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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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Tuesday, February 21, 2012

BIG CAT NEWS: Leighton Buzzard and Carlisle

The hunt for British Big Cats attracts far more newspaper column inches than any other cryptozoological subject.

There are so many of them now that we feel that they should be archived in some way by us, so we should have a go at publishing a regular round-up of the stories as they come in.

It takes a long time to do, and is a fairly tedious task, so I am not promising that they will be done each day, but I will do them as regularly as I can. JD


Cyclist's close call with two big cats!
Leighton Buzzard Today
Its tail and body were unmistakably those of a big cat. The body was long and slightly sunken in the centre of the back and the tail was very long too with a distinct curve back upwards towards the last quarter. I didn't see the head as it was just ...

I know that it is childish, but I can never see this Bedfordshire place name without being reminded of a long forgotten pop group from the late 1970s.



The story is not about an encounter with a pair of mystery felids, but is about a bloke called Nick Berghaus who had two dfferent big cat encounters on different occasions. One appeared to be a puma, the other a panther.

Another sighting of black panther near Carlisle
News & Star

“It was a big cat, right here in Carlisle, beside the road. It was surreal. “There were no other cars around but I know what I saw. When I got to Tesco I called in for some shopping and just blurted it out to the woman at the checkout, saying that I'd ...

The story contains a string of compelling sightings and a photograph of a paw print that I am unable to link to because it is embedded as part of a slideshow. It is probably worth checking out. A poll can be found:

http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/home/2.8274/vote-feb-22-7.44466?showResult=true

OHIO BIGFOOT CONFERENCE 2012


Ohio Bigfoot Conference 2012 is Happening Believe It TourOhio Bigfoot Conference 2012 is Happening. In this transitional year, Don Keating will be passing on the reins to The Ohio Bigfoot Organization (OBO) led by Marc DeWerth

Featured Speakers Confirmed as of 2/17/2012

Mr. Peter Byrne
Dr. John Bindernagel
A Special Mystery Keynote Speaker
A Fourth Speaker To Be Added Upon Confirmation

Date: April 29, 2012

Time: 1:00 p.m. to about 6:00 p.m. – Doors will open around noon.

Location: Prichard Lauglin Civic Center, Cambridge, Ohio
Located less than 1/2 hour from Salt Fork Lodge

http://believeittour.com/wordpress/2012/02/18/ohio-bigfoot-conference-2012-is-happening/

CRYPTOFICTION: Skunk Ape Semester

Dear Center for Fortean Zoology,

I'd like to announce that Solstice Publishing has just released my book SKUNK APE SEMESTER, a story that is part On the Road and part Forteana textbook, with chapters drawn from various real-life phenomena, focusing largely on the cryptid variety. As a novel, it establishes an introductory gateway for the skeptical layperson to learn of and appreciate the legitimacy of the field and the dedication of its researchers. It is currently available on Amazon Kindle / Kindle Fire.

The official site is here.

Thank you so much for all you do,

Mike Robinson
4900 Overland Avenue, #192
Culver City, CA 90230
(310)713-8457
No virus found in this message

Gamekeeper filmed killing wild birds in a cage – Courts won’t prosecute

OneKind worried by crown decision to classify evidence of wildlife killing as "inadmissible"
February 2012. Animal welfare charity OneKind, formerly Advocates for Animals, has released video footage of a gamekeeper killing wild birds in a cage, following Crown Counsel's decision not to prosecute.

Prosecutors decided that evidence submitted by a OneKind Field Officer was inadmissible. In their judgment his presence on the estate concerned amounted to surveillance, and in one previous wildlife case this had caused a court to reject evidence from witnesses. OneKind has stated throughout this case that the Field Officer was on the land gathering material for educational purposes unrelated to the incident, which he witnessed by chance.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/gamekeeper-birds.html#cr

HAUNTED SKIES: Daily Telegraph 15.8.63


http://hauntedskies.blogspot.com/2012/02/daily-telegraph-15863.html

OLL LEWIS: Yesterday's News Today

http://cryptozoologynews.blogspot.com/

On this day in 1997 Scientists from the Roslin institute in Scotland announced the first successful cloning of an adult mammal with the birth of a sheep they called Dolly.

And now the news:

FREAKY FELID FEATURES FROM AROUND THE GLOBE
Freeze Kills Rare Pelicans in Dagestan
Sea lion test to probe declines
New Species of Bat, Hipposideros griffini Discover...
Scientist Cooks Up a Meatless Product for Meat Lov...
South Georgia seabird sanctuary receives £250,000 ...
Lady of Liuwa gets 2 sisters as lionesses are relo...
Vigil saves rare birds
Obama in hot water over shark fin soup
Digging deep to save Florida’s manatees
The poster that may save India’s parrots
TODAY'S BIG CAT NEWS

Apparently, scientists were working 9 to 5 on the cloning project:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqiwEafCJ74

DALE DRINNON: The end of the Clovis/The Rawicz 'yeti' report


New on the Frontiers of Anthropology, The sharp and distinctive end to the Clovis in North America, and some supporting evidence for a catastrophe at the time:
http://frontiers-of-anthropology.blogspot.com/2012/02/crash-goes-clovis.html

New on Frontiers of Zoology, a re-evaluation of the circumstances of the Rawicz "Yeti" report associated with the story of The Long Walk:
http://frontiersofzoology.blogspot.com/2012/02/return-to-long-walk.html

BIG CAT NEWS: Three more in Gloucestershire

The hunt for British Big Cats attracts far more newspaper column inches than any other cryptozoological subject.

There are so many of them now that we feel that they should be archived in some way by us, so we should have a go at publishing a regular round-up of the stories as they come in.

It takes a long time to do, and is a fairly tedious task, so I am not promising that they will be done each day, but I will do them as regularly as I can. JD

More big cats lead to call for police to patrol Gloucester
This is Gloucestershire
THREE new big cat sightings have been reported in Gloucester during the last week – prompting calls for police to patrol urban areas to keep people safe. Panther-like creatures have been reported in areas including Hempsted, Barnwood and Kingsway.

As I have said on a number of occasions recently Gloucestershire really seems to be where it is at as far as British Big Cat sightings are concerned at the moment. But at the risk of being accused of getting all existential on you all, one has to ask the question whether this proliferation of reports is because there are more big cats in the area, or whether it is because there are some very diligent researchers there (Rick Minter et al), combined with a plethora of journalists who appear to be interested in the subject.

The latest reports are of black 'panther-like' creatures (well two of them are, at least - the third is more vague). Witness John Wildsmith saw "a big cat the 'size of an Alsatian dog' prowling menacingly on fields behind his back garden." He says he was "startled".