Yes, its that time of the year again! For the fourth year running, Richard Freeman and Chris Clark are off to foreign climes in search of a monster. This year, the destination is Gambia, and the team (which includes GURRRLS for the first time), is going in search of not one, but two monsters!
· 30-foot killer dragons lurking in swamps?
· A sea monster carcass buried on an African beach, with a map marking the spot?
Back in 1983, amateur naturalist Owen Burnham discovered the fresh carcass of a strange beast on a remote beach in the Gambia. It was around 15 feet long and looked like a cross between a crocodile and a dolphin. Realizing that it was something unknown to science, Owen, a missionary’s son, made detailed sketches of the creature. He and his family then buried it in the hot sand above the tide line, hoping that the dry sand would preserve the body. He also made a detailed map.
We have a copy of the map and intend to dig up and examine the monster’s body.
L-R Suzi, Me, Chris Clark, Chris Moiser (back to camera) Oll, Jane (CFZ Member), Richard
More alarmingly, there are stories of a swamp-dwelling dragon known as Ninki-nanka. The 30 foot beast is said to lurk in deep riverbank holes and emerge into the swamps at night. As recently as the early 1990s, it is alleged to have killed people. Cryptozoologist Richard Freeman thinks Ninki-nanka may be a giant, semi-aquatic monitor lizard. Related to the infamous Komodo dragon, the African reptile would be three times as long: as big as a very large crocodile. The team hopes to interview witnesses and venture into the deep mangrove swamps on the trail of the beast.
Previous adventures have seen the CFZ hunt for the Naga, a 60 foot snake in Thailand; the Chupacabra, a blood-sucking beast from Mexico; Orang-pendek, a Sumatran ape man; and the Mongolian deathworm.
Team members are
· Chris Moiser: Biologist and team leader
· Dr Chris Clark: Engineer
· Lisa Dowley: First aid and security expert
· Richard Freeman: cryptozoologist
· Oll Lewis: Ecologist
· Suzi Marsh: computer expert
L-R Jane (CFZ Member), Richard, Chris M, Suzi,
Lisa (back to camera), Chris C, me, David Phillips (CFZ Staff)
On sunday afternoon, the six team members converged on CFZ Mansions, and we had the final planning meeting before the expedition takes place. We shall be giving regular updates as and when we have news, so watch this space! However, dipping our toes into the murky waters of the new technology, we have also opened a My Space page for the expedition, so feel free to come over and check it out!