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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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Monday, October 29, 2018

THE LAST WEEK AT THE CFZ-USA BLOG

CFZ-USA

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.


  • NEWSLINK: State houndsman works to keep Black Hill...
  • NEWSLINK: Tigers dwindling: Just 6 sub-species rem...
  • NEWSLINK: With 23 Gir lions dead in 10 days, debat...
  • NEWSLINK: Other states get a scent of plans to sav...
  • ARTICLE: To kill or not to kill?


  • NEWSLINK: 28 lions get more leg room in Devaliya
  • THE GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN CONTINUES TO PRAY

    The Gonzo Daily: Monday/Tuesday
     
    YER EDITOR SEZ:
     
    And so, here we are at the beginning of another week. The weekend was not as much fun as one would have liked, as the tummy bug which had laid half of the family low earlier in the week, took its toll on the rest of us, and so – as a result – everyone was feeling more than slightly sorry for themselves. Monday morning brings all sorts of exciting tidings with it, most of which I am unable to talk about at this stage. It’s always annoyed me when people drop hints like that; it always smacks of elitism to me. But, then again, what do I know? And my email inbox really was rather exciting this morning, but it is all stuff that cannot be made public just yet. Oh well. It was ever thus!
     
    Corinna is still largely pain free, and continues to be the magnificent woman I have always known that she was, however we STILL do not have a definitive diagnosis. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Being at the receiving end of such a torrent of positive vibes is a truly wonderful and humbling experience, and it is one of the main things that keeps us going.
     
    I do have good news to impart: Lars Thomas' book about the mystery land animals of Scandinavia and the Baltic States has been uploaded, and over at Gonzo the first volume of Kev Rowland's The Progressive Underground is also imminent. And at Fortean Fiction, my latest novel - 'Zen and Xenophobia' - vaguely a sequel to 2015's 'The Song of Panne', has finally been uploaded, and both mine and Lars' books will be available to buy this week (unless something horrid happens). I would warn you that if you are of a nervous disposition, or easily offended, you will find parts of my novel both offensive and upsetting. There is sex, violence, drug abuse, occultism, pornography, firearms, politics, religion, and not a little sociology. But there is also love, kindness, faith, and redemption. And it's a cracking good yarn. Or I think so, at any rate.
     
    All I would say on the subject before bidding you farewell is Caveat Lector. And I'm not gonna explain what that means, because because if you don't know what that means then you probably shouldn't be reading the book in the first place.
     
    ALL TODAY'S GONZO NEWS WOT'S FIT TO PRINT:
     
    LEONARD COHEN NEWS
    NEWS FROM BARBARA DICKSON
    NEWS FROM UNCLE RICK
    THE GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY:  The Deviants - Garbag...
    THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem
     
     
     
    OTHER IMPORTANT STUFF FROM THE GONZOVERSE:
     
    For those of you who are interested in such things, the Gonzo Privacy Policy is here:
     
    And the CFZ Privacy Policy is here:
    And, yes,
     
    CHECK OUT THE GONZO STORES:
     
    UK
    US
     
    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 eight 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 #309/10
    THE WELCOME ON THE HILLSIDE ISSUE
    (I wonder if anyone will get it?)
     
    In another fantastically fab issue, Alan goes to a PsyTrance festie at Hebden Bridge and grooved to the sounds of Steve Hillage, System 7, Eat Static and more, we have a new interview with Rick Wakeman, Rob photographs Man in Cardiff, John goes to see Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets, Jon writes about Chaos Chaos, Mary Epworth and The Who, and Hawkwind go orchestral.
     
    #Hail Eris!
     
    And there are radio shows from Strange Fruit, Mack Maloney, AND Friday Night Progressive, AND as Lady Selene has been high in the sky, Canterbury Sans Frontieres, AND there are columns from Kev Rowlands,  AND C J Stone, AND Mr Biffo but though Neil Nixon, AND Roy Weard AND the irrepressible Corinna are on hiatus.  There is also a collection of more news, reviews, views, interviews and red kangaroos who've lost their shoes (OK, nothing to do with the largest extant macropods who are in a quandry with regards their footwear, 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:
     
    Chaos Chaos, Nico, Merrell Fankhauser, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Queen, Roger Taylor, Bart Lancia, Yes, Man, Richard Stellar, Jamal Khashoggi, Daniel Pearl, Richard Freeman, Strange Fruit, Friday Night Progressive, Canterbury Sans Frontieres, Mack Maloney's Mystery Hour, Valters Fridenbergs, Oli Herbert, Annapurna Devi, Theresa Hightower, Tim Chandler, Andy Goessling, Jon James McMurray, Al Atkins, The Chad Mitchell Trio, Spirits Burning and Michael Moorcock, The Gardening Club, Rick Wakeman, Simon Mayo, Alan Dearling, Hebden Bridge, Cabbage Festival, Steve Hillage and Miquette Giraudy, System 7, Mirror System, Daniel Gaudi, Mery Pepler aka Eat Static, Tetchi, Ozric Tentacles, John Brodie-Good, Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets, Kev Rowland, Green Desert Water, Heartwind, Ira B Liss Big Band Jazz Machine, Jim McCarty, The Konsortiumm, L.A. Guns, Leila Abdul-Rauf, Lesoir, Carl Marshall, Mr Biffo, Chris Stone, Hawkwind, Cold Harbour Diaries, Jon Downes, The Wild Colonial Boy, Martin Springett, The Who, Dave Marsh
     
    And the last few issues are:
     
    Issue 309-10 (Steve Hillage)
    Issue 307-8 (Michael Moorcock)
    Issue 305-6 (Maartin Allcock)
    Issue 303-4 (kOZFEST)
    Issue 301-2 (Ringo Starr)
    Issue 299-300 (Aretha Franklin)
    Issue 298 (Alan in Hungary)
    Issue 297 (Shir Ordo)
    Issue 295-6 (Robert Berry)
    Issue 294 (Bow Wow Wow)
    Issue 293 (Stonehenge)
    Issue 292 (Rolling Stones)
    Issue 291 (Alien Weaponry)
    Issue 290 (Frank Zappa)
    Issue 289 (Misty in Roots)
    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 59 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 -  1618 - Sir Walter Raleigh was beheaded under a sentence that had been brought against him 15 years earlier for conspiracy against King James I. 
    And now some more recent news from the CFZ Newsdesk

  • Mother and toddler critically injured after giraff...
  • Whale stranding death toll rises to 58 in Scotland...
  • Facebook animal trade exposed in Thailand
  • How wolf predation shapes elk antler evolution
  • When it rains, snake bites soar

  • 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)