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...




Thursday, October 18, 2012

I RECEIVED THIS TODAY, AND THOUGHT IT WAS SO STRANGELY POETIC THAT I HAD TO SHARE IT WITH YOU...

Yrehs Ztnajll wrote (with the subject being "I wanna fill ur life with new emotions. Interested?"):

Rudder told me that porch transgressed out that I ought to waver
flogged.

tŭņґό__ᾕâvėᾔ??οūґ

He seemed to oppose forgotten labouring, and was never left at every
one with a captive try of mahogany.

I don't think that there is anything that one can add to that!

STRATF0RD BUTTERFLY FARM: Latest News


We have had two new arrivals this week.

First of all we have been donated a new tarantula that's a little bit special. It is a Swimming tarantula Hysterocrates gigas one of the few species of tarantula that will hunt for fish by actually entering water to ambush them. They usually sit at the edge of a water source used by fish with their front legs resting on the water surface feeling for vibrations. 


 Once located H. gigas will lunge forward into the water, grab the unsuspecting fish and drag it out for safe consumption. The first thing our one did when we placed it into its enclosure was to run straight for the water, dive in and remain there submerged for some time. My good friend and colleague Carl Portman pointed out "... Of course, all tarantulas can swim. Begs the question though H. gigas are obligated burrowers, many near termite mounds, nowhere near water. Why then would it need to evolve to swim? Flooding perhaps!"

Whatever the reason I think they are truly amazing and we are very pleased to have this species on display in Arachnoland.  

Secondly We have a new male Green iguana Iguana iguana (even though he is actually orange-red) donated from a local pet shop where he used to be kept together with a female. About a year ago a fight broke out in their enclosure and the female decided to bite the end off his tail giving him his name - Stumpy. Anyway Stumpy is settling in well and is now getting along fine with our large female iguana Princess. Stumpy's original owner decided it would be nice to retire him into our butterfly flight area and allow him the freedom of the semi wild display in his old age. 

We agree and I think so does Stumpy as one his new favorite pastimes is to swim about the pools, something large lizards can rarely do when kept as pets. Stumpy is now one of four green iguanas that live loose in our flight area which they share with a variety of tropical birds, insects and Koi carp.  

Its a good thing iguanas eat fruit and veg and not butterflies!!  







HAUNTED SKIES: Have left the building



This is the last Haunted Skies blog posting on the CFZ Blog Network. As of today, we are no longer publishing the series, although Volumes 1-6 will remain with us for the forseeable future. JD

DALE DRINNON: Bigfoot, Cedar & Willow, Benny's Blog

New at Frontiers of Zoology:
 
 
Benny has his first part of his blog up on the Phillip Wylie story The Gladiator, to be followed by a part 2 and a reply blog by me, trying to get a sense of proportion on the thing.
http://benny-drinnon.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-gladiator-and-superman.html
 
Benny also had his part 2 up on the Thelma Todd/Marx Brothers movie "Horsefeathers" in case the link did not make it through before

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.




Here is the latest tranche of news...


  • NEWSLINK: Indian zoo wants a puma
  • UK SIGHTINGS: Leicestershire
  • SIGHTINGS USA: Mohave valley
  • SIGHTINGS USA: Bobcats in Oklahoma
  • NEWSLINK: Cat polydactyly
  • NEWSLINK: Australian cheetah has multiple birth
  • NEWSLINK: Leopards killed in India
  • NEWSLINK: Ban lifted on tiger tourism
  • NEWSLINK: Bret Michaels's New Neighbor Is a Wild B...
  • NEWSLINK: New software to help monitor big cat con...




  • WATCHER OF THE SKIES: Today's Fortean bird news

    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.




    I'M YER GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN

    So, here we go. Another day and a revolution to be plotted. OK, maybe not quite but there is all sorts of interesting stuff afoot. For those of you interested, the latest issue of UFO Matrix, of which I am the editor, is imminent, and whilst on the subject of things saucerlike, I just want to inform you all that Haunted Skies will not be publishing further volumes with us. The first six volumes will stay in print for the time being. Our month long exhibition at Barnstaple Museum starts on saturday, and mother is still staying with us...

    And golly, is it just me, or is the new Rolling Stones single rather good?

    Our daily visit to Thom the World Poet

    Helen McCookerybook shows solidarity to beleagueredRussian punks 'Pussy Riot'.

    I really must be getting old. Back in the day I would party all night and then work all day, but yesterday, after only having had about three hours kip, it knocked me for six, so I have not yet managed to process any of the Jefferson Starship or Auburn video. I am also going to be at Barnstaple Museum for much of the day, so I don't know whether it will be done today either. But what I do have for you is some exclusive pix from Jefferson Starship's soundcheck the other night...

    A review of the Gonzo DVD of Captain Beefheart, from the Lost Broadcasts series, with a brief note from Jon. This review is mildly interesting because although it is a good one, the reviewer complains that the DVD is not long enough. However, as the series states, the DVDs include everything from those sessions and it would mess with the integrity of the series to add outside material

    Much the same applies here. This review of The Move Lost Broadcasts DVD is by the same bloke from the same source. Again it is positive, but once again he complains that it is not long enough. My comments above apply.


    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?

    OLL LEWIS: Yesterday's News Today



    On this day in 1851 Moby Dick by Herman Melville was first published.
    And now the news:
    Do you see what I did 'thar'?