MUIRHEAD`S MYSTERIES: WHEN IS A HONG KONG WILDMAN NOT A WILDMAN?

When is a Hong Kong wild man not a Hong Kong wild man? When I get carried away with myself and think he was talking about a Yeren or something.... This note below is a clarification by Tung from the Gwulo.com web site. But I am following up the 'fairy' story he mentions (see below) and will follow up the Silver Chics (sic) too. Are there any silver-coloured baby birds in S. China, anyone?

“The long-eared wild man we saw , around 1953-54, was half-naked, perking on the bushland bordered between this hidden valley and the CLCY village. He was also seen covered with fur skin and leafy clothing with weird hair decorations from seashells, eyes so red like being on fires and voiced very low-pitched as a very old man. He was big, more hairy than normal, kind looking and quite majestic, like a Chief from the Amazon forest. His ears were very big, long and curled up with hairy tip on each top. He smoked with a very long bamboo pipe and seemed always on guard on his tiny territory with a rod like a prophet under the torching sun, sometimes eagles and ravens flying in circle in the sky above. More than once he wanted us to come closed to his den which was like an opening to some unknown shelter next to this forest. For the sake of our parental advice, we never accept his plea, our curiosity always directs our thinking that he might be a fairy because  his location was on the edge of the area known as Sen Yan Jiang which means The Fairy's Well.

real mystery,

and that's not the only fairy we knew (?) on the island.

Anyone know about this one: A legendary story of the " Flock of Silver Chics in the Bamboo Forest near Pai Tai Temple"

Believe it or not! “(1)

MUIRHEAD`S MYSTERIES: RECENT ALLIGATOR EPISODES IN SHANGHAI

A couple of days ago Bob Skinner passed on some information to me about Chinese Alligators in Shanghai although this report (from Chinacartimes.com on August 7th 2012 of all places) erroneously describes them as Crocodiles.

Forget New York, Shanghai Has Its Own Crocodiles Lurking About.

Rumours about Crocs and Alligators have been doing the rounds in New York for as long as anyone can remember, the problem with New York is that its actually quite cold in the winter so any man eating reptile would have to find a nice warm place to spend the winter. Shanghai is a little different however, it gets cold in winter but not overly so, throw in the fact that exotic wild animals can be bought relatively easily either for dinner or for amusement and you have a potentially dangerous situation

[The creators of this web story don`t seem to realise that the alligator is/was a native of the Yangtze which joins the E.China sea at Shanghai).

Shanghai Daily has an interesting story on the third crocodile caught in Shanghai`s creeks and rivers this year:

“Wild animal protection authorities said they caught a 1.5m long crocodile in a creek in a suburban residential area after terrified residents saw it swimming near the creek bank yesterday afternoon.

It is the third crocodile that officials said they have caught in the Pudong New Area this year.

The crocodile was seen by residents swimming in a creek near a supermarket on Changqing Road in Pudong at about 2pm yesterday. The unusual scene attracted a group of residents to a nearby bridge to watch, witnesses said.

“I was going home after shopping at that supermarket when I suddenly saw it under the bridge”, said a witness surnamed Wang. “ At first I thought it was just a big black fish but when its head floated onto the waters surface – I realized it was a crocodile!”

An official surnamed Tang with the Pudong Wild Animal Protection Station told Shanghai Daily at first they tried to use a tool to clamp down on the crocodile`s head.But the crocodile went below the surface. Tang said.

They then used a big fishing net to catch it about 4pm.

Local police were still investigating where it came from. On May 12, a crocodile was seen in a suburban creek in Pudong`s Kangqiao Area. Police said they had to kill it after failing to catch it. On January 15, a dead 2.1 meter-long crocodile was found in a creek in Pudong`s Yangyuan Area. Wild aniaml experts said it might have escaped from a restaurant (1)

1 http://www.chinacartimes.com/2012/08/07/forget-york-shanghai-crocodiles-lurking/

HAPPY NEW YEAR

http://mytechquest.com/wallpaper/20-lovely-chinese-new-year-of-dragon-2012-wallpapers/

ANOTHER PECULIAR STORY FROM THE 'OLD HONGKONG' NEWSGROUP

Dogs Painted to Create Panda Dogs and Dog Tigers

The mysterious human desire to paint its pet dogs so that they look like other animals which are not dogs has reared its head once more, with a selection of painted dogs being displayed in China. The painted dogs in question were on display in Zhengzhou, in eastern China’s Henan Province, at what appears to have been a veritable festival of dog painting.

As well as the tiger-dog, there were a number of rather adorable fluffy panda-dogs being shown to the crowd. Exactly why people are so keen on the trans-species decoration of their dogs is not especially clear, but the effort is appreciated. Except, perhaps, by the dogs....

View Complete Gallery At

http://www.l.md/2362

MUIRHEAD`S MYSTERIES: A REVIEW OF CHINESE KNOWLEDGE OF THE GIRAFFE PART ONE

Hello; today I am starting a series of several parts; I`m not sure how many; it depends on my mental stamina, etc. It is about Chinese knowledge of the giraffe, quoting from the prolific and perhaps slightly eccentric Berthold Laufer, (a man after my own heart then) whose booklets on various diverse subjects such as Ivory in China (a key source of information on the black Chinese elephant with pink tusks in T`ang Dynasy China by the way) published in 1925, by the Chicago Field Museum of Natural History and the following marvels:

The Bird Chariot (1906)
Confucius and His Portraits (1912)
Arabic and Chinese Trade in Walrus and Narwhal Ivory (1913)
Was Oderic of Pordenone Ever in Tibet? (1914)
Bird Divination Among the Tibetans (1914)
Asbestos and Salamander (1915)
The Reindeer and Its Domestication (1917)
Chinese Baskets (1925)
Ostrich Egg-shell Cups of Mesopotamia and the Ostrich In Ancient and Modern Times (1926)
Geophagy [earth-eating] (1930)
The Domestication of the Cormorant in China and Japan (1931) (1)

In Ash and Lake`s Bizarre Books (1985 ed.) it is written `To the memory of Berthold Laufer (1874-1934), who did so much to add to the bibliography of bizarre books.' (2) And later `Merit Award for Books on Extraordinarily Specialized Subjects…Berthold Laufer of Chicago…the distinguished author of a veritable library of over 100 fascinating works, mostly published in Leiden by E. J. Brill or Chicago by the Field Museum of Natural History…` (3)

Granted, Laufer was writing a long time ago, (82 years ago in fact) but I still believe his information is worth recording here; I am not taking any position as to whether he was right or wrong; I am just recording what he said.

But on Chinese knowledge of the giraffe: The Giraffe was not known to the ancient Chinese, contrary to what is assumed by certain sinologues (4). This erroneous conclusion is based on the fact when live giraffes were first transported into China in the fifteenth century under the Ming dynasty, they were taken by the Chinese for the Kilin (k`i-lin), a fabulous creature of ancient mythology, and by way of reminiscence and poetic retrospection received the name k`i-lin. This,of course, does not mean that the ancient native conception of the Kilin was based on the on the giraffe, which in historical times was confined to Africa. In fact neither the description nor the the illustrations of the Kilin bear the slightest resemblance to a giraffe. The Kilin is said to have the body of a deer, the tail of an ox, a single horn, and to be covered with fish scales. Its horn is covered with flesh, indicating that while able for war,it covets peace. It does not tread on any living thing, not even on living grass…It is clear that the characteristic features of the giraffe which impress every casual observer – the extraordinary height, the long neck, the proportion of fore and hind legs-are not found in the Chinese descriptions of the Kilin and that several traits of the latter do not agree with the giraffe…The only points of resemblance made by the Chinese between the Kilin and the giraffe are their bodies being shaped like a deer, their tails being like that of an ox, and their gentle disposition. This identification, it should be born in mind, was established as recently as the fifteenth century when the first giraffes arrived in China. (5)

The Sü po wu chi, a book compiled by Li Shi about the middle of the twelfth century, apparently contains one of the earliest Chinese literary allusions to the giraffe. 'The country of Po-pa-li [Berbera, on the Somali coast of the Gulf of Aden] harbors a strange animal called camel-ox (t`o niu). Its skin is like that of a leopard, its hoof is similar to that of an ox, but the animal is devoid of a hump. Its neck is nine feet long, and its body is over ten feet high.'…African animals were transported to China as early as the thirteenth century under the Yüan or Mongol dynasty…In A.D 1289 the Chinese emperor was presented with two zebras from Mabar, [ i.e Malabar, on the S.W coast of India - R] and in the following year another envoy arrived from the same country and offerd two piebald oxen, a buffalo, and a tiger cat. The giraffe, as far as I know,is not mentioned in the Yüan Annals, although there is no reason why it should not have come along with the topi and zebra. Malabar, at that time was in close commercial relations with the ports of southern Arabia, and it was the Arabs who brought these live animals from the Somali coast to southern Arabia and thence transhipped them to India. (6)

TO BE CONTINUED

1 R.Ash and B.Lake Bizarre Books (1985) pp 47-49
2 Ibid no page number
3 Ibid p. 47
4 Sinology the study of Chinese language,history and culture Concise Oxford English
5 Dictionary (2008) p.1346
6 B.Laufer The Giraffe in History and Art (1928) pp 41-42
7 Ibid pp 42-43

DALE DRINNON: RECENT POSTINGS ON CHINESE 'WILDMAN' HAIR SAMPLES

Local people think hair of unidentified creature could be from "Wild Man"
Global Times
November 23 2010

The Shennongjia Nature Reserve in Hubei province has examined a strand of hair which it has not managed to identify, prompting local people to speculate that it may belong to the "Wild Man" – China's own Bigfoot.

Piao Jinlan, a researcher at the reserve, said that scientists need to continue their tests before they can identify the species. The hair is said to be thicker than human hair and thinner than horsetail hair, and the reserve posted a photo on its website on November 22.

More than 400 people have claimed to have seen the half-man, half-ape "Wild Man" in the area in the last 100 years. Witnesses describe the creature as walking upright, more than 2 meters tall and with grey, red or black hair all over its body. An investigative team was set up in 2009 and started a large-scale search for the mysterious creature in Shennongjia this year.

http://china.globaltimes.cn/top-photo/2010-11/595939.html


Shennongjia releases micrographs of unknown animal's hair
November 25, 2010

The Shengnongjia National Nature Reserve has released the micrographs of unknown animal hair on its website on Nov. 22. The micrographs show that the hair of the unknown animal is very different from human hair and horse tail hair. Therefore, the exact origin of the hair is worth studying. The micrographs that have been released are from the molecular lab under the Research Institute of Shennongjia National Nature Reserve. Using a microscope, Piao Jinlan, a researcher from the molecular lab, observed the unknown hair samples, which included black and light brown hair, and translucent cream-colored hair from the area where locals originally found the unknown hair.

She also used horse tail hair taken from a ski field located in southern Shennongjia and women's hair as references to compare her findings. Researchers spent nearly half a day to compare the hairs and their observable internal structures and agreed that they cannot determine whether the unknown hair is human hair or horse tail hair.

Although Piao has been using and looking through microscopes for a long time, the microscopic images of this unknown animal hair still surprised her. However, she believes that a further in-depth analysis is still needed, with more scientific technical means to make a qualitative conclusion. The local nature conservation sectors said they will not rule out adopting any openly suggested scientific identification methods in order to determine the source of the unknown animal hair as early as possible and to unveil the mystery of the unknown animal.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90782/7210877.html

MUIRHEAD`S MYSTERIES: WERE THERE WOLVES WITH STRIPES IN HONG KONG IN THE 1930s?

Yes, “were there wolves with stripes in Hong Kong in the 1930s?” I am not misusing some obscure Chinese medicine; nor is this an early birthday present to myself (yes, fans, I am 44 on November 5th) Strictly speaking the article does not say it was a wolf with stripes, but for some reason we have a tiger-like wolf.

Here is the story from The Hong Kong Telegraph January 30, 1937:

Wolf Slain On Border May Be
Kowloon Tiger

Caused Men Shoot
Large Animal

Bitterly cold weather in the mountains regions of Kwangtung and Fukien may give a clue to the identity of the famous “Kowloon Tiger”.

Reports from Canton state that all manner of wild animals are being forced into the lowlands, and many of them are believed to be migrating towards warmer Hong Kong.

Shum Chun village is excited by news that Customs officers at the C.M.C blockhouse on the outskirts of the town have killed a large beast which Chinese may have taken for a tiger.

The Telegraph established telephonic communication with the blockhouse this morning and verified the report that a large animal, weighing approximately 110lbs. had been captured and killed.

The animal is not a tiger, but apparently a wolf of good size.

It had been prowling around the blockhouse for two or three days and is believed to have migrated from Fukien.The animal is said to resemble a tiger when seen at a distance. Several wolves have been shot at different periods in Hongkong territory [there were reports of sightings of wolves in Hong Kong territory during the building of the Kowloon-Canton railway from 1905-1910-R]

TIGER STORY DENIED

We are informed by the Inspector General of Police this morning that investigations have been made in the New Territories regarding the reports, current for many days, that a tiger has killed two people in the neighbourhood of Taiwaichuen village, and that the story has been found to be completely without foundation. No tiger has been reported in the vicinity, nor have any reports been received by police of deaths or injury to any person. (1)

There are one or two points here: what were the migrating patterns of Chinese wolves? Fukien (Fujian) province is several hundred miles N.E .of China. Also, to quote Dale Drinnon in answer to my question as to whether there were any reports of wolves with stripes in Asia: “No, but there are hyenas in Asia and hyenas can present appearance. Say “ Wolves with stripes” and most Cryptozoologists are conditioned to think “ Thylacines”. I need to have more information that you have given me to suggest going down THAT route.” (2) Dale wanted me to emphasise this declaimer that he has up to now ( 6.35pm Tuesday 2-11-10) not read this report.

A question dated January 2010 on Yahoo! Answers by Wolf-lover “ Do you get wolves in China?” was answered by nurnord (sic) Best Answer: “ Absolutely there are isolated population pockets of the Grey Wolf across south-west, western and the entire northern region of China” (3)

A report titled ` Report on New Territories 1899-1912` commented: “ A few small wolves still survive among the hills occasionally descending to commit depredations in the farm yards. (4) Is this the behaviour of a dhole, or even a thylacine?!

Taiwaicheun is between Sha Tin and Lion Rock

1.The Hong Kong Telegraph January 30th 1937 p.1
2. D.Drinnon E-mail to R.Muirhead November 2nd 2010
3.Yahoo! Answers. Do you get wolves in China? Resolved Question. http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091229102550AAGudHm
4. Author unknown. Report on New Territories 1899-1912 p.52 (1912)

MUIRHEAD`S MYSTERIES: AN APE-MAN IN PRE-COMMUNIST SHANGHAI/CHINESE FORTEANA

Whilst looking for mystery animal reports from Hong Kong last week I came across a rather interesting report of an ape man in pre-Communist Shanghai. I wasn`t aware of any other urban ape-men until Richard Freeman passed on details to me of an orang pendek type creature in Singapore (see below) from his forthcoming book on orang pendek. The only other reference I am aware of to this Shanghai (or, rather, Pootung) ape man is in the book Outbreak! The Encyclopaedia of Extraordinary Social Behaviour by Hilary Evans and Robert Bartholomew.

China Mail of August 26th 1947 said: “ The Pootung Ape-Man Moves To Soochow

Reports of the Pootung monster spread to Soochow Creek and families living in sampans were made panicky and confused during the night by stories of a half-human, half animal monster that scratched the eyes of several children living in sampans. The reports started last week in the Pootung area and spread quickly up and down the water front. The reports. The reports, coupled with rumours that an abduction gang is in operation, led to six volunteer policemen beating a woman to death in an attempt to get a confession and beating another unconscious.
Families living in sampans on Soochow Creek, which winds through the heart of Shanghai dividing the former International Settlement from the former Japanese Hongkew district, said the monster appeared on Saturday night (1).The police were unable to find evidence (?) while strangers were threatened by sampan folks. Confusion started when a sampan woman lulling a baby to sleep screamed for help when she thought she saw a dark form rising from the water.

Alley Cat

The Customs and Harbour police rowed up the creek and could not find anything, while crowds gathered on the bank.

Shortly after midnight last night, hearing screams from another woman again the dwellers of the smelly tidal creek, which carries much sewage in Shanghai, found a brown and white alley cat splashing about dozens of families in terror- United Press (2)

Outbreak! Says: “Cryptozoology, per se, also shows up marginally in relation to a “Water Monster Panic” that occurred in Shanghai,China, in August 1947, An “amphibious monster scare” resulted in the death by drowning of a man who jumped overboard when he heard screams of what he thought was the monster. Two other men were beaten to death by a crowd “who believed they were somehow linked to the monster” (3)

Freeman has written: “The New Paper, Singapore`s first English language paper launched in 1988, has run a number of such reports [of small upright, walking apes-RM]

A 48-year old taxi driver, called Serangoon made the following report.

“When driving my taxi past the Fire Station on Upper Bukit Timah road in the middle of the night I hit what I thought was a child that ran out in the middle of the road.It was on the car bonnet and then snarled at me-it was like a monkey but so big! It ran off injured covered in blood, and holding its` arm which was broken. (4)

1 August 23rd 1947
2 China Mail August 26TH 1947
3 Cryptomundo June 6th 2009
4 R.Freeman Unpublished manuscript of book on Orang Pendek in e-mail to R.Muirhead of 22/10/10




CHINESE FORTEANA

I hope to start seriously collecting data for a book on Chinese Forteana; I hope the most comprehensive collection yet. If anyone would like to help collect info, please can they contact me at richmuirhead@ntlworld.com? Thanks.

SMART PATROL/MR DNA DEVO

We`re Smart Patrol
Nowhere to go
Suburban robots that monitor reality
Common stock
We work around the clock
We shove the poles in the holes
(Shove it)

Wait a minute somethings wrong
He`s a man with a plan
He`s here to do us a favour
A little human sacrifice
It`s just supply and demand…..

RE. YESTERDAY'S CHINESE BIGFOOT PICTURE

Apart from thinking that the picture I posted yesterday which purports to be of a Chinese wild-woman is pretty unconvincing, the expression on 'her' face reminds me of the cartoons in a book from my collection of tomes about Hong Kong. Although the book has some fascinating stuff in it, I have always found the cartoons mildly racist and slightly distasteful....

CHINESE "BIGFOOT" PICTURE

This picture, which purports to be a file photo of "an unidentified Bigfoot in Shennongjia, China's Hubei Province," arrived in my inbox on Friday afternoon, accompanying a story on "the appearance of a Bigfoot on Taibai Mountain in Xi'an, Shaanxi".

Has anyone seen it before, and does anyone have any ideas about its provenance?

CHINESE LAKE MONSTER

Richard Freeman sent this, commenting that it looks like a huge eel or python. The YouTube blurb reads: 'This video is provided by Liupanshui TV,showing a lake monster spotted in Zangkejiang River flowing through Liupanshui,a small city located in the southwest of China.Rumors say the monster sank a cargo ship,leaving a crewman dead. A witness estimates the monster is about 8-meter long.

It looks like a giant python,dosen`t it?'

I don't know about sinking cargo ships but it is certainly an interesting piece of film and more convincing than many of its type.

MYSTERY CHINESE BIRD

MORE ON THE YEREN EXPEDITION

Yesterday we printed some pictures from Dan from his trip to China to gather information on the Yeren or Chinese wildman. He sent us a brief account of what happened..

Earlier this year I conducted a solo expedition into the remote Shennongjia National Park in central China.The goal was to collect more information about the cryptid known as the Chinese wild man or YEREN. Read On

YEREN EXPEDITION

DAN WRITES: Dear CFZ, Since there's not much happening in terms of cryptozoological expeditions, I've taken the liberty of sending you a couple of photos from my February 2010 Yeren expedition to central China (Shennongjia National Park,Hubei province). If you are interested, I can send you more details. Have a nice day. Dan



Needless to say, I wrote back asking for more details....

RICHARD FREEMAN: NEW DAM MAY PUT AN END TO THE MEKONG'S GIANT FISH

The Three Gorges Dam in China is thought to have already forced the world's largest freshwater fish, the Chinese paddle fish, into functional extinction. Now a new scheme in Indo-China may spell the end for other species of giant fish.

The report River of Giants: Giant Fish of the Mekong, profiles four giant fish living in the Mekong that rank within the top 10 largest freshwater fish on the planet. These include the giant stingray (the size of a double bed) the Mekong giant catfish, (as large as a small car),the dog-eating catfish (named because it has been caught using dog meat as bait) and the giant barb, (the national fish of Cambodia, and largest barb in the world).

The hydropower dam planned on the Mekong River in Sayabouly Province, northern Laos, is a threat to the survival of the wild population of Mekong giant catfish. The Sayabouly dam is the first lower Mekong River mainstream dam to enter a critical stage of assessment before member countries of the Mekong River Commission advise on whether to approve its construction.

"A fish the size of a Mekong giant catfish simply will not be able to swim across a large barrier like a dam to reach its spawning grounds upstream," said Roger Mollot, Freshwater Biologist for WWF Laos. "This would lead to the collapse of the wild population of this iconic species."

"More giant fish live in the Mekong than any other river on Earth," said Ms Dang Thuy Trang, Mekong River Ecoregion Coordinator for the WWF Greater Mekong Programme. "Currently, the Lower Mekong remains free-flowing, which presents a rare opportunity for the conservation of these species. But the clock is ticking."

Building the Sayabouly dam would reduce sediment flowing downstream to the Mekong River delta, increasing the vulnerability of this area to the impacts of climate change like sea level rise.

DALE DRINNON: A Note On Nagas

Nagas are snake-like creatures from the legends of India, and the term is applied to merfolk and Weresnakes as well. In this case, the use of the term in question is as in 'Monster Water-serpent.'

The Naga-Sea-monsters and Freshwater-monsters are reported from all over the orient and in many cases they are distinctly parallel to Chinese dragons. On the other hand, Chinese legend also recognises monster serpents as distinct from the dragons, and so those are more like the limbless Nagas. The Nyans of Burma are likewise merely another local form of Nagas.

The point I am making here is that the reports do NOT describe big snakes; they do not undulate in the serpentine side-to-side manner. They are in fact the same as the more northerly sea-serpents and supposedly undulate up-and-down, producing the 'String-of-buoys' effect, reported as anywhere from several yards to a few hundred feet long. Doubtless this is the effect of waves in a wake (and because of that it has nothing to do with whatever creature might be making the wake, or tell us anything about what its shape might be under the water)

The same 'Giant Serpent' reports are worldwide in the tropics: one article in Fate magazine stated that the immense legendary South American Water-monster Serpent Siucuriju Gigante was also reported in Africa, the Phillipines, and in Australia. And so the same types of reports are indeed all over the southern regions. But they are all actually the same as the more northerly sea-serpents, and the terms should be understood as synonymous. Sea-serpents are world-wide. and their characteristic reported form is the result of a wave action, which has nothing whatsoever to do with the shape of any creature that might be making the waves in its wake. As a matter of fact there is very good documentation that several different animals can create the effect, as well as boats and sometimes natural waves that are not even generated by a live animal at all.

In other words, the names 'sea-serpent', 'naga', 'Sucuriju Gigante', or whatever, do not name any specific animal species, they are all describing an illusion created by a standing wave action and only INTERPRETED as being the body of a long animal undulating vertically on the surface.

NEIL ARNOLD: China’s Child-Stealing Monster

When your parents told you the bogeyman would come and get you if you misbehaved or wouldn’t go to sleep, and you sniggered into your blanket. It’s time to think again….

From the St Petersburg Times, August 25th 1947.

‘Chinese Claim Strange Monster Steals Children –
Shanghai – Villagers and peasants around Pootung, across the Whangpoo river from Shanghai, have established a day and night watch for an amphibious monster which they believe is carrying off children.

Descriptions of the alleged beast vary, some saying it is half-man, half-ape, others that it resembles a huge wild boar. Whether children actually have vanished is uncertain, but two sets of parents , both sampan dwellers, have told of snatching their children to safety in the past week when the monster grabbed for them.’

The Daytona Beach Morning Journal of the same day added, ‘The neighbourhood has no doubts about its existence, however, and had erected a bamboo watchtower which is manned constantly. Volunteers also patrol the creek banks.


The China Press, an English language paper, said a 30-year old woman was killed last week by a posse which threw her into a pound when she refused to confess to any knowledge of the monster. Reasons for suspecting her were not given.’

CONSERVATION: Richard F and Rhino farms in China

Since 2000 China has reportedly purchased 141 rare white rhinos from South Africa. White rhinos can be bought at auction for between $30 - 75,000 in South Africa. This large number of rhinos has started alarm bells ringing in conservation circles as it is patently more than would be needed for zoos and wildlife parks.

The obvious explanation is that the rhinos are being farmed for their horn, which is much in demand in Asia amongst misguided people who believe it holds medicinal properties.
White rhinos are now the most numerous of all rhino species, numbering around 17,500. Amazingly, they were once thought extinct until a small herd of 50 was found alive in South Africa. White rhino are gregarious, and can easily be kept in herds and in enclosures. They are the most docile of rhino species, and the easiest to breed in captivity.

According to the Times, the unusually high number of rhinos being imported to China is the subject of a report to be presented at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. There is no evidence that the rhinos are being farmed for their horns, but wildlife-monitoring groups are concerned at the increase in purchases of the animal by China.

Whale You Be My Valentine

I know it's a little late but I only received this cutting yesterday. Apparently, this beluga whale and his chums in China's Polar Land marine theme park have been taught by their trainers to blow shaped bubbles. Goodness knows how. The one in the picture was intended for original display at a Valentine's Day performance at the park. One wonders, since February 14th was also the beginning of the Chinese new year of the tiger, if any of these beautiful 'sea canaries' were taught to blow a bubble of the orange and black Shere Khan. Now, that I would love to see....

LINDSAY SELBY: The Heavenly lake Creature

Heavenly Lake is in a remote region of the Jilin Province of China on the border of the Ryanggang Province of North Korea. The lake is also known as Lake Tianchi, Chonji Lake in Korean (Heavenly Lake in English). It lies in a crater at the top of Baekdu Mountain. It is the highest crater lake in the world, at 7,180 feet (2360 metres) and with a depth in places of over 1,200 feet (400 metres). A large unknown creature has been reported seen in the lake for many years. It has been described as a large greyish-black animal, about 30 feet(10 metres) in length with a horse like head.

The first sighting appears to be in 1903 when one reportedly attacked three people. It was described as a huge buffalo-like creature that roared and retreated underwater when they shot at it.

In August 1962 there were reported sightings of two creatures chasing one another through the water.

In 1968 a Jilin Province Weather Report Department staff member, Chou Fon Yin, was visiting the lake when he saw a wave emerged from the northeastern side and then two black points rose out of the water. Chou using binoculars to get a closer look said that the two black spots were two large creatures swimming side by side. He described them as black and grey in colour with very dog-like heads. Their movement in the water left a wake 21 feet (7 metres) long.

In July 24, 1994 a group of more than 40 tourists, including a Japanese university professor (no name given), all claimed to have watched and photographed the monster as appeared on the lakes surface for almost 30 minutes. Also in 1994, a Chinese State Media report quoted a sight-seer by the name of Meng Fanying who stated that he watched the creature leap from the water in a seal-like fashion, 30 feet off shore.

In July 2005, the China Daily published a report about a 52-year-old man, Zheng Changchun, who with his daughter and his son-in-law saw and video-taped the creature. Zheng was quoted as saying they saw a strange, black object emerging from the water and he grabbed his video recorder.

In September 2007, Chinese news reporter Zhuo Yongsheng shot a 20-minute video of several creatures swimming in three pairs. He said they were seal-like, finned creatures that spent around an hour and a half swimming in the lake. "They could swim as fast as yachts and at times they would disappear under the water. It was impressive to see them all swimming at exactly the same pace, as if someone was giving orders," he said. "Their fins - or maybe wings - were longer than their bodies."

The Reuters report from 1994:

09Sep94 CHINA: MONSTER OR MERMAID IN CHINA'S HEAVENLY LAKE?.BEIJING, Sept 9 (Reuter) - Will China's Heavenly Lake become as famous as Scotland's Loch Ness?

With sightings of a blond-headed creature -- or perhaps a "black thing as big as a bull head" -- to go on, officials at Lake Tianchi (Heavenly lake) in northeast China's Jilin province have started establishing study societies and collecting videotapes and photographs of a strange swimming object, Xinhua news agency said on Friday. The official news agency said eyewitnesses had seen a creature moving as fast as a walking man twice in the past two weeks. "At 3:25 p.m., September 2, it was clear and the swimming creature surfaced its blond head and swam from north to southwest in the lake for ten minutes before it submerged, according to Kim Taik, deputy secretary-general of the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefectural People's Political Consultative Conference," the news agency said. Kim said the creature stirred up waves two metres (six feet) high. Xinhua quoted a travel guide who was taking a group of Korean tourists to the lake as saying she saw a large black "thing" swimming in the lake. It said local people have given accounts of sightings and taken pictures of a mysterious lake-dwelling creature since the beginning of the century. The creature is not China's only mystery -- reports of a man-beast "Wild Man" periodically spring up from around the country.

(c) Reuters Limited 1994 REUTERS NEWS SERVICE

It may be my reading of the reports but it sounds like some sort of seal. The roaring one from 1903 could have been a bull seal as they have a mane and it would look like buffalo. The fins are interesting as I believe some whales have huge fins. So could it be two different types of creature; one a seal-like animal, the other a whale-like creature? The lake is deep enough for them both to live there but there is little information on whether the food stocks would be sufficient.