WELCOME TO THE CFZ BLOG NETWORK: COME AND JOIN THE FUN

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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Thursday, May 07, 2015

WHY HAS THE DAILY MIRROR GOT A PHOTOGRAPH OF A MAYFLY ON ITS FRONT COVER ON ELECTION DAY? Are they trying to tell us something?

Winged-creature

This spellbinding picture shows a fairy caught on camera for the first time, according to the mum who took the image.
Lisa Wildgoose took her camera out to a nearby forest and was snapping away at flowers when she captured the incredible sight.
It was only when she returned home and uploaded the pictures to her computer that she spotted the mysterious flying figure.

Running Late........but still running

Hi Guys,

The new issue of Animals & Men is imminent. There have been a couple of minor delays; firstly because of some teething problems we have been having with our upgraded BT Infinity broadband, and partly because this week I have been suffering from what I believe is called Gastric Distress. 

However, it is very nearly finished, and the electronic edition will be out sometime in the next week, and hopefully sooner rather than later in the week, with the hard copy and Kindle editions following soon after.

Jon

DISCUSSION DOCUMENT: DUTIES FOR REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES

The CFZ had had regional representatives for over twenty years now. Some of them have done remarkable things, some nothing at all, and some something in between. I originally intended my first wife to manage the list of regional reps, but as history shows, that never happened. Ever since Alison and I split up I have been intending to ask someone else to take over the job, and finally a few months ago I got around to it. Ronan Coghlan has agreed to take over the onerous task, and has come up with a list of suggested roles for regional representatives, which I post here for public discussion.

[1] In the event of a reported sighting of a mystery animal in the representative's area, all possible data should be gathered and forwarded to CFZ.  Likewise, news of further developments should be sent on as they occur.

[2] Representatives should try to discover if there were any sightings or other anomalous events in their areas in the past, but should only send on stories of UFOs or ghosts if they consider them important, as otherwise their is the danger of CFZ being swamped.

[3] Representatives should, if possible, look into local folklore to discover if stories of anomalous events in the area occur. Liaisons should be initiated with the Bird, Butterfly and Conservation Officer in their areas where possible.  They should, in addition, try to gather an archive of Fortean zoological material from their local studies libraries.

[4] Representatives should initiate liaisons with groups dealing with anomalies and nature in the area, provided they consider them and their personnel suitable.


[5] Representatives should have the option of offering sales of books to local bookshops.  However, some might find this distasteful and so this should not be regarded as an actual representatives' duty.

MYSTERY CARCASS FROM PUERTO RICO

This was apparently found in Puerto Rico last week. It was sent to me by Scott Corrales. Karl Shuker and I both believe that the dentition points to it being a shark of some kind. What do you think?

FORTEAN BIRD NEWS FROM THE WATCHER OF THE SKIES

What has Corinna's column of Fortean bird news got to do with cryptozoology?

Well, everything, actually!

In an article for the first edition of Cryptozoology Bernard Heuvelmans wrote that cryptozoology is the study of 'unexpected animals' and following on from that perfectly reasonable assertion, it seems to us that whereas the study of out-of-place birds may not have the glamour of the hunt for bigfoot or lake monsters, it is still a perfectly valid area for the Fortean zoologist to be interested in.


TODAY'S BIG CAT NEWS

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 by us in some way, so we are publishing a regular round-up of the stories as they come in. 

The worldwide mystery cat phenomenon (or group of phenomena, if we are to be more accurate) is not JUST about cryptozoology. At its most basic level it is about the relationship between our species and various species of larger cat. That is why sometimes you will read stories here that appear to have nothing to do with cryptozoology but have everything to do with human/big cat interaction. As committed Forteans, we believe that until we understand the nature of these interactions, we have no hope of understanding the truth that we are seeking.


  • NEWSLINK: Could mystery "big cat" on Ashdown fores...
  • NEWS VIDEO: Bobcats on loose in Brevard County com...
  • NEWS VIDEO: Sioux Falls Man Sees Mountain Lion On ...


  • NEWSLINK: Camera-trap catches a tiger in Tillari f...
  • THE GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN DECIDES

    The Gonzo Daily - Thursday
     
    So today is the day that the British people will choose a new Government, and unless we are very lucky, or something extraordinary happens, the new lot will be just as innefectual, or even just the same, as the last lot. Politics across the whole world needs a radical rethink or we are all doomed. God help us all. Good luck to my friend Jim Jackson who is standing for Torridge District Cocuntil. He may be a Conservative but he is an honest man, and his heart is in the right place. And we need more men like that.
     
     
    The Gonzo Weekly #128
    www.gonzoweekly.com
     
    Kingsmen, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, Camel, Gong, Daevid Allen, The Invisible Opera Company of Tibet, Gretchen Peters, Roy Weard, Dogwatch, That Legendary Wooden Lion, Ibeyi, Ringo Starr, Malachite, Hawkwind, Jon Anderson, and Yes fans had better look out!
     
    The latest issue of Gonzo Weekly (#128) is available to read at www.gonzoweekly.com, and to download at http://www.gonzoweekly.com/pdf/. It has the greatest rock song of all time on the cover, a potted history of the Louie Louie story inside, together with a backstage look at the recent Drones for Daevid concert by Tracy from the Invisible Opera Company, the story of Camel and The Snow Goose by Doug Harr, new columnist Lee Walker on Gretchen Peters, Jon critiquing Ibeyi and Ringo Starr, as well as the new Lou Reed biography, the legendary Roy Weard starts a regular column.We send the lovely Babz from Malachite to a desert island, Neil Nixon reports on an even stranger album than usual, Wyrd gets down with the kids, Xtul gets even more peculiar, and there are radio shows from Strange Fruit and from M Destiny at Friday Night Progressive, and the titular submarine dwellers are still lost at sea, although I have been assured that they will hit land again soon. There is also a collection of more news, reviews, views, interviews and pademelons trying to choose (OK, nothing to do with small marsupials having difficulty in making choices, but I got carried away with things that rhymed with OOOOS) than you can shake a stick at. And the best part is IT's ABSOLUTELY FREE!!!
     
    This issue features:
    Jack Ely, Johnny Cash, Paul McCartney, The Grateful Dead, Ringo Starr, Noel Gallagher, Black Sabbath, Marillion, Strange Fruit, Friday Night Progressive, Keith Harris, Guy LeBlanc, Marty Napoleon,B.E.King,  Mick Abrahams & Sharon Watson, Tommy James, Hugh Hopper, Third Ear Band, WMWS, David Peel, Strawberry Alarm CLock, Eliza Carthy & Jim Moray, Tracy Austin, Invisible Opera Company of Tibet, Camel, Lee Walker, Gretchen Peters, Roy Weard, Hawkwind, Malachite, Yes, Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman, Chris Squire, Steve Hackett, Billy Sherwood, Wyrd, Stargrace, Jaz Rogers, Peter Banks, Stephen Hawking, Zayn Malik, Elton John, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Elvis, Yes, Lou Reed, Xtul, Ringo Starr, Ibeyi, Laurie Anderson, Nine Treasures
     

    Read the previous few issues of Gonzo Weekly:
     
    Issue 127 (Roy Weard cover)
    http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo126.html
    Issue 126 (Atkins-May Project cover)
    http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo126.html
    Issue 125 (Mick Abrahams cover)
    http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo125.html
    Issue 124 (Karnataka cover)
    http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo124.html
    Issue 123 (Cream cover)
    http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo123.html
    Issue 122 (Anthony Phillips cover)
    http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo122.html
    Issue 121 (Annie Haslam cover)
    http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo121.html
    Issue 120 (Frank Zappa cover)
    http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo120.html
    Issue 119 (Eliza Carthy cover)
    http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo119.html
    Issue 118 (Dave Brock cover)
    http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo118.html
    Issue 117 (Daevid Allen cover)
    http://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo117.html
     
    All issues from #70 can be downloaded at www.gonzoweekly.com if you prefer. If you have problems downloading, just email me and I will add you to the Gonzo Weekly dropbox. The first 69 issues are archived there as well. Information is power chaps, we have to share it!
     
    You can download the magazine in pdf form HERE:
    http://www.gonzoweekly.com/pdf/
     

    * The Gonzo Daily is a two way process. If you have any news or want to write for us, please contact me at jon@eclipse.co.uk. If you are an artist and want to showcase your work, or even just say hello please write to me at gonzo@cfz.org.uk. Please copy, paste and spread the word about this magazine as widely as possible. We need people to read us in order to grow, and as soon as it is viable we shall be invading more traditional magaziney areas. Join in the fun, spread the word, and maybe if we all chant loud enough we CAN stop it raining. See you tomorrow...
     
    * The Gonzo Daily is - as the name implies - a daily online magazine (mostly) about artists connected to the Gonzo Multimedia group of companies. But it also has other stuff as and when the editor feels like it. The same team also do a weekly newsletter called - imaginatively - The Gonzo Weekly. Find out about it at this link: www.gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/…/all-gonzo-news-wots-fit
     
    * We should probably mention here, that some of our posts are links to things we have found on the internet that we think are of interest. We are not responsible for spelling or factual errors in other people's websites. Honest guv!
     
    * Jon Downes, the Editor of all these ventures (and several others) is an old hippy of 55 who - together with an infantile orange cat named after a song by Frank Zappa puts it all together from a converted potato shed in a tumbledown cottage deep in rural Devon which he shares with various fish, and sometimes a small Indian frog. He is ably assisted by his lovely wife Corinna, his bulldog/boxer Prudence, his elderly mother-in-law, and a motley collection of social malcontents. Plus.. did we mention the infantile orange cat?




    NEWS FROM NOWHERE - Thursday

    ON THIS DAY IN 1763 - Indian chief Pontiac began all out war on the British in New York. 
    And now some more recent news from the CFZ Newsdesk

  • Lizards in Long-Term Relationships Can Skip the Fo...
  • 94 pangolins released in Sumatra following huge il...
  • Just like humans, dolphins have complex social net...
  • Cow Born With Two Faces

  • Dog Found Living Inside Tree Trunk Looking For 'Ve...

  • AND TO WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK... (Music that may have some relevance to items also on this page, or may just reflect my mood on the day)