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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Wednesday, December 23, 2020

LAKE AND SEA MONSTER NEWS

 

The hunt for Lake and Sea Monsters is probably the most iconic branch of Cryptozoology. Following our successful Mystery Cat and BHM Study Groups, we feel that these sightings should also be archived and published in a regular round-up of the stories as they come in. Curated by Richard Freeman and Richard Muirhead


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 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.

THE LAST WEEK AT THE CFZ-USA BLOG


CFZ-USA

  • JULBOCK - THE CHRISTMAS GOAT
  • BIGFOOT IN THE DESERT
  • CREATURE OF CUBA
  • AHUIZOTL - MEXICAN CRYPTID
  • MINHOCAO - UNDERGROUND MONSTER
  • DO AGOGWE EXIST?
  • FIREBALLS AND LITTLE PEOPLE
  • DOGMAN AND BIGFOOT IN OHIO
  • YULE LADS - NIGHT VISITORS
  • MARI LLWYD - WELSH MIDWINTER TRADITION
  • WHAT BECAME OF THE MIGO?
  • SIGHTING OF SEA MONSTER
  • SCOTTISH WILDCAT POPULATION INCREASE
  • DID EARLY HOMINIDS HIBERNATE?
  • LAKE MONSTERS OF ICELAND
  • LIFETIME OF STRANGE SIGHTINGS
  • REINDEER IN SA'AMI MYTHOLOGY
  • TROLLS ON THE ROAD
  • THE TWO COURTS OF THE FAIRIES
  • TREES TALK
  • BIGFOOT IN SENECA PARKS
  • BUKIT TIMAH MONKEY MAN
  • STRANGE CREATURE IN NORTH CAROLINA
  • CHUPACABRA - AN ACCOUNT OF BELIEF IN THIS CREATURE
  • NOT MEANT FOR CHILDREN
  • LADIES OF CHRISTMAS FOLKLORE
  • PTERODACTYL SIGHTINGS OVER ENGLISH MOUNTAINS
  • BIG CATS IN U.K.
  • WINGED HUMANOIDS IN U.K.
  • CENTRAL ASIAN WILDMAN
  • UFO AND HUMAN MUTILATION
  • SUPER-EARTHS ARE REAL
  • DOGMAN ENCOUNTERS
  • BRYAN SYKES DEAD
  • BLACK DOG OF CHELMSFORD
  • FARMER WITH FAIRY FIELD
  • SIMONA KOSSAK
  • THE WILDMEN OF THE CAUCASUS
  • FAKE ANIMAL OF AUSTRALIA
  • DID HE KILL TWO BIGFOOT?
  • KILLER SEA SERPENTS AND LAKE MONSTERS
  • MIGO - LAKE MONSTER OF NEW BRITAIN
  • INTERESTING UFO ABDUCTION CASE
  • BLACK-EYED KIDS
  • FAIRY SWARMS
  • CREATURES OF LONG LAKES
  • BIGFOOT IN TEXAS
  • ABDUCTION AT BUFF LEDGE
  • SOMETHING IS KILLING FISHIN LAKE CHAMPLAIN
  • SNAKES IN NEW ZEALAND?
  • ONLY FOOTAGE OF THYLACINE CUB
  • LUMINESCENT HUMANOIDS
  • MONSTERS OF CHRISTMAS FOLKLORE
  • SNOW MAIDEN OF RUSSIAN FOLKLORE
  • BATSQUATCH SIGHTINGS
  • NEW FROG DISCOVERED IN CAMBODIA
  • IS THIS A CADBOROSAURUS?
  • HIMALAYAN SEROW ISN'T EXTINCT
  • BIGFOOT IN PYRENEES?
  • ENDANGERED SEA STARS RAISED
  • CLOAKED/TRANSPARENT CREATURE IN MAINE
  • NEW SPECIES OF PLOVER DISCOVERED
  • RAVENS MORE INTELLIGENT THAN CHIMPS
  • DID THE AMAZONS REALLY EXIST?
  • CROWS IN LORE AND LEGEND
  • BIGFOOT IN MONTANA
  • CAMPOUT WITH BIGFOOT ENCOUNTER
  • BIGFOOT ON BLOOD MOUNTAIN
  • THE MATTER OF THE GOUL
  • TRANSLUCENT SKY SNAKE
  • MERMAIDS OF NORTH CAROLINA
  • APPARITIONS AT CHIMNEY ROCK
  • THE GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN GOTTA LEARN TO BE A GOSH DARN FOOL

     The Gonzo Daily - Monday

    It is two days till Christmas, or at least until the feast of Sol Invictus which was co-opted into being the birthday of Christ by Pope Pope Julius I. However, something that I didn’t know until today, but I will share with you because I think it’s rather interesting, is that he may have also been influenced by the idea that Jesus had died on the anniversary of his conception; because Jesus died during Passover and, in the third century AD, Passover was celebrated on 25 March, he may have assumed that Jesus's birthday must have come nine months later, on 25 December.
    Whatever, it is two days until Christmas, a festival that neither Corinna or I liked overmuch, although we always celebrated Yule which was yesterday (or the day before, I always get it wrong). I have Christmas cards from people who have been kind enough to send me them, hanging over the fireplace, but that is my one concession towards what is euphemistically known as the ‘festive season’, and apart from having a few extra days rest, I shall not be celebrating.
    Bah humbug? Not at all. It is purely that I have very little to celebrate. But I do have two episodes of On The Track ready to go, and hopefully more to come in short order so we can go back to our schedule from about fifteen months ago.
    Love and Peace
    From me and Lilith Tinkerbell the cat
    ALL TODAY'S GONZO NEWS WOT'S FIT TO SQUINT
    Danny Baker reveals the link between Diana Dors an...
    TIS THE SEASON TO DRINK ZAPPA
    ANOTHER LOOK AT YESterdays
    GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY: Paul McCartney - When Wint...
    THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem
    AND OTHER STUFF FEATURING VARIOUS GONZO CONTRIBUTORS:
    Our webTV show:
    And if you fancy supporting it on Patreon:
    And by the way chaps and chappesses, a trip to the Jon Downes megastore may seem to be in order:
    Meanwhile I continue to pretend that I am a popstar, because now I have sold eleven whole copies of my new album Coldharbour. If I continue at this rate I will get a silver disc sometime at the beginning of the next millenium. Coldharbour, by the way, can be found here: https://jondownes1.bandcamp.com/releases
    I think it is really rather good, but then again I would say that wouldn't I?
    AND THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE GONZO MAGAZINE:
    Gonzo Weekly #421/2
    THE CHRISTMAS ISSUE
    This magazine continues to go off on strange tangents that I never expect, but I am very happy to see it do so. What is in this week? Ooooh lots of things. Such as Rick Wakeman, lotsa Covidstuff, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Jon's 2020 Top Ten, The Crown, and oodles more...
    And there are radio shows from Mack Maloney and Friday Night Progressive, AND Merrell Fankhauser, and the Real Music Club, AND Strange Fruit, and Mr Biffo, there is a column from Kev Rowland, and C.J Stone, but Mr Biffo, Tony Klinger and Neil Nixon, are on hiatus. There is also a collection of more news, reviews, views, interviews and dibblers who have got the blues (OK, nothing to do with tiny marsupials who are listening to the new Bob Dylan album, 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!!!
    ..And the last few issues are:
    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 a recently widowed old hippy of 61 who - together with a Jack Russell called Archie, an infantile orange cat named after a song by Frank Zappa, three other cats, 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 a motley collection of social malcontents. Plus.. did we mention Archie and the Cats?

    NEWS FROM NOWHERE: Wednesday

      ON THIS DAY IN - 1888 - Following a quarrel with Paul Gauguin, Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh cut off part of his own earlobe.

    And now some more recent news from the CFZ Newsdesk


  • MONGABAY: On plantations and in ‘protected’ areas,...
  • BBC: 'World's ugliest orchid' tops list of new dis...
  • BBC: Ivory: Elephant decline revealed by shipwreck...

  • 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)