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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Unlike some of our competitors we are not going to try and blackmail you into donating by saying that we won't continue if you don't. That would just be vulgar, but our lives, and those of the animals which we look after, would be a damn sight easier if we receive more donations to our fighting fund. Donate via Paypal today...




Monday, May 28, 2018

BIG CAT ROUND UP

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.

  • VIDEO: Watch a Family Decide to Explore the Cheeta...
  • PHOTOS: Bengali tigers in Rawalpindi zoo welcome t...
  • NEWSLINK: Zion's big cat pride set for a public re...
  • NEWSLINK: Uttarakhand wildlife activists want stra...

  • NEWSLINK: Tiger 'mauls to death' keeper at wildlif..
  • MIKE DAVIS: Listen



    Mike and I have a sneaking idea that this might be the best song we have done. It is certainly up there with the best; and Mike's vocal is totally sublime.

    CRYPTOLINK: Chinese lake monster

    A word about cryptolinks: we are not responsible for the content of cryptolinks, which are merely links to outside articles that we think are interesting (sometimes for the wrong reasons), usually posted up without any comment whatsoever from me. 


    Over the years, many have tried to prove that the supposed Loch Ness Monster in the Scottish Highlands exists, but until this day, there has been no ...

    CRYPTOLINK: Mystery canid (no, OF COURSE, it is not a werewolf)

    A word about cryptolinks: we are not responsible for the content of cryptolinks, which are merely links to outside articles that we think are interesting (sometimes for the wrong reasons), usually posted up without any comment whatsoever from me. 


    The animal, which was shot and killed just outside Denton, Montana after getting too close to the rancher's sheep, had long greyish fur, a large head ...


    Speculation about the canine suggest it could be a wolfdog or even related to Bigfoot as well as liking it to the mythical creature dogman. Experts say ...

    THE GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN IS QUITE QUIET

    The Gonzo Daily: Monday/Tuesday
     
    And so things are rapidly getting back to normal. Coby is busily weeding the flowerbeds, while Graham is doing various arcane things on the roof. Carl is back in Stratford for a week or two, whilst all sorts of exciting things are going on here. We have a noisy and truculent baby blackbird that one of the cats plonked on the kitchen floor last night. We have not found any external injuries, and are forcefeeding it as gently as we can.Every time we do it tried to lacerate my finger, but luckily songbirds like this have a fairly rubbery beak and so it cannot do any damage. Keep yer fingers crossed that we can keep it alive long enough to be able to contact the bird rescue lady tomorrow.
     
    'Tweetie Pie' (well, what else would one call it) seems to have a slightly injured right wing, and although I can set broken legs, I was never very good at wings, although I know how in theory. Many years ago I promised a girl with learning difficulties something. She said that I should always name rescued wildlife, so if they die whilst in my care, when they got to heaven, those in charge of the heavenly administration would know what to call it. Although I have serious doubts of the theology of this, I promised her that I would always do this, and I try to keep my promises to everyone except the bank and the forces of law and irritation.
     
    And for those of you who are interested in such things, the Gonzo Privacy Policy is here:
     
     
    And the CFZ Privacy Policy is here:
     
     
    Forgive me for always banging on about our webTV show, but it matters a lot to me, and I would be grateful for as many people as possible to see it, and spread the tidings of it far and wide:
     
     
    And if you fancy supporting us on Patreon:
     
    And by the way chaps and chappesses, a trip to the Jon Downes megastore seems to be in order: if you want to make me a happy fellow, you can:
     
    buy my novel:
    buy the record by the main protagonist of the novel who isn't me in an elephant mask, honest:
    buy my single:
     
    But for now, here is the news:
     
    THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem
    LEONARD COHEN MEMORIAL
    Keyboard Legend Rick Wakeman Launches Official You...
    THE GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY:  MIKE DAVIS: Listen
    Keyboard Legend Rick Wakeman Launches Official You...
     
     
    Gonzo Weekly #287
    THE TARNATION ISSUE
     
    I first heard the music of our cover songstrel fifteen years ago, whilst driving through Nevada's Valley of Fire National Park more than slightly chemically and herbally altered. I have been in love with her music ever since so it's about time for our regular championing of the sublime Paula Frazer and Tarnation whose new album is utterly awesome. John goes to see Nigel Kennedy, Alan raves about the Mathis Haug Band, Jon rambles on about Ken and Daisy Campbell and the Pagan Love Cult, while Roy goes on tour with Sniff n' the Tears
     
     
    #Hail Eris!
     
    And there are radio shows from Strange Fruit, AND Mack Maloney, AND Friday Night Progressive, there are columns from all sorts of folk including Neil Nixon, and Roy Weard, and C J Stone, and Mr Biffo and Kev Rowlands AND the irrepressible Corinna . There is also a collection of more news, reviews, views, interviews and tiger quolls who are havinga little snooze (OK, nothing to do with small dasyurids who are a little sleepy, 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:
     
    Pagan Love Cult, Merrell Fankhauser, Cavern Club, Beatles, Morrissey, Dave Grohl, Michael Eavis, Rolling Stones, Strange Fruit, Friday Night Progressive, Mack Maloney's Mystery Hour, William Gold, Robert Indiana, Reginald Grant Lucas, Philip Milton Roth, Norman Eugene "Clint" Walker, Mike & the Mechanics, Ashton, Gardner, Dyke & Co., Michael Bruce, Man, Karnataka, Doug Harr, Paula Frazer, Alan Dearling, Mathis Haug Band, One Root Music, Griot Blues, John Brodie-Good, Nigel Kennedy, Kev Rowland, Kaze, Infinitwav, Labyrinth, Lione-Conti, Lord of Pagathorn,  Magenta, Megalophobe, Mr Biffo, Roy Weard, Chris Stone, Jon Downes, The Wild Colonial Boy, Martin Springett, Joanna Hodgin, Nancy and Lawrence Durrell, Grateful Dead, Selena Quintanilla, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, The Ramones, John Lennon, The Fugs, Hortus gin
     
    And the last few issues are:
     
    Issue 288 (Paula Frazer)
    Issue 287 (Boss Goodman)
    Issue 286 (Monty Python)
    Issue 285 (ELP)
    Issue 284 (Straqngelove)
    Issue 283 (Record Store Day)
    Issue 282 (Neil Finn and Fleetwood Mac)
    Issue 281 (Carl Palmer)
    Issue 280 (Steve Andrews)
     
     
    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:
     
    SPECIAL NOTICE: If you, too, want to unleash the power of your inner rock journalist, and want to join a rapidly growing band of likewise minded weirdos please email me at jon@eclipse.co.uk The more the merrier really.
     
    * 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.co.uk
     
    * 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 58 who - together with a Jack Russell called Archie, an infantile orange cat named after a song by Frank Zappa, and two half grown kittens, one totally coincidentally named after one of the Manson Family, purely because she squeaks, puts it all together from a converted potato shed in a tumbledown cottage deep in rural Devon which he shares with various fish. 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 Archie and the Cats?

    NEWS FROM NOWHERE:Monday/Tuesday

    ON THIS DAY IN -  585 BC - A solar eclipse occurred that had been predicted by Thales Miletus. 
    And now some more recent news from the CFZ Newsdesk

  • Bats go quiet during fall mating season
  • Alligators on the beach? Killer whales in rivers? ...
  • New evidence that bullfrogs are to blame for deadl...
  • Crocodiles listen to classical music in MRI scanne...

  • World's rarest ape on the edge of extinction

  • 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)