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...




Sunday, October 28, 2012

TODAY'S 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 should have a go at publishing a regular round-up of the stories as they come in. In September 2012, Emma Osborne decided that the Mystery Cat Study Group really deserved a blog of its own within the CFZ Blog Network.



  • USA SIGHTING: Texas
  • NEWSLINK: More on Idaho Mountain Lion
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    FORTEAN BIRD NEWS FROM THE WATCHER OF THE SKIES (CFZ)

    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. So, after about six months of regular postings on the main bloggo, Corinna has taken the plunge and started a 'Watcher of the Skies' blog of her own as part of the CFZ Bloggo Network.

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    I'M YER GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN

    Sunday, last night the clocks went back
    I had an extra hour on my back
    being pushed out of bed by a jowly dog
    when I should have been sleeping like a log

    but week now out of my pen
    spurts crappy poetry once again
    and as I have written many times,
    it amuses me to write bad rhymes.

    If I was in London this afternoon I know where I would be
    alongside my wife, and dog and mother-in-law and the intern called Sheri
    We'd all be at Club Artyfartle, we know its worth a look
    it's organised by Acton Bell and Helen McCookerybook

    And now we have an interview that's not too out of place
    cos its with a bloke called Chris Squire who plays some groovy bass
    with what band I hear you ask, I wonder can you guess
    for many years he has been the kingpin dude with Yes

    Peter McAdam is a funny guy, his surreal take on life
    is something sure to entertain myself, my dog and wife
    each day this week we have posted up a stream of exclusive pix
    proof the 9 Henrys were around back in 1066

    Texas Thom the World Poet is a feature of this blog
    just like me bitching about the Government or praising my fat dog
    and once again we can present a poem just for you
    this one's about coffee (sort of) and lots of other stuff too

    She may have retired from music, but she's still a groovy chick
    so when on YouTube I came across a movie of Grace Slick
    I decided that I just had to repost it just for you
    so here, my dears, is a multi part Grace Slick interview

    It is sad when one has to report when a muse has sadly died
    I found the following piece of news which Facebook had supplied
    Marillion's Kay has passed away, and I have just one wish
    to send Gonzo condolences to her family, the band and Fish

    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 Editor is an old hippy of 53 who - together with his orange cat - puts it all together from a converted potato shed in a tumbledown cottage deep in rural Devon. He is ably assisted by his lovely wife Corinna, his bulldog/boxer Prudence, and a motley collection of social malcontents. Plus.. did we mention the orange cat?
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    DALE DRINNON: Bigfoot/Benny's Blog

    New Links for tomorrow. The first one was buggy and I've been fighting through versions of it for the last couple of days to get the bugs out:
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    OLL LEWIS: Yesterday's News Today



    On this day in 1971 Britain launched the Prospero satellite on a British rocket. This marked the high point of our space program.
    And now the news:

  • 569 Radiated Tortoises seized at Airport in Madaga...
  • Why You Shouldn't Kiss Pigs at the County Fair
  • Bowhead whales cross from Atlantic to Pacific regu...
  • Rarest dog: Ethiopian wolves are genetically vulne...
  • Rebel attack on Virunga National Park ranger patro...
  • Zoo confident its newest animal will be a big hit
  • Assynt red deer cull defended by John Muir Trust
  • Research Finds That Lizards Are Fast Learners – vi...
  • Unique sea snake found in museum
  • Housewife 'was raised by monkeys'
  • Corticosterone and Thyroxine in Cold-Stunned Kemp’...

    • Professor Alice Roberts talks to some people involved in Prospero:
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    Saturday, October 27, 2012

    SHERI'S BLOG: Day 1 – Friday

    We have a visitor this week. Sheri Myler, a student from the North of England is doing a week's placement with us. She is already very keen on cryptozoology and eager to learn. I confidently predict that she will be an asset to the cryptozoological community in years to come. However, we decided to put her to work, and each day she will be blogging about what she has been doing...


    My first official task was to learn the husbandry routine of all the animals kept at the Centre for Fortean Zoology (CFZ). This was followed by a morning briefing discussing the days tasks, upcoming events and correspondence with authors/contacts. There was also further talk of my duties and a pop-quiz on the cryptozoological significance of the animals here at the CFZ. I didn't do very well.

    After this, I helped prepare trail cameras, and set them up in the woods at Ashcroft Farm, to begin documentation of the animals that an Alien Big Cat (ABC) can feed on in the area. Care was taken to place them in memorable places to aid in retrieving them next Thursday.

    The local pub is under new ownership and is eager to have a new look to the place. As a result, they wanted us to collect a fish tank and bring the fish back to the CFZ. One fish proved reluctant to remove from the tank and, by the time we had, it was the last fish to carry round to the centre. This was left to me and I felt more responsible for this solitary fish than throughout the rest of the task. It was in a tiny pot of water as I carried it through the cold evening. I was worried that the stress and cold would be too much for the poor thing. I’m happy to say that the fish survived and is happy in its new home.

    Much of the remainder of this day was spent helping Jon in proof-reading journal articles and typing up his dictations, to be added to the journal. There was also a break for a delicious meal served by his lovely wife, Corinna  The day was topped off by a car-ride around Huddisford woods, in hopes of sighting an ABC. Sadly, however, there was no action. 
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    DALE DRINNON: Bigfoot, giant skulls, Cedar & Willow, Benny's Blog

    New at Frontiers of Zoology:
     
    And on Benny's Blog, the Ominous Octopus Omnibus:
    http://bennypdrinnon.blogspot.com/2012/10/a-keen-brunette-named-katy-keene.html

    New on Frontiers of Zoology:
    One of three continuing discussions on facebook arising from recent FOZ posts, but the first one from which there have been substantial results:
    And Here is today's Cedar and Willow link:
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