Here is the cover. We are just waiting for two more submissions (we will spare the blushes of the tardy authors), and with luck and a fair wind the 2012 Year Book (our 14th) will be out in a couple of weeks.
Friday, February 03, 2012
I KNOW SOME OF YOU WERE SUSPECTING THAT IT WOULD NEVER ARRIVE BUT...
Here is the cover. We are just waiting for two more submissions (we will spare the blushes of the tardy authors), and with luck and a fair wind the 2012 Year Book (our 14th) will be out in a couple of weeks.
Illegal imports of African “bush meat” imperil more than exotic wildlife
The next bloody bag of “mystery meat” from overseas could contain a virus that will ravage our native wildlife population or indeed ravage us-“Bush meat” is the name euphemistically given for things killed in the (generally African) “bush,” and consumed by hard pressed natives who either don’t care or can’t be choosy about what [...]
ANDREW MAY: Words from the Wild Frontier
From Nick Redfern's "There's Something in the Woods...":
- Big Cats at Kent Online — Neil Arnold's new blog on big cats in Britain...
- The Bunyip Terror of Geelong — Fascinating local lore from the 19th century...
LARS THOMAS: A little something for the blog
Hi Jon,
Whilst pursuing one of my minor hobbies (the life and times of Leonardo da Vinci) I stumbled upon this drawing done by the great man probably in 1513, intitled 'Studies of cats and other animals.' All well and good - I see several cats, something looking like a lion and perhaps a couple of bears fighting. But what is that thing just below and to the right of the middle of the drawing? I know Leonardo did several drawings of costumes and set pieces for theatre, one of which a large dragon, but he usually labeled his drawings and made various notes about them. But this creature is just inserted in between all the 'regular' animals. Ideas anyone??
Lars
OLL LEWIS: Yesterday's News Today
http://cryptozoologynews.blogspot.com/
On this day in 1974 the Symbionese Liberation Army kidnapped heiress Patty Hurst. In what has become the most documented case of Stockholm Syndrome, Hurst ended up as a member of the gang, helping them to commit armed robberies and other crimes.
And now the news:
Working to save Nicaragua’s hawksbills
Snakes Wreak Havoc In Florida Everglades (via Simo...
New Species of Ancient Crocodile Discovered; 'Shei...
Is Virunga’s gorilla king about to lose his throne...
Another kakapo death – Caused by transmitter harne...
Livestock, Not Mongolian Gazelles, Drive Foot-And-...
Coal mining threatening Hwange National Park
Volunteers Clear Tiger Snares in China
I could post “Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner” as the signoff vid (again) but instead here’s “You Got Your Baby Back” by the Mystical Knights of the Oingo Boingo, which tells Patty Hurst's story via the medium of "doo-wop", enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CWR8UI1hV4
On this day in 1974 the Symbionese Liberation Army kidnapped heiress Patty Hurst. In what has become the most documented case of Stockholm Syndrome, Hurst ended up as a member of the gang, helping them to commit armed robberies and other crimes.
And now the news:
Working to save Nicaragua’s hawksbills
Snakes Wreak Havoc In Florida Everglades (via Simo...
New Species of Ancient Crocodile Discovered; 'Shei...
Is Virunga’s gorilla king about to lose his throne...
Another kakapo death – Caused by transmitter harne...
Livestock, Not Mongolian Gazelles, Drive Foot-And-...
Coal mining threatening Hwange National Park
Volunteers Clear Tiger Snares in China
I could post “Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner” as the signoff vid (again) but instead here’s “You Got Your Baby Back” by the Mystical Knights of the Oingo Boingo, which tells Patty Hurst's story via the medium of "doo-wop", enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CWR8UI1hV4
KARL SHUKER: THE CRYPTIC KROW - MYSTERY REPTILE, BUT BURGLAR'S FRIEND!
I've said it many times before, but it still bears repeating – reports of mysterious animals can turn up in the most unexpected places. For example: you're hardly likely to discover a report of an extraordinary, unidentified reptile in the autobiography of a major convicted drug smuggler, right? Wrong!Read on...
BIG CAT NEWS: Another Gloucestershire cutting
This cutting, which deals with the Gloucester big cat suspected of having killed a deer recently, was sent in by CFZ author Paul Williams, author of The Mystery Animals of the British isles: Gloucester and Worcester, which was one of Loren Coleman's books of the year in 2011.Thanks for that mate!
MORE PYGMY ELEPHANT STUFF
Whilst on the subject of Pygmy Elephants:
http://forteanzoology.blogspot.com/2012/02/cryptozoology-update-on-alleged-pygmy.html
http://forteanzoology.blogspot.com/2012/02/matt-salusbury-pygmy-elephant-update.html
Norman sent this:
http://forteanzoology.blogspot.com/2012/02/cryptozoology-update-on-alleged-pygmy.html
http://forteanzoology.blogspot.com/2012/02/matt-salusbury-pygmy-elephant-update.html
Norman sent this:
DALE DRINNON: The Jade Trade/Cedar and Willow
Another article on The Jade Trade for both New World and Sundaland versions:
http://frontiers-of-anthropology.blogspot.com/2012/02/origin-of-ancient-jade-tool-baffles.html
And a new one for Cedar And Willow tying in 1960s cartoon Space Angel to the Star Trek continuity
http://cedar-and-willow.blogspot.com/2012/02/space-angels.html
CRYPTOZOOLOGY: Update on the alleged pygmy elephant specimens from Copenhagen University
Following on from yesterday's post about Matt Salusbury's quest for pygmy elephants, he has sent along another email from our old friend Lars Thomas.
RE: Copenhagen University expedition led by Francois Edmund Blanc to South Cameroon 1955 to collect pygmy elephants
Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2012 20:57:26 +0100
From: Lars Thomas
To: Matt Salusbury
Hi Matt,
I have just received a copy of the original log entry for the two pygmy elephants in the museum's collections. The two specimens (No. 2980 and 2981) were received on Nov. 15 1955. They were shot by Francois Edmond-Blanc in January of that year, and given to the museum by the aforementioned Bøje Benzon.
RE: Copenhagen University expedition led by Francois Edmund Blanc to South Cameroon 1955 to collect pygmy elephants
Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2012 20:57:26 +0100
From: Lars Thomas
To: Matt Salusbury
Hi Matt,
I have just received a copy of the original log entry for the two pygmy elephants in the museum's collections. The two specimens (No. 2980 and 2981) were received on Nov. 15 1955. They were shot by Francois Edmond-Blanc in January of that year, and given to the museum by the aforementioned Bøje Benzon.
- 2980 was a fully grown female, as it had milk in its mammary glands. It had a height of 2,02 m and a lenght of 3,05 m. The museum has the complete skeleton of that.
- 2981 was also a female, but a younger an considerably smaller animal. Height 1,85 m and lenght 2,73 m. The museum has the skull of this one.
The museum also holds 2 ears, a tale and the sole of one foot, but it is not certain from which of these two animals.
The animals were shot close to the village of Yassonkon, close to the banks of the Nyong River south of Edea. The two animals were from a herd of 12. The 2980 specimen was the biggest of the herd, and Edmond-Blanc apparantly shot it thinking it was a male. The other animal was of medium size in the herd.
There is also a transcript of a letter from Edmond-Blanc where he writes something about the difficulty of hunting in the area, as the visibility is very poor. It is apparantly difficult to separate males and females, as both have fairly small tusks.
I have a pdf of the original log entry which I can send you if you want. It is in Danish, so you won't be able to read a word of it, but at least you can see what it looks like.
As for the photos, it might take a couple of weeks. The various beetle-infested specimens has to be frozen for several days, and there is not enough room for all of them at once. Until that has been taken vare of, none of it is availabe for photographing. But I'll let you know as soon as they become available for me to take some pictures.
best
Lars
If you want to put this on the CFZ website as well - feel free.
BIG CAT NEWS: Palace Puma spotted for first time this year
Palace Puma spotted for first time this year7:30am Thursday 2nd February 2012
A mother believes her daughter has spotted the elusive Palace Puma.
Dawn Williams' daughter Georgia, 19, spotted the infamous beast at the end of Sylvan Road.
The 54-year-old said: "Georgia came in from work.
"She was literally shaking and was frightened and said she had just seen an animal down the road.
Read on...
RSPB: The search begins to find 2012’s most wildlife friendly farmer
The RSPB has launched its annual search to find the farmer that does the most for nature.
The Nature of Farming Award aims to find the farmer who has put in the most work on their land to help wildlife in the countryside. The competition is run by the RSPB, supported by Butterfly Conservation and Plantlife, and sponsored by The Telegraph.
The conservation charity has already received a high level of entries, with applications being accepted until the 20th April.
After the closing date, entries will be shortlisted to eight regional winners, and then a panel of experts will decide which four should go through to the national finals. There will also be a highly commended category, to recognise the efforts of farmers who have excelled in their support of farmland wildlife.
Tony Whitehead, spokesperson for the RSPB in the south west said: “The south west is rich in wildlife, much of this benefitting from the hard work of farmers with the support from agri-environment schemes. In the past few years we’ve had a number of West Country farmers in the finals and would love this to continue. It’s a great opportunity for farmers across the region to showcase what they are doing every day on their farms to look after the fantastic wildlife of our countryside.”
The UK public will decide the overall winner by casting their votes online, over the phone, via The Telegraph, or at country shows throughout the summer. Last year the competition attracted an unprecedented number of votes, with over 22,000 people backing their favourite finalist.
RSPB Head of Species and Habitats Conservation and one of this year’s judges, Darren Moorcroft, said: “There are so many great farmers out there who have taken the small and simple steps, like putting in skylark plots and wild bird seed mixtures, which makes a real difference to health of our countryside.
“The standard of entries and winners since we launched this award in 2008 is truly inspirational. I can’t wait to see this year's gems.”
This year’s judging panel:
Darren Moorcroft - RSPB Head of Species and Habitats Conservation
Martin Warren – Butterfly Conservation Chief Executive
Victoria Chester – Plantlife Chief Executive
Fergus Collins – Countryfile Magazine
All the details on how to enter can be found on the RSPB website at – www.rspb.org.uk/natureoffarming
The EU LIFE+ Programme funds RSPB work which supports wildlife-friendly farming that furthers sustainable development.
The Nature of Farming Award aims to find the farmer who has put in the most work on their land to help wildlife in the countryside. The competition is run by the RSPB, supported by Butterfly Conservation and Plantlife, and sponsored by The Telegraph.
The conservation charity has already received a high level of entries, with applications being accepted until the 20th April.
After the closing date, entries will be shortlisted to eight regional winners, and then a panel of experts will decide which four should go through to the national finals. There will also be a highly commended category, to recognise the efforts of farmers who have excelled in their support of farmland wildlife.
Tony Whitehead, spokesperson for the RSPB in the south west said: “The south west is rich in wildlife, much of this benefitting from the hard work of farmers with the support from agri-environment schemes. In the past few years we’ve had a number of West Country farmers in the finals and would love this to continue. It’s a great opportunity for farmers across the region to showcase what they are doing every day on their farms to look after the fantastic wildlife of our countryside.”
The UK public will decide the overall winner by casting their votes online, over the phone, via The Telegraph, or at country shows throughout the summer. Last year the competition attracted an unprecedented number of votes, with over 22,000 people backing their favourite finalist.
RSPB Head of Species and Habitats Conservation and one of this year’s judges, Darren Moorcroft, said: “There are so many great farmers out there who have taken the small and simple steps, like putting in skylark plots and wild bird seed mixtures, which makes a real difference to health of our countryside.
“The standard of entries and winners since we launched this award in 2008 is truly inspirational. I can’t wait to see this year's gems.”
This year’s judging panel:
Darren Moorcroft - RSPB Head of Species and Habitats Conservation
Martin Warren – Butterfly Conservation Chief Executive
Victoria Chester – Plantlife Chief Executive
Fergus Collins – Countryfile Magazine
All the details on how to enter can be found on the RSPB website at – www.rspb.org.uk/natureoffarming
The EU LIFE+ Programme funds RSPB work which supports wildlife-friendly farming that furthers sustainable development.