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Half a century ago, Belgian Zoologist Bernard Heuvelmans first codified cryptozoology in his book On the Track of Unknown Animals.

The Centre for Fortean Zoology (CFZ) are still on the track, and have been since 1992. But as if chasing unknown animals wasn't enough, we are involved in education, conservation, and good old-fashioned natural history! We already have three journals, the largest cryptozoological publishing house in the world, CFZtv, and the largest cryptozoological conference in the English-speaking world, but in January 2009 someone suggested that we started a daily online magazine! The CFZ bloggo is a collaborative effort by a coalition of members, friends, and supporters of the CFZ, and covers all the subjects with which we deal, with a smattering of music, high strangeness and surreal humour to make up the mix.

It is edited by CFZ Director Jon Downes, and subbed by the lovely Lizzy Bitakara'mire (formerly Clancy), scourge of improper syntax. The daily newsblog is edited by Corinna Downes, head administratrix of the CFZ, and the indexing is done by Lee Canty and Kathy Imbriani. There is regular news from the CFZ Mystery Cat study group, and regular fortean bird news from 'The Watcher of the Skies'. Regular bloggers include Dr Karl Shuker, Dale Drinnon, Richard Muirhead and Richard Freeman.The CFZ bloggo is updated daily, and there's nothing quite like it anywhere else. Come and join us...

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Friday, October 16, 2009

LIZ CLANCY: Maternal Instinct

The recent story of the orphaned chihuahua nursed by a cat) reminded me of Jimbo, my cat. Her mothering skills were never called upon to help any of the many dogs our family had over the years but she did mollycoddle plenty of the other animals.

When one of the ducklings or chicks were rejected by their own mother Jimbo would helpfully step in, taking the abandoned birds under her wing (so to speak) and allowing them to share her food basket at night. In the earliest stages of their lives felid's fosterkids would follow their new Mam everywhere and when any of the other cats in the house showed an interest in the babies that, let's face it, was probably a more natural one in that they tried to eat them, Jimbo valiantly, like any mother, leapt in and defended her brood, tooth and claw.

Jimbo's efforts were not just restricted to unwanted birdies. My Uncle Michael was apparently distraught for several hours one day when Mary, one of his adored white mice went missing. The family searched high and low but the little rodent was eventually discovered safe and sound in Jimbo's basket.

The downside to the loveable felid's affection for all things helpless was that on at least one occasion I am aware of she had to be foreceably prevented from adopting a rat her brother Billy brought home stunned after a night on the prowl....

1 comment:

Retrieverman said...

She reminds me of the lioness that took in an oryx calf:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uohryNBJWA&feature=related