stripped from the animal in a meticulous manner."

Here's a link to the rest of the article.

Neil Arnold Lectures in London

Neil Arnold, British big-cat authority and author of the book, Monster!, will be giving a lecture for the South East London Folklore Society on April 10 at the Old Kings Head, Kings Head Yard, 45-49 Borough High Street, London, SE1 1NA. The subject: mystery big cats and exotic felids seen in the London area. Looks like this will be a good one. Here's the link for more details.

Creatures in Chicago...

If you're in Chicago, look out! "Mythic Creatures" are invading!

Jon Downes Resists the Reaper...

CFZ Director Jon Downes fights off the Grim-Reaper and says:

"Well, according to a website that I visited yesterday, I am living on borrowed time, and should really be dead. I am 48. I smoke, despite the fact that my boozing days are behind me, I still drink alcohol on average more than once a week, I am at least five stone overweight, and I have a history of recreational drug abuse. I should, apparently, be dead. Yesterday, when I read this edifying and uplifting snippet of information, I was in the third day of the worst cold that I have had for ages, and was quite prepared to believe that my death was imminent.Today, I am not so sure."

And here's the rest of Jon's piece. Keep on fighting, Jonny!

Lizard-Man Latest

Who or what the Lizard-Man may be is an issue once again in the news.

Man-Beasts: Captured on Film?

It seems that photos allegedly showing hairy man-beasts are all the rage right now. Over at Cryptomundo, there's this post from Loren Coleman on the Yowie of Australia. Then there's this one, which is obviously a hoax - it was, after all, published on April 1! And speaking of April Fool's Day, we have this photo of Bigfoot getting into the spirit of things. No-one can say the big hairy chap doesn't have a sense of humor!

More on the "Island of Paradise"

As a further teaser for Jon's forthcoming book (Island of Paradise) on Puerto Rican mystery animals - with the Goat-Sucker firmly taking center-stage - here's the provisional cover design of the 300-page-plus book. Jon tells me there might be a few tweaks and changes here and there; but this is broadly it. If you only ever read one book on the Goat-Sucker, make it this one, as it's based on our firsthand expeditions to the island (in 1998 and 2004, respectively), and contains testimony from a wealth of new sources, masses of new data, an intriguing theory to explain the presence of the Goat-Sucker, and much, much more.

On the Track - In Puerto Rico

The current issue of the CFZ's On the Track online magazine contains some never-before-seen footage taken by me and Jon Downes when we went to Puerto Rico in 2004 looking for the vampiric Goat-Sucker. This is a build-up to Jon's imminent book on our quest: Island of Paradise.

And I have to say that Jon's book is damn good too!

Here's the new issue: