The continuous discovery of new species of animals has raised one question. That question is this: How many more undiscovered animals are out there in the world? There are two fields of study, science and cryptozoology, that are at the forefront of answering this question. Science states that there has to be a specimen to study, in order to classify a previously unknown animal. Cryptozoology on the other hand, is defined as the study of unknown animals.

 In the world of science, absolute proof is king. Unless you can provide a specimen for study, that thing simply does not exist. However, a field of study called Cryptozoology operates on a completely different paradigm. Cryptozoology is the study of unknown, unclassified animals. It seems that new species are being discovered on a regular basis now. Two factors that could be contributing to these new discoveries are habitat encroachment and advances in technology. So how do they find all of these new species? They search, conduct countless hours of research, and follow leads: sometimes it is just a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Many people accept what science has to say as the absolute truth; however, there is a growing majority of the population that feels science doesn’t know everything. Although the scientific community is well respected, represented, and educated, they do make mistakes: they can be wrong.

Do we know about all the species of animals that inhabit our planet? The answer to that question would be no. Just because someone sees something that they cannot recognize or explain, does that mean it doesn’t exist? Science would say yes; the cryptozoologist would say no. The cryptozoologist would listen with an open mind, and if intrigued enough, he or she would systematically rule out what it could, or could not be, conduct initial research, and then field work. Alternatively, science would deny any possibility of the existence of something they could not explain, until someone produced a specimen for them to study. For example, take the incidents of people seeing a black and white bear in China, with black spots around its eyes, that primarily feeds on bamboo. The scientific community laughed scoffed and stated that no such bear could possibly exist. Today the Giant Panda is known worldwide, and studied extensively. Just because science had not physically seen one, they were convinced that the species was not real. A cryptozoologist would not have dismissed the stories so easily. They thrive on these types of reports and keep an open mind. Science has a closed mind when it comes to things they cannot explain. Take the next examples and decide for yourself.

Reports began to come forth about an island inhabited by giant lizards, sometimes ten feet long or more, which could devour a human. Whereas a cryptozoologist would listen to the reports, and ask questions, science once again rejected the reports as imagination, or stories made up by the locals. Now, anyone can turn on the television, or do an internet search, and see actual film footage of the Komodo Dragons. Another good example of just how closed minded science can be is the mountain gorilla. With their superiorly educated minds, they claimed that gorillas could not exist in such mountainous terrain, despite many people reporting that they did. Thanks to the groundbreaking work by Diane Fossey, science was once again proven wrong. Science also proclaimed the Coelacanth, a prehistoric fish species, totally extinct. Imagine their surprise when years ago, a Coelacanth was hauled up in a fishing net, and the locals reported having caught them for years. If science cannot physically see something, again it does not exist. Hand a report like this to a cryptozoologist, and he or she would thank you.

Science has a reputation to uphold. They are highly respected for their desire to study things, and enhance the knowledge we have of them. They refuse to accept something that could compromise their integrity among their peers. Cryptozoologists have a passion for the unknown. Most are also highly educated, yet they pursue the unknown to satisfy their own curiosity. Certainly there are a few who do it for monetary gain, but for the most part cryptozoologists are genuinely interested in finding answers to their own questions. They rarely receive research grants, often spending their own hard earned money to purchase equipment, or travel to various locales to pursue their subject of study. Many of these dedicated people lead ordinary lives, and their integrity is in being true to themselves.

 One of the more popular subjects of the cryptozoology field is the Sasquatch, also known as Bigfoot, Yeti, Almasty, and many other names. These creatures have been reported for hundreds of years, often by highly respected eyewitnesses, from all over the world. Many credible witnesses have reported seeing these hairy hominids, yet science refuses to accept the existence of such a creature without a specimen to study. The Chupacabra, or “goat sucker”, is another widely known member of the cryptozoology field along with the Loch Ness Monster. The list of subjects is long, but the attention given to it by science is short.

Science prefers a specimen to dissect, scrutinize, and compare to other species before they will admit it is real. The cryptozoologist prefers a live specimen to study, namely in its own habitat. Some members of the Cryptozoology field feel it is necessary to harvest a specimen to satisfy science, but there is only so much one can learn from a dead body. Why does something have to be killed in order to prove it exists? If you heard stories of someone in your neighborhood with eleven fingers, would you think it necessary to kill that person, and then systematically cut them up, just to prove the stories were true? Of course not; seeing would be believing. Some very compelling evidence of the Sasquatch has been submitted, yet unlike photos of the Coelacanth, science refuses to accept it as proof. Hair sample analysis has stated that purported Sasquatch hairs have tested as unknown primate, yet there has been no movement towards actual involvement in seeking the subject the hair samples came from.

I have only touched on a few topics here, just to give an idea of how science and cryptozoology operate. Some may choose one side, while others may choose the other. Still yet, some may avoid the issue altogether, the choice is up to the reader. Science has already been proven wrong on more than one occasion. The cryptozoologist undauntedly chases stories and legends. Which side is right, and which side is wrong? The answer is neither. Both parties act accordingly to their own beliefs, and this sometimes leads to heated debates. Science has more credibility behind it, but due to its reluctance to accept the unknown, crypto zoology is more likely to discover something to shake up the world. While both sides have their own beliefs and systems, imagine what they could accomplish together.

October 2010, Gene McCauley

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Dogman

Who, or what is the Dogman? Many people have reported witnessing a creature with the physical features of a dog, but with the bipedal nature of man. The Dogman is a subject that really intrigues me, and it is something that I would like to pursue more thoroughly including active field research. They are described as very aggressive, and seemingly appear out of nowhere. Could this be the origin of the werewolf legend? In his DVD Hunt The Dogman, Barton Nunnelly interviewed family members and friends concerning their encounters with the Dogman. If you are even remotely interested in the subject, I highly recommend getting your hands on this film. Some very terrifying experiences were related, along with some very interesting footage.

While I admit that my knowledge of the Dogman is lacking, it’s a subject I will be looking into more seriously.

Until next time,

Gene.

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To the Skeptics

Skeptics, to me, are afraid to think outside of the box.  The problem with this is that it sometimes leads to half truths and partial understanding, which can cause people to ridicule or overreact.  Here I will attempt to answer some of the questions skeptics have asked about the subject of Bigfoot.

Q.         Where are the pictures?

A.         When you are dealing with a creature that is highly intelligent, photos are hard to come by.  Most people, as I stated in a previous article, do not have a camera with them during sightings. Sightings occur very briefly, and are usually in heavily wooded areas. Those who say that the encroachment of civilization would lead to more sightings, which there are, are forgetting that there are still plenty of areas for the bigfoot to hide.  Thirty percent of our continent is still unexplored.

Q.         Can’t footprints be faked, which would explain all the prints?

A.         Yes they can be faked, but a number of the casts that have been studied have been found to be real. Plus, why would people create fake prints in obscure places, where no one would be likely to find them? It does not make sense. It’s true there are fake footprints out there, but those that were faked were placed in heavily trafficked areas.

Q.         What evidence is there to support the existence of the bigfoot?

A.         There have been hairs found that do not match any known animal, and fecal matter has been found that contains unknown bacteria.  If the bacteria are unknown, then the animals that they came from must be unknown as well. There are sound recordings that cannot be explained after having been compared to all known animal sounds.  There are also several good pictures and videos that have been captured over the years.

Q.         Why have no bones or bodies been found?

A.         Well, as we do, they may bury their dead. If this were the case, then there would not be any bones or bodies lying around for someone to happen upon. If they do bury their dead without marking the location, then random digs would be unlikely to result in any evidence. Also, their bodies may decompose faster than those of most animals, which would mean physical evidence would not be visible for long. This is common with bears, their bones decompose more rapidly than those of most animals, leaving no trace in a short amount of time.

Q.         Are all the witnesses simple or crazy?

A.         Witnesses are all over the board as far as education, career, and age is concerned.  There is no common connection with witnesses. There have been doctors, lawyers, police, firemen, etc. who have claimed to have had sightings. The only things that are similar are the descriptions of the creatures and certain behaviors the creatures displayed.

Q.         Why has one not been killed or captured?

A.         Being that they are intelligent and muscular, I think it would be hard to kill one, or to have a cage, or any type of trap, that would be able to confine one. Also, if you were to shoot one, what if he/she were not alone? Then what would you do? I think you could be placed in quite a bit of danger. If you were to capture one, then what would you do? How would you transport it, where would you contain it, and whom would you inform?

There are, I know, more questions that are asked, but the fact is that there is a place for skeptics. They make us work harder and bring more to the surface. Without them, the drive for discovery would not be so strong. One day the skeptics will be faced with the reality of what is actually out there. Until then they just drive us forward with their ridicul

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Where Are The Photographs?

Where are the Photographs …

   This year, the first photographic evidence of living giant squid was obtained, even though the animals have been known for over one hundred years.  The only reason that the giant squid was known to exist was because dead ones washed up on a beach in the late nineteenth century.  Dead specimens that washed up from time to time were the only documented evidence of the animals’ existence for a hundred years. There was little else know about them and, until this year, no documented picture or video footage of the living creatures. This is just one of many species that are known to exist, but of which we have been unable to obtain photographs. The animals just keep eluding the lens.

   So, you may ask, what does this have to do with bigfoot? Well, just as most fishermen  who claimed to see these elusive giant squid did not have cameras available, neither do the witnesses of bigfoot. Most sightings are by people who are simply out doing their day to day work. Who carries a camera around while they mow the lawn or care for livestock or pets? The sightings are quick and the witnesses are left in shock at what they have seen. Even if they do happen to have cameras with them, they do not think to take pictures.  The fact is that there are many known animals that were discovered by accident.  Like the giant squid (Kraken), they existed only in lore for many thousands of years. Bigfoot, to the scientific community, remains a legend, and will remain that way until someone obtains the best evidence possible.  We members of the UBRG have this as one of our goals:  Find a way to prove the existence of these creatures to the science community without killing one in the process.

Nathan Davis

Home.

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The Question of Telepathy!

We all have had that feeling of being stared at, just to look around and see someone staring a hole right through you. Could this feeling be considered a weakened psychic ability? What if we were not so depended on our technology to get us through our day to day activity, would it increase? So that brings us to the main question, do bigfoot have psychic ability?
Well, first lets start with animals that do have a form of ESP. Sharks, for example, can detect the slight nerve impulses in a fish and can zero in on it. Some sharks like the Hammerhead can pick up these impulses from miles away. Honey bees still pose a mystery to science; one can find a field of flowers and lead the rest to it with a dance. This physical form of communication is still not understood and there could be an unknown sense that may be playing a part. The common house fly can feel slight differences in air pressure and feel minute vibrations. Toads have optic sensors on the back of their head so that they can detect light changes behind them to let them know of approaching predators. These are all forms in away of ESP and only a few examples.The Australian Aborigines say that they can communicate over long distances using ESP. There has been some proof to the truth of these claims. Including remote viewing tests that proved accurate. The US government uses remote viewers to help find people. If the government did not think that there was some truth to ESP, why do they use it?  The police use psychics to solve cases. Again if the police did not think there was some truth to ESP, why do they use it? So there is a great deal of evidence to say that there may be psychic ability in bigfoot. This may explain why they have eluded scientific discovery.

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Are bigfoot capable of seeing Infrared Light?

It would make sense that they can, since they are nocturnal creatures with very heightened night vision. This would explain why motion detection cameras are ineffective at capturing images of them on film. All motion detection cameras use infrared beams to detect movement in front of the camera. Most animals with night vision would be able to see the beam, but would not have the intellectual capabilities to understand its function. Since the bigfoot are able to sense the beam and understand how to avoid it, they may never be successfully photographed through these means.

           Also, it is possible that they are able to hear the high-pitched sounds emitted by electronic equipment. With this ability they would be alerted to the presence of any equipment that may be used to document them. In addition, they appear to have the intelligence to understand what these items are being used for, and will try to avoid them.

           So what is the best way to capture a bigfoot on film or on audio tape? By going out into the field without the intent to film or record. The more that you act as though you are there to observe the outdoors as a whole, and not just to observe them, the more luck you may have. Also, high-tech equipment may be less effective than low-tech gadgets, such as disposable cameras that do not make any electronic sounds. There is technology in the works that does not produce high-pitched sounds, which may aid in the ability to gain documentation of these amazing creatures on a more regular basis.

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How has Bigfoot eluded us for so long?

How is it that the bigfoot have eluded us for so long? Is it dumb luck, or are they an intelligent species that can outsmart even the best woodsmen? I believe that the latter is the answer. Most encounters are chance sightings that are very brief, but leave a lasting impression. The question, when these sightings occur, is were the bigfoot caught off guard, or were they allowing certain individual or individuals to see them.

If they are aware of how to avoid us, then it would seem reasonable that they are putting themselves in a position to be seen. Another explanation might be that we are encroaching on their territory, and they can’t help but to carry out their daily routine in areas where they may be seen.

What has to be examined is whether there are more sightings now then there were,

say, twenty or thirty years ago. That would be hard to prove because it would be impossible to examine the sightings that were not reported. It may be that people are more inclined to report their sighting now than they were in the past, which would prevent obtaining a good comparison of the volumes of sightings over the years.

So we can not be sure if sightings are due to the fact that the bigfoot want to be seen, or now are taking bigger risks. The fact remains that they are highly intelligent and have managed to remain one of the world’s greatest mysteries.

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