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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Monday, October 31, 2011

Return of the Black Turtle, A Success Story (Via Herp Digest)

Photographer Neil Osborne is raising funds on Emphas.is to document a success story - how one man has helped save the Black Turtle from extinction

Author: Katheine Waters, 10/28/11

Photographer Neil Osborne first became involved in the conservation project to save the black turtle when a magazine sent him to profile scientist Wallace "J" Nichols. "During that first visit, I met Julio Solis, an amazing young man who has fully transitioned from being a fisherman/poacher to a conservation professional and a community leader."

"I spent more time listening to him than I did photographing," says Osborne, "These first few introductions inspired me to start the project."

Initially he hesitated about working with Emphas.is. "They had never worked with a conservation photographer before so this project was the first with a real environmental/wildlife focus," but through the ready support offered it was an easy choice to make.

"Conservation photography is just as much about the deliverables of a project as is the imagery," says Osborne, by this he means not just the app or ebook he and Nichols are considering, nor the printed journal filled with photographs and notes they will publish, but the measurable effect the resulting material will have on raising the profile of the protection project.

"Nichols is already aligning contacts and an opportunity to put our work in front of the president of Mexico. That is the audience we want, along with the governors of various states who have roles in the conservation of the black sea turtle."

Osborne is hoping to raise $11,315 to finance the project. To help him, check the Emphas.is website.
To see video on project go to - bottom of page or go to Emphas.is

Read more: http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/blog-post/2120946/spotlight-crowdfunding-return-black-turtle#ixzz1c5izFXy0

WEIRD TORRIDGESIDE: Dark doings in Braunton


http://torridgeside.blogspot.com/2011/10/dark-doings-in-braunton.html

GYNANDROMORPH Argynnis paphia








THIS side is male

THIS side is female

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GYNANDROMORPH-unmounted-butterfly-Argynnis-paphia-RARE-/310304369750?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item483f94ec56

DORSET MOTHS WEBSITE

I don't think that I have mentioned this site before...

The purpose of Dorset Moths is to bring together all those interested in moths in Dorset, and to promote the importance of moths as an indicator of bio-diversity and habitat health. Although records are warmly welcomed for publication on this site, it is essential that records are sent to the County Recorders by observers each year, preferably in tabular form. Feel free to download the approved spreadsheet (latest version 2.0.2), created by Les Hill, click here.

http://www.dorsetmothgroup.org.uk/

DOES THE ORANG PENDEK HAVE A BORNEAN COUSIN?

Dear all at CFZ,

I was recently reading a book about a doomed British army 1994 expedition to be the first to drop down from the summit of Mount Kinabalu in Borneo, and descend Low’s Gully, an incredibly deep and hard to access gorge. I was excited to read some sections that are exciting from a cryptozoological perspective.

This first extract was written by Sergeant Bob Mann, who was high up the mountain, above the gorge, but well below the summit of Kinabalu:

‘The others went off to their tents, fifty yards up the hill, and I put some wood on the fire before settling down to sleep. I lay in my sleeping bag, looking at the splendor of the enormous cliffs in the moonlight, and drifted off to sleep, only to be woken some time later by the sound of a boulder being moved close by. At first I thought it was Kevin getting his own back for the episode with the tea, and told whoever it was to stop pissing about playing games and get back to bed, but there was no reply. I looked at my watch; it was twenty past two. I figured that it must have been someone having a pee, so I put some more wood on the fire and snuggled down into my sleeping back again. There was a loud ‘crack’ as if something heavy had stood on a piece of wood; I got out my head torch and had a good look around. Nothing. I put some more wood on the fire and settled down again, this time pulling my bivvy bag over my head. No sooner had I made myself snug than a scratching started on the outside of my bivvy. Whatever it was sounded really big and I was completely freaked. I lay there, paralyzed by fear for at least ten minutes, listening to the scratching getting louder, before plucking up the courage to take my knife from my belt. I shot out from my sleeping bag like a rat from a drainpipe, knife in hand, shouting at the top of my voice: ‘Come on you ^&*&(!

My neck crawled as I saw a large ape-like shape disappear into the tall shrubs on my left. I’ve never been so scared in my life; I knelt there for 10 minutes, knife in hand, too petrified to move. I must have looked really stupid. Some Commando, getting spooked by an animal. My mind raced, recalling stories of Yetis and such like – did they live in Borneo?’

On the same day, Lance Corporal Rich Mayfield (who was the advance party), had abseiled by himself down a section of the gorge wall to a substantial forested ledge halfway down. He reported:

‘…I reached it and lowered myself through the initial greenery, only to be faced with thick branches barring my way, necessitating a bit of aggression to punch a hole big enough to get down.

Standing on what passed for the jungle floor I peered into the emerald depths, trying to pick out a viable route, until a loud commotion broke out in the undergrowth nearby; it was probably some fascinating example of the Kinabalu fauna, but ay aspirations I might have had to being David Attenborough deserted me as visions of tigers and water buffaloes sprang to mind and sent me prussiking back up the ropes to the open hillside. There aren’t any tigers in Sabah of course, and as far as I knew, water buffaloes weren’t particularly well versed in the art of abseiling, but whatever it was had sounded large and powerful enough to put me off the idea of solo exploration for the day.’

I have checked the mega fauna of Borneo at that altitude (approx 10,750 feet) and cannot find an explanation for this, as water buffaloes do not live at that altitude.

Could this be another variety of Orang Pedek living in the remote national park?

The book is by: Rich Mayfield and Bob Mann. It is entitled: Kinabalu escape - The Soldiers' Story. It is published by Constable, ISBN: 0 09 476970 2


Best wishes,


Sam White, Enfield, London

HAUNTED SKIES: Interesting clippings from 1971


http://hauntedskies.blogspot.com/2011/10/ufo-clipping-1971.html

OLL LEWIS: Yesterday's New Today

http://cryptozoologynews.blogspot.com/

On this day in 1604 William Shakespeare’s play Othello was first performed.
And now the news:

Antarctic Killer Whales May Seek Spa-Like Relief i...
Study: Optical clues help flying birds
More huge ivory seizures as rampant poaching is re...
Dung beetles brought back to battle bushflies
Could legalising rhino horn trade stop poaching?
Farne Island seal research
First BTO Cuckoo crosses the Equator

Can anyone tell me whether this performance of Othello is just hijinks or if it’s ‘casual racism’ I can’t quite decide between the two:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC-f0drvdmM

KARL SHUKER: Some feline fiends for Hallowe'en





http://karlshuker.blogspot.com/2011/10/vampire-cats-and-devil-cats-feline.html

CORINNA CELEBRATES HALLOWE'EN: The Old Man of the Greenwood



ANDREW MAY: Words from the Wild Frontier

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

From Nick Redfern's "There's Something in the Woods...":
From CFZ Australia:
From CFZ New Zealand:

CFZ PEOPLE: Paul Vella

Happy Birthday mate

DALE DRINNON: A number of new postings

New on the Frontiers of Anthropology blog and continuing the theme of Lemurian (Sundalander) Cuisine:
http://frontiers-of-anthropology.blogspot.com/2011/10/natives-here-just-treat-them-like-big.html

And two more up today on Cedar and Willow, the first one long delayed due to technical problems:
http://cedar-and-willow.blogspot.com/2011/10/perils-of-paulines-part-4perils-of.html

And the other one being my most intensive critique of a series of articles posted on the Wold-Newton site by prolific WoldNewtonner Dennis Power:
http://cedar-and-willow.blogspot.com/2011/10/spawn-of-lex-luthor-part-1.html

--After which the forthcoming Part 2 concerns only my own inventions and does not monkey with WN or any other versions of Lex Luthor (Alexander Rossen) in any way whatsoever.

Best Wishes, Dale D.

ON THE TRACK WILL BE LATE


We always try to get our monthly webTV show out on time, but this time it will be a few days late. Why? Well we have a very valid excuse - we are putting the final touches to Richard Freeman's latest book, so please be forbearing.

In the mean time here is Mark North's fantastic cover....