Going Offline

I'm going offline from now and until Monday July 6 - see you then!

More Wallabies!

Well, my prediction yesterday was right: a third strange tale of the wallaby kind has come along - thanks to good friend Micah Hanks, of North Carolina! Here's the link. Check it out: it also contains a hilarious bit of film-footage of a kangaroo punching the crap out of a husband and wife!

Weird 2...

And an equally strange story from Neil Arnold!

Weird...

A strange tale from CFZ Director, Jon Downes...

Monsters in "Paranormal"

The new issue of Britain's Paranormal magazine contains a 6-page article from me that details what I consider to be my "Top-10" investigations of the unknown. Of those ten, a number fall into the category of cryptozoology:

1. One on Bigfoot in the United States;

2. An encounter of the Big-Cat kind in the tunnels of the London Underground;

3. A weird report of Gargoyles in Texas;

4. A story pertaining to the undoubtedly-paranormal Goat-Man of the U.S.;

5. And, finally, my quest for the truth pertaining to the Chupacabras of Puerto Rico.

And, also in the same issue, you can find a great article from Dr. Karl Shuker on mysterious, bat-like winged-things.

Paranormal is an excellent publication, and under the editorship of Richard Holland it's going from strength to strength.

More Wallabies

It's definitely a weird, Fortean day today. Hot on the trail of the story of the junkie-wallabies as detailed below, comes (thanks to the CFZ-Britain office) a story pertaining to Britain's very own wallaby populations.

If a third wallaby story comes along today, I am going to resign myself to the fact that we are indeed living in a bizarre Matrix-style world, and the programmer has well and truly gone nuts (well, I already believe that; but that would just vindicate it even more!).

Higher and Higher

This is quite possibly the strangest - and most entertaining - animal-based story to appear at The Anomalist in a long time:

As they state:

Wallabies Get High In Poppy Fields, Make Crop Circles The News. Did you know that Tasmania had poppy fields? Did you know that wallabies eat poppy heads and become drug fiends, hopping around in circles, squashing the poppies, and creating crop circle formations? Tasmanian Devils, perhaps, but wallabies? But seriously, can the wallabies produce Mandelbrot patterns? The next thing you know they'll tell us wallabies are responsible for the crop circles in the UK!

Crazy Croc Mania

Over at Cryptomundo, you can find all the latest news on a breaking-story from France. Something is lurking beneath the waters...

Bigfoot Weirdness

Reports of high-strangeness in relation to Bigfoot in particular, and other mystery animals in general, are a specific interest of mine. And there's never a shortage of good, thought-provoking data on this particular issue over at The Blogsquatcher.

Check out the latest:

Bigfoot: The Electric Connection.

More Mammoth News

The new issue of David Acord's Cryptid Chronicles is now available, and includes an update on his fascinating research into claimed sightings of surviving mammoths. Check it out!

Castle Ring Hazards

As some of you may know, I have written pretty extensively in the past on the issue of strange creatures (predominantly Bigfoot-style entities) seen at the ancient Castle Ring, on the fringes of the Cannock Chase, Staffordshire, England.

Well, now it seems that hairy man-beasts aren't the only hazardous things to be found at this historic site.

A Texas Lake Monster?

As this isn't too far away, I'm planning on driving up there one of the days to dig into this story a bit deeper.

The London Tiger

Neil Arnold tells the strange story of the Tiger of London.

Bigfoot Quest Tonight

From the people at Bigfoot Quest:

Please join your hosts Bob Coyne and Mike Killen as we welcome Jaime Avalos to the show. Jaime had his own personal sighting in June 2006 in the Sierra Mountains of California.

He returned to this location a year later and began researching the area.

He's been tracking three specific individual creatures in the eastern and western Sierras ever since through hundreds of miles of wilderness.

If you can, please join us in our live show chat. It's always a lot of fun and we love to interact live with our listeners.

For those who wish to find out a little more about our guest for this week prior to the show, there are a couple of links just below the show announcement block on the left side of our show page in the 'On Demand Episodes' block.

Where: www.blogtalkradio.com/Bigfoot_Quest
When: Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Time: 9:00 P.M. Eastern
Duration: 90 Minutes

Bob Coyne & Mike Lillen

Cannock Chase Creatures

There's nothing anomalous or cryptozoological about this; however, it does directly concern the rich and varied wildlife present within England's Cannock Chase - an area legendary for sightings of big-cats, werewolves, Bigfoot, giant snakes, and much more.

With respect to this new story, it's an encouraging tale of the way in which a truly huge diversity of moths and butterflies have made the Chase their home.

Monsters of the Various Kind

There's a good body of insightful stories over at The Anomalist right now covering such matters as Bigfoot camouflage, the Lizard Man, the nature of Mokele-Mbembe, and much more:

In the Field, June 20, 2009 The Blogsquatcher Three witnesses to what they believed was a Bigfoot crossing the face of a hill in Virginia lead to a trip to the woods for Sasquatch Watch of Virginia. With photos. Also, there's a note concerning an alleged encounter, reminiscent of the movie Predator, presented as Odd Tale of Bigfoot Emitting Heat Waves, and a programming reminder in Sasquatch Watch Radio: Guests Are Dave Paulides & Harvey Prat - June 22 - 9:00 PM. Paulides is the author of The Hoopa Project and Tribal Bigfoot, while Pratt is a forensic artist.

The Lonesome Death of Mister Lizardman Cryptozoology Online. Jon Downes explains what may be considered a curse as he refers to the news story Police: Murder Victim Lizard Man Witness, which details the events that led to the death of 37-year-old Christopher Davis, who in 1988 became the first person to report the existence of the Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp in South Carolina. Does a curse attach itself to people who have an experience with a monster? Downes says it does, in a way, and credits Tony 'Doc' Shiels with coining the term "Psychic Backlash" to describe the "series of inexplicabe and horrific outbreaks of bad luck that can overtake the hapless seeker after monstrous truth on his way to his goal." Elsewhere, Loren Coleman at Cryptomundo joins the speculation that the mokele-mbembe of central Africa, thought by many to be a surviving dinosaur is, instead, a relic of a more modern beast, as described, with multiple images, in Maybe Mokele-Mbembe Are Mammals. Meanwhile, the possibility an out-of-place animal is on the loose has raised the alarm in France, as reported in 'Loch Ness Monster of the Vosges' Threatens French Village.

Back!

Having lectured on Puerto Rico's most famous vampire this past weekend in Decatur, Illinois (at the Haunted America gig), having survived numerous aircraft hassles (a faulty exterior light on one plane, a "loose panel" on another, and stormy weather that had the pilot diverted seemingly here, there and everywhere), and having paid a quick visit to Abraham Lincoln's tomb in Springfield, Illinois, I have finally made it home.

Normal service will be resumed tomorrow!

Going Offline

I'll be offline from now until Monday, as I'll be speaking on my crypto-investigations at the annual Haunted America conference in Decatur, Illinois.

Here's the details if you want to attend - and if you do, say hello!

From Werewolves to Bigfoot

Intriguing and definitely worth checking out!

Monstrous Anomalies

From today's Anomalist:

Angel and His Amazing Technicolor Dream Cat ShukerNature. Dr. Karl Shuker, buoyed by a positive response from readers in his search for the answer to the coelacanth goblet mystery, has decided to share other mysteries with his readers in hopes of responses that will settle the matters. Today's mystery involves a black cat-like creature, having forepaws like a monkey, attaining the size of a jaguar, and having the colorful stripes of the rainbow across its chest. In 1999 Spanish cryptozoologist Angel Morant Fores gathered reports of the creature from the Shuar Indians of Ecuador's Amazonian region. Elsewhere, guest blogger Brent Swancer continues a discussion of the wild canids of the Land of the Rising Sun, with images, in Japanese Wolves - Part III: The Ezo Wolf; and Loren Coleman offers some programming notes for tonight's "MonsterQuest" television show in Killer Jellies & Crocs.

Today in Cryptozoology

As work has been an unfortunately dominating factor today, here's a quick round-up of what's afoot!

1. From The Anomalist: "Cryptozoology Online has more on a recent expedition that's creating some controversy in the cryptozoology world in the reports The Peruvian Giant Snake Expedition Data - Monday and The Peruvian Giant Snake Data - Tuesday, both with photos."

2. Neil Arnold on the "Kentish Carcass;"

3. Lindsay Selby on the Big Gray Man;

4. Neil Arnold asks: Ghostly black dog or black leopard?

5. And, Richard Freeman on: what makes a monster?

Head to Head With a Chupa!

Most of you who read this blog have, I'm sure, heard the dark tales of the so-called "Texas Chupacabras" - those weird, hairless canines that have been seen roaming the woods of the Lone Star State for the last few years.

Well, as you may also know, over the course of the last few years, I have made several trips to Puerto Rico looking for the island's very own vampire - which, in some ways, resembles the Texas Chupacabras; but that in other ways is acutely different.

Anyway, that thorny and controversial issue aside, in the latter part of last year I gave a lecture for the San Antonio chapter of the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON). And who should come along to the lecture? None other than MUFON legend, and former head of the group, Walt Andrus.

But, there's more...

Walt brought along with him to my presentation nothing less than the skull of one of the hairless whatsits killed in Texas, and that many believe to be a cousin of the blood-sucking beast of Puerto Rico. The skull had been donated to Walt by its former owner.

And, there's even more!

Imagine my surprise when, a week or so ago, John Schwab (who currently runs the San Antonio MUFON group) emailed me to say that Walt wished to donate the skull to me - a skull that has just now arrived at my Arlington, Texas home.

Mercifully, I suspect the mailman had no idea at all of the monstrous form that he was depositing on my doorstep...

So, now, thanks to Walt, John, Julie and all at SA MUFON, an honest-to-goodness Texas Chupacabras (or hairless dog, depending on your own, personal opinion...) sits proudly upon my office desk. And, as evidence, here is a photo of the monstrous critter taken earlier this evening (I'm on the left; the monstrous critter is on the right...).

My wife, Dana, utterly hates it already...

:)

Haunted America

If you happen to be in Decatur, Illinois this coming weekend, check out the Haunted America Conference, where I'll be doing a fully-illustrated lecture on my various expeditions to Puerto Rico in search of the Chupacabras.

Here's all the info on the gig.

Bigfoot or Big Foot?

This is the question that good friend Raven asks in her latest post. Check it out!

Born to be Wild

My latest Lair of the Beasts article at Mania.com...

A Wandering Wallaby

Thanks to Kithra for bringing this new story to my attention: it concerns a new sighting of a wallaby on the loose in Devon, England. There's a brief video-interview accompanying the story, too.

As those who follow reports of wild wallabies in Britain will know, the things are now pretty much here, there and everywhere!

Neil Arnold on Kent Beasts

Not only is Neil Arnold a good mate, he's also the author of the recently-published Mystery Animals of the British Isles: Kent - an in-depth, and massive, study of the strange and elusive beasts of Neil's home-county of Kent, England.

Published by Jon Downes' Center for Fortean Zoology, it's the latest in a series of titles that - ultimately - will chronicle the exploits of the odd and elusive animals of every British county. Just a few days ago, I caught up with Neil, who was good enough to answer my questions about his book, its contents and much more. So, sit back and enjoy the interview!

Nick: Can you summarise what your new book is about?

Neil: The book is about the county of Kent and its unusual inhabitants, i.e. strange creatures, folkloric monsters and a few other mysteries. To be honest, it's a shame it isn't called MYSTERY ANIMALS OF KENT, because MYSTERY ANIMALS OF THE BRITISH ISLES: KENT is a bit long. But of course, it's part of the CFZ unique series covering the British Isles. Anyway, the book also touches upon London and Sussex cases, mainly because these areas neighbour Kent and a few cases melt into other counties.

Nick: What prompted you to write it?

Neil: The book needed to be written! And I'm the man to do it! Jon Downes mentioned he was doing a series of nationwide books, but I always had the material to write a book, whoever published it. It was just a case of going through files and deciding what was going to be put in and also left out. I was going to write a book on the 'big cat' stuff, and then a another volume on other mystery animals. Jon felt that the book would be good for two volumes, but I preferred it as one but it took a lot trimming! It's a book that has been in my system for about twenty years. It's great that it's now off my chest.

Nick: Living in Kent, did that kind of give you a feeling of wanting to write a book about the place you grew up in?

Neil: There was so much weirdness to document. It was a thrill writing it because much of what's in the book is my own field investigations rather than regurgitation which plagues the books of 90% of authors today. I wanted to write about not just the mysteries, but the feel of the places. And it was great going over old cases and being able to put the memories on paper for others to share. Kent is a very weird place.

Nick: Your book focuses quite heavily on big cats in Kent. Can you explain your views on where the big cats are coming from, and some of the more significant Kent cases you have investigated?

Neil: The whole 'big cat' thing has intrigued me since I was about 8 years old; but I never expected to be researching and writing about them full-time. Like I said, the evidence I've collated was just too immense to put into a book. I've left about 40% of my cat stuff out, but I knew that I'd have to include a hell of a lot of sightings just to prove to people what a 'big cat' researcher does, and should be doing. Again, it was great going through old files, and hopefully the book, which isn't just a listing of sightings (although there's a few thousand in there), will teach people about the biology, talk about the theories, and also dismiss a lot of the inaccurate folklore. these cats are real. FACT. I don't really care about anyone's esoteric views on these animals, there is no mystery. But because a lot of what's written in the press and across the Internet is complete rubbish, or something akin to train-spotting, the situation has for many years been considered a bit of fun or a laughing stock, and I can understand why. The book explains where large, exotic cats have come from, it explains that the only 'big cat' out there is the black leopard - sorry, but no lions and tigers, and also why the investigation should be a science, and not a past-time for camouflaged idiots. There are hundreds of significant cases in the book, from cats killed on the roads, my personal encounters after tracking cats for years, meeting people who've released cats, and that's why I've put the cat stuff into sections pertaining to areas. Just so many stories. It has been a real privilege to have seen what I've seen. It's just a shame that these animals are put alongside ghosts, monsters and UFOs when all that's happened in the past is that travelling menageries, private collector's, circuses, Gypsy families, and even the Romans, have released such animals, or they've escaped and over time they've established themselves in our wilds. No big deal.

Nick: Some of the creatures you feature in the book - such as British Bigfoot reports - seem more zooform in nature. Can you discuss a couple of British Bigfoot reports and your views on what they may be?

Neil: The last few chapters of the book talk about sightings of 'things' which quite simply are too weird to be flesh and blood. Eight-feet tall red eyed, hairy humanoids are not part of our nature, yet somehow people are seeing these creatures. I've often believed Bigfoot, the Yeti to be real, but when these creatures, or something similar starts turning up in the UK we have to look more at the human psyche, or the lay of the land. I don't know what they are but I've met genuine people who've been terrified by sightings of hulking man-beasts in the local woods. As the book was going to press I received a report from a young lady who was driving one night and saw a tall, spindly humanoid cross a stretch of road. The creature had long arms and knees which, as it walked, came up under its chin. It was completely black in colour with a domed head, and scared her so much she almost crashed. These are genuine encounters but I really don't know why people see these kind of things. Maybe such encounters originate with the original 'woodwose', or 'wild man of the woods,' depicted in old scriptures etc. There are some creatures, or forms seen all over the world which are beyond human understanding and they can't simply be creatures awaiting discovery, they are from some other place, and not the woods, sky or waterways.

Nick: Do you focus on out-of-place animals, such as wallabies? Any thoughts on origins?

Neil: There are several tales of roaming wallabies - again, no real mystery, as such animals were farmed in the UK, and there are numerous cases of such marsupials escaping into the wilds from private pens. One particular creature was unfortunately hit by a lorry a few years back. I'd say that most sightings of exotic reptiles, strange birds, large cats, foreign insects etc, are all down to careless owners. Of course, some animals will perish in our climate, but some have established themselves. We have the wild boar back now, too.

Nick: What is your favorite Kent monster?

Neil: There are several, and generally they pertain to Blue Bell Hill, which I'll speak more of in the next answer. Kent has tales of phantom hounds, like most counties in the UK, and we have a few dragon stories which melt into Sussex folklore. And I've been amazed by a handful of sightings recently of a thirty-foot long eel-like beast in the River Medway which runs behind my apartment! The sightings date back over a century, and it was last seen in 2008. There are just so many cases, some very sinister and these are the ones which attract me the most.

Nick: Does Kent have any so-called "window areas" (similar to Staffordshire's Cannock Chase) where strange animals proliferate? If yes, can you discuss?

Neil: I grew up fearing a place about a mile from my home. It's called Blue Bell Hill, and I believe it's one of the weirdest places on Earth. The place is ancient, yet it's a small rural village near Maidstone which harbours Kits Coty House, a set of standing stones said to be older than Stonehenge. The place has always had a mystical quality and because of the stones the place attracts black and white witches. And there have been a few crop circles turn and the occasional UFO sighting; but Blue Bell Hill was really made famous in 1992 by a spate of sightings of a road apparition. Several motorists reported hitting a girl in the village, who disappeared as she went under their car. The press were quick to tie the apparition to a crash which occurred in 1965 in which several women, including a bride-to-be were killed. However, I don't think there's a connection but the press kinda embedded the story into local society. Sightings have taken place previous to 1965, and there's also been a sighting of a hag-like figure, as well as spectral hounds. During the late 1990s the press jumped on the 'big cat' bandwagon, and the 'beast of Blue Bell Hill' was born. But the first sighting dates back to around 1560! Again, as you know, the press like to tie mysteries to certain 'window' areas. There have been sightings of sky serpents of Blue Bell Hill, red-eyed man-beasts, and general ghosts, as the ground dates back to the Roman period and several tombs line the hillsides. It's only a small place but it has always sent a chill down my spine and I adore spending time there; it inspires me. The road ghost was so active that 'she' was crowned the 'queen of the road ghosts', even more prolific than Resurrection Mary in the United States. Of course, phantom hitcher tales have become the stuff of urban legend, but in the case of the Blue Bell Hill phantom, it very much happened. More info can be found at: http://www.roadghosts.com/

Nick: Are there any cases you didn't include in the book? If yes, why?

Neil: A good deal of material was left out. Some of which came to my attention when it was too late to submit it - a river monster tale from the 1800s, the mention of twelve wild dogs which escaped from a local zoo recently, a sea serpent carcass washed up on a local beach which was brought to my attention by Karl Shuker who mentions the case in his 'The Beasts That Hide From Man' book, and of course, a lot more 'big cat' information. There were numerous other cases pertaining to smaller mystery creatures too such as weird insects etc, but I ran out of room!

Nick: What do you hope the book will achieve?

Neil: I just want people to find the book as a great reference to the animal absurdities of this county. I hope when I'm dead and gone researchers will still use this book as the first ever of its kind to document Kent and the strange things which have happened. It's a unique book locally, and no-one has the experience I gained in researching the exotic cats, and I think a lot of people want to know about the truth. Finally, I can say, "Well here it is..."Nick: What has been the reaction in Kent to the book re the media etc?

Neil: The media has been very positive, and finally even the sceptics can see how much info and evidence I've accumulated. Private sales have been fantastic. It has been hard keeping up with the orders and I sell a lot whilst giving lectures. It's been great to get excerpts of the book in the local papers etc, and I hope people will sift through the 400 pages, and 280,000 words and appreciate the work that went into it!

Nick: What future plans do you have re writing and research?

Neil: I considered knocking the 'cat' research on the head, which I'm sure would please a few detractors. I'm not getting as much chance now to get out in the field, but I've been there and done it in that respect. I have almost finished MYSTERY ANIMALS OF...LONDON, and will do a Sussex one; but I don't plan on writing such a huge, bloated volume. I'm still enjoying writing unusual articles, for books such as 'Dark Lore'. I will always write for 'Animals & Men' and be a part of the CFZ, and it's great giving talks on something I'm so passionate about. I still want to do my CRYPTOZOOLOGY IN THE MOVIES book; which is half-done but in a mess. But I'm a moody bugger; so I might give it all up and joining a glam rock band...watch this space...

Surviving Mammoths?

If, like me, you're fascinated with (and perhaps even a little bit obsessed by) tales of surviving mammoths (at least, into relatively recent times), you are definitely going to want to check out the new edition of David Acord's Cryptid Chronicles, which is packed with data on such controversial matters.

This is pretty much a mammoth/mastadon special-edition of David's publication, and it works very well and offers some intriguing data in support of the notion that, just maybe, the mammoth lived on far longer that conventional science suggests.

Here's the link to David's magazine; and here's the link to an article I wrote on this very subject a few months ago.

Many Monsters!

Having been offline a few days, there's a mountain of stuff to report, so I'm just going to lump it into one big post. And this is it!

1. Richard Freeman, with more on the Yokai (keep a look out for Richard's forthcoming book on Japanese monsters, which promises to be the definitive guide to the subject);

2. Great Snakes One; Two; Three; Four; Five; and Six.

3. The "Sasqwatch"!

4. From The Anomalist over the last couple of days:

Slum Dog MonsterQuest Cryptomundo. Exclusive photos from the June 10th broadcast of MonsterQuest about the “Monkey Man." Sightings of this half-man, half-ape and its vicious nocturnal attacks in India's capital caused headlines around the world. Three people died and dozens were hospitalized fleeing the creature, but a search by 3,000 police officers came up empty handed. Also, a follow-up in “Ogopogo” Photos: Analytic Overlay.

The Monster of Glamis CFI. Glamis Castle, in Scotland, is a famous place, best known as the most haunted "house" in Britain. Among the tales associated with this property is the strange story of the Monster of Glamis. In the early nineteenth century, the wife of the then Earl of Strathmore gave birth in the castle to an heir who was so hideously deformed that the family took the decision to lock the boy away in a secret room, denying him the chance to succeed to the earldom. Mike Dash tracks the story. Where did the tale of the Monster come from? Who told the story first, and why?

“Ogopogo Photos” Update Cryptomundo. Another photograph has been released from the “Ogopogo” series taken in August 2008. The post includes some comments from Ogopogo researcher and filmmaker Sean Viloria. And Loren Coleman reveals what he thinks one photograph represents. Also, on NPR, an interview with Joshua B. Buhs, the author of the new book Bigfoot: The Life and Times of a Legend.

Do Dinosaurs Still Exist? LiveScience. Professional skeptic Benjamin Radford doubts the existence of dinosaurs swimming in Loch Ness, Lake Okanagan, Lake Champlain and Lake Nahuel. He also doubts the existence of Mokele Mbembe in central Africa. Are you surprised? Elsewhere, Loren Coleman ties together some animal antics with the phase of Earth's nightly luminary in the Cryptomundo post Full Moon Watch: Animal Escapees and Attacks. Meanwhile, at Cryptozoology Online, Jon Downes comments on the posting at another site in Montauk Monster Revealed. With photos. Has another mystery been laid to rest?

5. My latest Lair of the Beasts post at Mania.com on the Ghost-Hound of Texas.

Freeman on the Champ Film

CFZ zoologist Richard Freeman wades deep into the controversy of the new footage that purports to show one of the world's most famous lake-monsters: Champ. As always, Rich comes up with thoughtful and insightful information.

Origins...

Over at the CFZ blog, Dale Drinnon has an excellent post on the origins of the elusive Water-Horse.

Champ Surfaces?

Is this Champ - one of the world's most famous monsters? The story seems to be taking off here, there and everywhere! There's a piece of stabilized video-footage to view, as well as a lively comments-section.

Monsters in Paranormal Magazine

Richard Holland - editor of Britain's Paranormal Magazine - tells us the following today:

"The latest edition of Paranormal Magazine (July / issue 37) has a strong cryptozoological flavour thanks to contributions by the CFZ’s zoological director Richard Freeman and crypto-star Dr Karl Shuker.

"Richard has provided a highly readable guide to organizing a cryptozoological expedition, offering handy insider’s tips on such matters as equipment, clothing, travel arrangements, inoculations and choosing a guide. He also gives hints as to selecting the ‘best’ monsters to hunt."

And here's the rest of Richard's post.

British Man-Beasts

You can find a new piece from me on British man-beasts (which delves into a couple of older, little-known reports) at the main CFZ blog. Here's the link.

The Owlman - On-Screen

Doubtless most of you who read this blog will have heard of the ominous, glowing-eyed Owlman of Mawnan, Cornwall, England, who struck terror into the hearts of millions (well, okay, into the hearts of a a few) back in the mid-to-late 1970s.

Surely the closest thing that good old England has to Mothman, the Owlman is a beast that was doggedly pursued for years by my good friend Jon Downes, and whose escapades and appearances are related within the pages of Jon's mighty tome: The Owlman and Others.

And now there's this: the Owlman makes it to cartoon-land!

Neil Arnold's Latest

Check out mate Neil Arnold's posts on the weird beasts of London, including King Rat and the Flying Jellyfish of Wimbledon!

A & M: The New Issue

Here's the cover of the brand new, just-published edition of the CFZ's in-house magazine, Animals & Men. A&M is always insightful, informative and a bloody good read. Contact Jon Downes at jon@eclipse.co.uk for all the details.

The Penn. Bigfoot

This just in from Eric Altman:

Reports in Pennsylvania of Bigfoot activity as of late have been on the increase. After the past two years of little reported activity, 2009 appears to be off to a busy start. The Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society and its members have been investigating several cases reported to us in various counties through out the state. Here is a brief run down of reports in Pennsylvania we have recieved thus far and/or our members are currently following up/investigating thus far. Please note: Several reports submitted were not able to be properly followed up on because of lack of contact information or failure to respond to our attempts to contact the witness. Those reports remain inconclusive and unverified.

5/30/2009 Beaver County: Unusual human like track discovered and casted by PBS Brian and Terrie Seech in State Park. Investigation ongoing.

5/26/09 Elk County: Young men riding quads at dusk hear large animal moving through brush. It appears to be following them. They quickly flee the area. PBS member followed up with witness and discovered other unusual activity in the area including past sightings, and loud vocalizations being heard. Sporadic activity reportedly ongoing over the course of past several years. Investigation being conducted by PBS members Dave and Carie Rupert.

5/2009 Clearfield County: Historic and ongoing activity reported and being investigated by PBS members Sean Forker and Ernie Delp.
5/9/09 Blair County: Turkey Hunter sees an approximately a human like creature walking away from him at approximately 75 yards. He describes the creature as 7 foot tall weighing 300 to 400 lbs, covered in reddish brown hair and walking hunched over. Creature walked away into thick brush. Investigation on going at this time. PBS investigation being conducted by PBS member Mark Plowman.

5/08/09 Pike County: Man driving home at approximately 11:00 pm witnesses a hair covered creature cross in front of his car. He stops and exits the car. Watches the creature walk into the tree line, stop, turn and crouch down. He yells out at the creature and reports hearing growls from the creature. PBS member Steve Ujvari investigated, found possible tracks on side of the road and believes the witness to be credible. Investigation is ongoing.

5/04/09 Delaware County: Woman driving north outside of Media PA claims she witnesses a creature standing on top of a hillside along the highway. She describes the creature as being approximately six foot tall, not very large in size and covered in long reddish brown hair. Several attempts to contact the witness by PBS member Kurt Straus have failed. No other contact information was supplied. Investigation ongoing.

2/09/09 Tioga County: Young man hiking in the evening claims he was paralleled by an all brown upright walking creature. PBS member unable to reach witness to follow up. PBS members Sean Forker and Ernie Delp following up.

2/03/09 Lackawana County: While hiking in a wooded area, a woman and her daughter sight a chestnut colored creature which they first believe is a bear, until the creature stands up and walks away on two legs. No contact information given, unable to locate witness. Investigation inconclusive.

January through March 2009 Indiana County: Ongoing activity carrying over from sightings in 2007 and 2008. Unusual vocalizations recorded, three unusual human like track discoveries in different locations. Ongoing investigation in area. PBS Eric Altman, Dave Dragosin and Dave Rupert currently investigating.

Again, this is all reported activity to the PA Bigfoot Society which we are working to verify the legitimacy of. Investigations are on going in many of these cases with no conclusive evidence collected at this point. Reports are on the increase and as things develop we will update information on our website.

Thank you

Eric Altman

Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society Director

www.pabigfootsociety.com

Beyond The Edge Radio Host/Producer

www.beyondtheedgeradio.com

www.beyondtheedgeradio.weebly.com

Origins of the Cannock Creatures?

As readers of this blog will be aware, I always make time and space to highlight the strange beasts of the Cannock Chase - a large area of woodland in central England situated only a few miles from where I grew up.

But from where did the creatures in question originate?

I don't think we will ever be able to fully answer that question; however, as my latest Lair of the Beasts article for Mania.com shows, maybe this strange story offers at least a few of the answers...

CFZ News

A few new, and excellent, posts from the CFZ:

1. A new look at de Loys' ape;

2. Jon Downes on his three, favorite mystery animals;

3. And Richard Freeman discusses the three mystery beasts that most fascinate him, too;

4. The strange saga of the monster of Gornal;

5. Richard Freeman on a new Yokai exhibition;

6. And, finally, Graham Inglis on his top 3 weird beasts.