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...




Wednesday, February 21, 2018

THYLACINES IN THE NEWS




Surprisingly the digital scans revealed that when the Thylacine or Tassie Tiger is first born they looked like any other marsupial, however, three months later, when they had left the pouch their appearance is more similar to that of a puppy, continuing to grow with a dog-like appearance. The Tassie ...

BIGFOOT NEWS IN BRIEF




“The Man Who Created Bigfoot” didn't disappoint those who came to hear him recall details of his famous encounter with “Patty” during the second annual Nebraska Bigfoot Conference Friday and Saturday at City Auditorium. Bob Gimlin charmed the hundreds of Bigfoot enthusiasts who greeted him with ...

Cliff Barackman talks Bigfoot sightings and evidence on AM
Cliff Barackman, Finding Bigfoot co-host. Barackman seems to talk with a confidence of an insider, Evidence, Finding Bigfoot, Sasquatch, Television, Videos. Source- http://cryptosightings. He talks about the reality of Oct 7, 2011 Here's a few accounts of Nguoi Rung sightings from American soldiers ...

BIGFOOT has been filmed roaming through the wilderness with two youngsters, according to sensational claims. ... BIGFOOT? The video claims to have caught the mythical creature on camera. The footage was uploaded to YouTube channel Nv Tv on February 15 and has since received a huge ...

On The Track (of Unknown Animals) Ep. 88 (Mysterious Carcass, Monster Hunter, British Bigfoot etc)



Here we have the seventh episode of the relaunched webTV show by the Centre for Fortean Zoology, written and presented by Jon Downes and Charlotte Phillipson, their families and other animals. This episode contains: • The British Bigfoot (CFZ being Silly) • Monster Hunter World • Deconstructing the Sea Serpent skull in Cornwall • Jon and Graham in London • Playing the media game • Hunting Big Cats in Powlers Piece • A mysterious carcass • Charlotte gets excited about dead body parts • Lars gives his veridct • A song • The British Bigfoot (CFZ being Serious) • The Bolam lake BHM • Glen Vaudrey and the CFZ BHM Study Group • Weird Weekend North 2018 • Mark Ranes' Podcast • Colin Schneider and the five most important books for cryptozoologists • The CFZ Next Generation Initiative • Watcher of the skies • New and rediscovered: New bats in Central and South America • New and rediscovered: New armoured catfish in South America • New and rediscovered: New cichlid in South America • New and rediscovered: New loach in Turkey • New and rediscovered: New lizard named after David Attenborough • New and rediscovered: New salamander in South America • New and rediscovered: Old lizard rediscovered in Ethiopia • Fair use • Coming next month • The Patreon campaign • The team says goodbye until next month • The team says get well soon Charlotte You can support us, and help us make this show ever more bigger and better at our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/CFZ

NEWS FROM NOWHERE: Wednesday

ON THIS DAY IN - 1804 - The first self-propelled locomotive on rails was demonstrated in Wales. 
And now some more recent news from the CFZ Newsdesk

  • There are more mammal species than we thought
  • Rewilding Reptiles to Eco-Engineer the Anthropocen...
  • Supreme Court Hops Into Case About a Frog (Dusky G...
  • Oldest human fossil outside Africa discovered in I...

  • Urban foxes and coyotes learn to set aside their d...

  • 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)

    Monday, February 19, 2018

    THE GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN SINGS REASONABLY HAPPILY

    The Gonzo Daily: Monday/Tuesday
     
    The bathroom ceiling fell in last night. We always knew that it would be a possibility ever since the leak started, but we had hoped that it would stay relatively intact while we fixed the roof. But it was not to be.
     
    In good news, however, it looks like Graham has found the master for the film that we made twenty years ago this month in Puerto Rico and Mexico. Not the one made professionally by Channel 4, but the one we made ourselves, that I thought had been lost under embarrassingly sordid circumstances two decades back. If so, we may even have a bash at finishing it. The picture quality is not too good, but it was shot on 8mm two decades ago, and has spent the intervening years, forgotten at the bottom of a box of damp rubbish, so it is a miracle that it has survived at all.
     
    I have not been at all well these last few days, and have slept in my chair much of the day. Indeed the most fun I had this last week was filming with Wally the Comedy Rhinoceros:
     
    ciaou....
     
    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:
     
    But for now, here is the news:
     
    THE GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY: New Riders of the Purp...
    PINK FAIRIES IN THE NEWS
    GARDENING CLUB CANADIAN REVIEW
    THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem
    MICHAEL BRUCE INTERVIEW
     
    Gonzo Weekly #274
    THE MY PEOPLE WERE FAIR AND HAD STARS IN THEIR WASSNAMES ISSUE
     
    In this awesomely groovy issue, Jeremy critiques the new biography of the legendary Steve Peregrin Took, once of T Tex, and later of Shagrat, but always of Ladbroke Grove, Richard eulogises the Maya Youssef Trio, Doug goes to see Andreas Vollenweider, Alan gets the blues revival, Biffo gets a series, and Jon gets all hippylike.
     
    Hail Eris!
     
    And there are radio shows from Strange Fruit, AND Friday Night Progressive, AND Mack Maloney. TheRE ARE columns from all sorts of folk including Neil Nixon, Roy Weard, C J Stone, Mr Biffo AND the irrepressible Corinna. There is also a collection of more news, reviews, views, interviews and southern dibblers who have gone for a snooze (OK, nothing to do with small marsupials who have probably got hangovers and have decided to have a little rest, 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:
     
    Tony Klinger, Paul McCartney, Roger Waters, Metallica, Prince, Yes, Mark E. Smith, Strange Fruit, Friday Night Progressive, Mack Maloney's Mystery Hour, Daryle Bruce Singletary, Vic Damone, Thomas Dale "Tom" Rapp, Troy A.Blakely, Craig MacGregor, Algia Mae Hinton, Kevin Smith (Lovebug Sarski, Paul Torpey, Michael White, Scott Boyer, Barbara Dickson, Jessica Lee Morgan, Rick akeman, Billion Dollar Babies, Tangerine Dream, Jeremy Smith, Steve Peregrin Took, Fee Warner, Doug Harr, Andreas Vollenweider, Alan Dearling, Bluetouch Live.com, Brent Hutchinson Band, Chicago 9, The Herbz, Richard Foreman, Maya Youssef Trio, Kev Rowland, L.A. Guns, Laura Ainsworth, Lyn Stanley, Mark "Porkchop" Holder, NE Obliviscaris, Nimrod B.C., Omotai, The Oxford Trauma, Panzer, Mr. Biffo, Roy Weard, Hawkwind, Jon Downes, The Wild Colonial Boy, Pink Floyd, Peter Frampton, The Herd, Mick Fleetwood, Beatles, Martin Springett, Neil Nixon, The Fireside Theatre
     
    And the last few issues are:
     
    Issue 273 (Live Dead 69)
    Issue 272 (George Butler)
    Issue 271 (Mark E Smith)
    Issue 270 (Eric Clapton)
    Issue 269 (Narnia)
    Issue 267-8 (Happy New Year)
    Issue 265-6 (The Who)
    Issue 264 (John McLaughlin)
    Issue 263 (The magic Band)
    Issue 262 (DikMik)
    Issue 261 (Leonard Cohen)
    Issue 260 (Amsterdam Squat Festie)
    Issue 259 (Out come thee Freaks)
    Issue 258 (The Devil's Jukebox)
    Issue 257 (Judge Smith)
    Issue 255/6 (John Lennon)
    Issue 254 (Mr Biffo)
    Issue 253 (Dana Gillespie)
    Issue 252 (Cropredy)
    Issue 251 (Scott Walker)
    Issue 250 (Jamms)
    Issue 249 (Bill Bruford)
    Issue 248 (The Selecter)
    Issue 247 (Don Airey)
    Issue 246 (Steve Hackett)
    Issue 244-5 (Summer Special)
     
     
    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?

    BIGFOOT NEWS IN BRIEF




    At the conference, it was all Sasquatch all the time. Speakers spoke of encounters and footprint impressions. Vendors sold Bigfoot bumper stickers, T-shirts and mugs. Sasquatch action figures and neon-colored night lights were also for sale, and a numbered Nebraska Sasquatch “hunting license” could ...


    Bigfoot Leaves 2 ft Long Footprints in Sunnyslope Washington
    This nearly 1/2 mile long trail of footprints left by a huge Bigfoot were found in a field in Washington. According to researchers, the tracks were nearly 2 ft long! Bigfoot sightings are extremely common in this area of the country. https://www.moderngalaxynews.com/home-1/


    But the sasquatch tracker has also attracted his fair share of controversy, with some in the Bigfoot community saying he faked video footage of a sasquatch. He makes money running weeklong sasquatch-seeking expeditions, charging US$4,800 for a “breathtaking adventure” in the Canadian wilderness.



    Southern California woman claims she saw Bigfoot; sues California to prove it ... She believes they were looking at Bigfoot. ... has filed a lawsuit against the state of California, as well as the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, for refusing to acknowledge the existence of the species of Bigfoot.



    Bigfoot explorer Toby Langford from Great Barr who is using scientific data to track the mysterious beast and has posted his findings on Youtube. (Image: Birmingham Mail). Despite his painstaking research, Toby, a Birmingham University physics graduate, is yet to be convinced Bigfoot is more than an ...

    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.