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...




Monday, May 07, 2012

ANDREW MAY: Words from the Wild Frontier

News and stories from the remoter fringes of the CFZ blogosphere...

From Nick Redfern's Fortean World:

DALE DRINNON: Guest Blogger Jayasree: Geography, geo-dynamics and Peoples in Puranas what Valdiya knows, Witzel doesnt know!

Between the two of us, I was able to finally get guest blogger Jayasree's blog entry posted. It seemed that Blogger was fighting me all the way on this:
http://frontiers-of-anthropology.blogspot.com/2012/05/guest-blogger-jayasree-geography-geo.html

HAUNTED SKIES: Daily Mirror 10.10.67.



http://hauntedskies.blogspot.com/2012/05/daily-mirror-101067.html

I'M THE GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN


Good morning campers!

We have a whole slew of interesting things for you on today's blog.

First up is the return of prog legend Ant/Bee, together with a cast of supporting playters so stellar that you wouldn't believe it if I told you:
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/05/antbee-music-pioneer-ant-bee-releases.html

And whilst on the subject of things hymenopterous, here is a story from the Ant/Bee mainman about the time he was mistaken for Brian Wilson:
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/05/antbee-do-you-like-worms.html

Rob Ayling's mate Tony Hawks has been up to some peculiar stuff:
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/05/tony-hawks-hippocrates-centre-appeal.html
He seems like a really nice bloke. I urge you all to support his charity appeal as best you can..

There was supposed to be an interview with Martin Stephenson here today. What happened?
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/05/martin-stephenson-bank-holiday-monday.html

Some news and a smashing new graphic from Michael Des Barres:
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/05/michael-des-barres-music-mayhem-radio.html

A preview of a forthcoming Gonzo DVD release from Captain Beefheart:
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/05/captain-beefheart-coming-very-soon-to.html

See ya on the morrow.

OLL LEWIS: Yesterday's News Today

Yesterday’s News Today
http://cryptozoologynews.blogspot.com/

On this day, 100 years ago, in 1912 Paramount Pictures was founded.
And now the news:

Cat survives two-hour washing machine ordeal in So...
Peru warns against beaches due to bird deaths
Rare Philippine turtles returned by Hong Kong – vi...
Researcher Forms Group to Save Turtles – via Herp ...
Oil beetles rediscovered in Lincolnshire after 28 ...
Largest Known Crocodile Could Swallow a Human
Pig poo power the answer to China's porky poser?
Early Spring Means More Bat Girls
Zoo keeper shows amazing dedication
'Mystery' blue sheep appear outside Germany's Schw...
Save a monkey to save a species
Less Is More, for Female Cowbirds: Findings Contra...

The paramount logo through the years:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPT2eEZp_eg

THE CFZ GROUNDS IN MAY

Now that spring most definitely has sprung we are getting on with all sorts of bits and bobs that need to be done around the CFZ grounds.

Graham is refurbishing one of the CFZ aviaries, here (something which is long overdue)...
At the Weird Weekend in 2007 lots of small children capered around on the grass under the tree where we had a pinata. Basically they destroyed a large chunk of lawn, and for the last five years we have tried in vain to restore it. We tried returfing it, we tried re-seeding it but to no avail.




Finally we just dug the bloody thing up, and now we have a rather pretty looking flower bed.




I hope that you agree with me that it looks rather fine. In the foreground you see an ornamental rhododendron, which is the beginning of what will eventually be a shrubbery and wildlife haven. We have birds breeding in practically every tree, bush and shrub in the grounds, so it is about time we planted some more..


But lest we forget. We may be refurbishing and changing some parts of the grounds, but others will remain inviolate - like the two little plots where Tessie and Biggles lie in rest...




Sleep well little friends.

MYSTERY CAT-RELATED NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

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 in some way by us, so we should have a go at publishing a regular round-up of the stories as they come in. However the mystery cat phenomenon is a global one, so here are some mystery cat, and mystery cat-related stories from around the world...

Large wild cat surprises Pike resident
NEagle
By Peter Becker Donna Millosky, of Sylvan Road in Dingman Township, sent the following report of an unusual, big cat she observed last week. She conjectured, after comparing what she saw with pictures online, that the animal could have been a mountain ...

Have You Seen a Mountain Lion?
Patch.com

Several area residents have reported seeing the big cats, but officials say rumors of a mountain lion in the area are still unverified. By James Leggate Mountain lion napping after being chased up the tree by Gina, the dog. Patch reader Larry McVoy ...

Boy in black-and-white stripes unfazed as lioness tries to attack him through ...
Daily Mail
Video footage shows the hilarious moment the big cat at Oregon Zoo tried to maul the youngster - only to be stopped by the glass partition. The boy, named Jack, appears unfazed by Kya the lioness baring her teeth, keeping his back to her as she ...

A national depository of tiger pictures mooted
Hindustan Times
There will soon be a national depository of tiger pictures in the wild for better protection of the big cat. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has decided to set up the database of the pictures taken through camera trap methodology.

Cougar in Kennewick killed for safety
Bellingham Herald
It's necessary,” said Sgt. Mike Jewell of the Washington Fish and Wildlife Department, who put a shotgun slug into the big cat. “We're always going to put the safety of the public first.” The cat weighed 110 pounds and appeared to be a young male.

'Big cat' sightings in 2 towns
NorthJersey.com
Police in Westwood and Washington Township have been unable to confirm a handful of "big cat" sightings in the area. Since late last week, residents in both communities have reported seeing either a bobcat or a mountain lion on the ...

HIDDEN HISTORY: Mysterious panther roams area, 1952
The Daily News Online (blog)
The Daily News first reported the phenomenon in early June, when residents in the North Byron area reported seeing or hearing at least one marauding cat-like creature in the Searls Road area. Mrs. Harold J. DeBrine told police that she and her husband

BIG CAT NEWS: Gloucestershire and Greater Manchester

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 in some way by us, so we should have a go at publishing a regular round-up of the stories as they come in.

It takes a long time to do and is a fairly tedious task so I am not promising that they will be done each day, but I will do them as regularly as I can. JD

Podsmead 'puma' sparks fresh big cat speculation
This is Gloucestershire

THE latest sighting of a suspected big cat on the loose in Gloucester has triggered fresh speculation wild animals live among city residents. Mum-of-two Julie Marlow was wary of reporting the sighting for fear of ridicule.

We have two sightings to report today. One from Gloucestershire and the other from Greater Manchester. Neither of them are particularly spectacular, but they both provide solid evidence to support the assertion that there are, indeed, big cats loose in the British countryside...

Sighting of mystery animal in Hale
Messenger Newspapers

THERE has been another sighting of a mystery creature in Hale - the second within a month. Mother-of-two Sue Langham was astonished to see the animal sitting on her back door step on Rivington Road at 5am on Monday morning. The animal - about the size ...

Messer Chups - Chupacabra Twist

We are always impressed to see the crossover between cryptozoology and popular culture:



Messer Chups are a Russian experimental surf band that have been going strong for over a decade now. The band has released so many albums in so many different versions that it’s hard to say how big their output actually is. The Messer Chups use a lot of samples in their music and their tracks often feature a good old theremin. Type in their name on YouTube and a shitload of video’s can be found of collages of original material, excerpts of American b-movies and weird Russian/Eastern-European video material.

The “Chupacabra” Twist is from their 2011 release Surf riders from the Swamp Lagoon. To learn more about the band or to get your hands on one of their records, visit their website.