Hiding in Plain Sight!

Cryptids Discovered!By

Dr. S. Turnbull

With Dana Currie

Hiding in Plain Sight!

Cryptids Discovered!

http://www.monkey-pictures.net/gorilla_pictures.html

What is Cryptozoology?

The study of animals and other creatures that have not yet been accepted by science as real.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Okapia_johnstoni_-Marwell_Wildlife%2C_Hampshire%2C_England-8a.jpg

Cryptids!

Creatures that are under investigation by cryptozoologists are called cryptids.

http://academic.reed.edu/biology/professors/srenn/pages/teaching/web_2007/myp_site/index.html

Goal?

To discover either new species of animal or new subspecies (or those thought to be extinct).

The science of cryptozoology is rooted in biology.

http://taos-telecommunity.org/EPOW/EPOW-Archive/archive_2008/EPOW-080303.htm

The Pygmy Elephant of Borneo

As soon as an animal becomes truly respectable, it exits the field of cryptozoology.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/ivory/

Discoveries!From Myths to Reality

Maneless lion, Kenya, 2011

Pongo

According to African folklore, the pongo was a wild man of the jungles.

A violent creature with magical powers. It craved the taste of human flesh.

http://www.bloodsprayer.com/uncategorized/monkey-business-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-american-gorilla-suit-actor-part-1/

The pongo had many supernatural characteristics and behaviors not typical of a biological animal.

Was it possible that it was real?

The entire world was surprised when, in 1847, the pongo was officially declared to exist.

We now call it the gorilla! ”Gorilla" is derived from the Arabic word for "ghoul."

http://adamthinks.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/gorilla.jpg

The story of the pongo's official discovery teaches us that any cryptid might be real.– Not long ago, European folklore assigned many

supernatural abilities and odd behaviors to real animals such as wolves.

http://www.coolchaser.com/layout/create/49183932

Okapi The okapi was reported from Africa by native folklore. Even the export of okapi skins did not persuade the

doubters. It was obviously a mythical mixture of a zebra and a

giraffe, a kin to the griffin, centaur, and other legendary creatures made by pasting together the parts of various real animals.

The odd skins were probably faked in some way.

http://www.bonobo.org/NL-Lomela.htm

Sir Harry Johnston. – He believed native informants– Sent skins and skulls to scientists until

he was able to weaken skepticism and gain research money for the cause.

– Capture of live animals finally destroyed the last of the skepticism and the okapi was declared a real animal.

– When cryptozoology emerged as a science, the okapi was often held up as a symbol of cryptozoology

http://scienceblogs.com/laelaps/2009/02/searching_for_the_elusive_okap.php

First photo taken, 1907

Vu Quang Ox

The Vu Quang ox is just one of many new mammals to be discovered in recent years (1992) in the Vu Quang Nature Reserve of Vietnam.

It is a goat-like animal from the ungulate family. It is more closely related to wild cattle than anything else,

even though it doesn't look like a wild bovine. The Vu Quang ox has a number of unique and weird features,

including distinctive glands on the face. The Vu Quang ox was an important pioneer in the history of

cryptozoology.

In 15 years of searching, science has discovered zero saolas in the wild.

There have been very few instances of a saola ever being in captivity. – In August 2010, people in Laos found a wild

saola and tried to raise it in captivity but it died.

http://myths-made-real.blogspot.com/2011/02/creature-feature-saola.html

Coelacanth

The coelacanth is often called a living fossil fish. 1938 off coast of South Africa Scientists brought out all the arguments that they typically use

to explain away cryptids, including that it was a misidentified normal animal. – It was said to be a common grouper, even though the remains did not

resemble that fish. Today, the coelacanth is fully accepted as a real animal.

http://dinoman.xooit.com/t1804-Les-Crossopterygiens-Actinistiens-Coelacanthes-Latimeria.htm

King Cheetah African folklore had long described a different

type of cheetah. – This cheetah was a giant, and it had a totally different

pattern on its coat than normal cheetahs. Like most creatures described in folklore, the king

cheetah was the object of much ridicule.– No serious efforts to find out if it really existed.– Skins with the king cheetah pattern were known to

exist.

http://users.aristotle.net/~swarmack/kngchtah.html

King cheetahs are genetic mutants, like color phases, not a separate species or subspecies.

http://www.africanwildlifevacations.com/african-cheetahs.html

Kraken

From ancient times, sailors have reported seeing a huge sea monster with many tentacles, called the kraken.

The kraken was considered to be a different species from the octopus and squid because it was much bigger.

http://unmuseum.mus.pa.us/kraken.htm

Serious scientists steered clear of the kraken question, refusing to study it even when presented with beached kraken carcasses.

Several kraken carcasses were beached within a short time of each other, the reluctant scientists were forced to pay attention.

http://www.freaksandmonstersblog.blogspot.com/

1837 – first complete specimen

The kraken was declared a real species. It was named the giant squid.

The giant squid remains one of the most elusive large animals in the world.

http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/i5rXXeutD56/Giant+Squid+Defrosts+Te+Papa+Museum/rEP2UO5CwM_

Florida Panther

Scientists were surprised when the Florida panther was discovered in the Everglades.

Considered to be a mythical animal,– It was declared a subspecies.

Other reports of eastern cougars have not been confirmed by the scientific community, yet. – They are still scoffed at.

http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.hiddenpalmshoa.com/images/wildlife/florida_panther_with_cub.jpg&imgrefurl=http://picfind2.bloguez.com/picfind2/1665259/florida-panther&usg=__2yYllYpq4gBEx1HPKyTSPsiO1a4=&h=1200&w=1600&sz=509&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=Ccnn5nlaG46N-M:&tbnh=110&tbnw=155&ei=Z80ETu7ZE464tweniP3fDQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dflorida%2Bpanther%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1R2SUNA_en%26biw%3D1003%26bih%3D531%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=140&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0&tx=97&ty=68

The Search Continues!

There have been success stories! What else may exist out there, shrouded in

myths and legends, and hiding in plain sight?– A Tibetan proverb asks, "What is the most

cunning of all animals?"

"That which no man has seen."

http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/photos/deep-sea-creatures/