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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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Wednesday, October 12, 2011

CFZ PEOPLE: Ken Gerhard's birthday

Happy Birthday dude

NICK REDFERN: Bigfoot Teepees

For those who may be interested, a couple of photos from my collection, of so-called "Bigfoot Tepees."







ROBERT SCHNECK: The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus & Other Endangered Imaginary Species

Dear Jon,

The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus was created to test the way students do research with online resources ("Tree Octopus Exposes Internet Illiteracy"

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/education/2011/02/tree-octopus-exposes-internet-illiteracy/).

Don't be surprised if inquiries start coming in about tree octopuses and other creatures mentioned at this wonderful site. http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/

FROM RICHARD MUIRHEAD: The Metro 7-10-11 on moths.







MUIRHEAD`S MYSTERIES: MYSTERIOUS FISH WITH STRANGE ARABIC INSCRIPTIONS

Folks, today I present a story about a fish which predicted the end of World War 1, or at least the inscription on it did. Unfortunately part of the text on the photocopy I have is obscured by a stain which looks either like the head of Jon Downes or a brown parrot depending on your point of view. If you cannot read the caption beneath the fish it reads “ The strange fish caught at Zanzibar. The Arabic ( ?)….tail reads “God alone”

MYSTERIOUS FISH WITH STRANGE ARABIC INSCRIPTIONS

The accompanying photograph depicts a remarkable fish which was recently caught at Zanzibar with strange Arabic inscriptions upon its tail. It appears that the fish was not of a large haul, and was taken by a single fisherman, who brought it to the fish- market. There it remained for some time, having no purchaser as it was one that had never been seen before in those waters. Finally an Indian of the sect “ Memon” bought it, and, on the strange markings being noticed, it was taken to a well known Arab scholar, who deciphered the inscription.It was afterwards sent to the Sultan, who also recognized the wording.









That night, three thousand rupees were offered for the fish and refused, and on the following day five thousand rupees were refused. The original price paid for the fish was a penny, and it was eventually decided to have it preserved. For this purpose it was taken to the Government Laboratory, where it was treated with formalin. It has since been placed on public exhibition. There are two distinct inscriptions on the tail, one on each side. One reads: “ The work of God,” and the other “ God alone.” There is no suspicion of anything in the nature of a fake about the matter, and the mystery is so complete that no explanation of the strange phemomenon is forthcoming. The Arabic lettering is perfectly plain, and the discovery has caused wonderment throughout the Mohammedan community of Zanzibar. They declare it portends some thing about to happen, possibly the end of the war. [ My emphasis. NB the date of publication.]. In the course of conversation with a prominent East African official we gather that the only previous case of a similar nature known occurred in Tibet, where certain Hindustani wording appeared on the leaves of a tree. The whole of the circumstances are certainly very strange. (1)


1. Wide World Late 1917- Early 1918.

Until next time, this is Dr Devo signing off.

HAUNTED SKIES: Witness statement from November 1968


http://hauntedskies.blogspot.com/2011/10/november-1968-witness-statement.html

OLL LEWIS: Yesterday's News Today

Yesterday’s News Today
http://cryptozoologynews.blogspot.com/

On this day in 1971 the actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen was born. He is best known for hoaxing members of the public while staying in character this can have humorous results, but occasionally will have downright creepy ones like when he started singing an anti-Semitic song in a Texas bar (Baron Cohen is Jewish himself) and nearly everyone in the bar joined in with great enthusiasm.

And now the news:

How to clean an oil-slicked penguin
Tiny fossil teeth re-write rodent record
Sussex South Downs is home to 'extinct' bee specie...
Monarch butterflies face plight of flight in hot T...
Wild birds in artificial nests hatch eggs
Wildlife trade – Smuggling big cats to the Middle ...
New species of antelope discovered in West Africa

Sacha Baron Cohen at work as his funniest creation, Borat:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tR91q59gFo

DALE DRINNON: Manitoba bigfoot encounter etc

The Frontiers of Zoology blog has just put up the meaty part of the text from a recent CFZ Canada's round-up of reports; this is the close-up examination of one particular report from Manitoba, which, although it is consistently called a "Sasquatch", really sounds like something else and something rather important:

http://frontiersofzoology.blogspot.com/2011/10/manitoba-bigfoot-encounter.html

You needn't put up the link to the Cedar-and-Willow blog; just doing the blog regularly makes me happy. (JON: I wouldn't dream of it) It gives my muse a workout. Today's addition does include a reference to Son of Kong:

http://cedar-and-willow.blogspot.com/2011/10/perils-of-paulines-part-7-perils-of.html