What Is Cryptozoology?
By S. Darroch
Cryptozoology is the science of “hidden animals” with its name being derived from the Greek words: kryptos (hidden), zoon (animal), and logos (discourse).
The term “hidden animals” is preferred as opposed to “unknown” simply because those who live near these creatures are unaware of their exisitence.
Cryptozoologists are “detectives.” Similar to their counterparts in ufology and other para research in that they often begin their work with only legends.and second-hand accounts of witnesses to go on. In many cases it is difficult due to the very nature of their research to adhere to the scientific method simply because the evidence for the existence of these hidden animals does not lend itself to controlled and repeatable experiments. However, this field has shown many successes in the past two centuries, and as more interest is being shown these successes are likely to increase. Below is a sample-only listing of previously “hidden” animal discoveries:
- American Tapir (1819)
- First Chimpanzee Brought To Europe (1834)
- Lowland Gorrilla (1847)
- Giant Squid (1869)
- Okapi (1901)
- Mountain Gorilla (1902)
- Dwarf Siamang (1903)
- Giant Forest Hog (1904)
- Komodo Dragon (1912)
- Chinese River Dolphin (1916)
- New Guinea Crocodile (1929)
- First “Live” Giant Panda (1936)
- Coelacanth (1938) Thought to be extinct 65 million years before this discovery!
- Andean Wolf (1949)
- Second Coelacanth (1952)
- Golden Langur (1955)
- Woodland Bison (1960)
- Ufiti (1964)
- Yamenko (1965)
- King Cheetah (1975)
- Megamouth Shark (1976)
- Prosperine Rock Wallaby (1977)
- Bondegezou (1984)
- Bilikis Gazelle (1985)
- Black Tree Kangaroo (1988)
- Vu Quang Ox (1992)
- Four New Muntjacs (1994-1998)
- Indonesian Coelacanth (1997-1998)
- Megamouth #11 (1998) Torontonian Cryptozoologist Ben S. Roesch is credited with making the identification.
-Blue Timor Monitor (1999)
The above listing is only a sample and not to be considered comprehensive nor complete. It has been added here to demonstrate to the reader how often in our recent past “hidden” animals and species long thought to be extinct have in fact been re/discovered. This list also includes large land mammals and aquatic life, which lends credence to those cryptozoologists who are seriously investigating sasquatch/yeti claims as well as lake monsters.
To best serve the intention and purpose of this website we will publish articles and stories both historical and current that will fall into a wide range of probability depending of course on the beliefs of each individual reader. We encourage you to keep an open mind and perhaps the opinion that despite what some may believe there is much yet to be learned from and about this planet particularly where it concerns cryptozoology - the science of “hidden” animals.
Sources:
Cryptozoology A-Z The Encyclopedia of Loch Monsters, Sasquatch, Chupacabras, and Other Authentic Mysteries Of Nature By Loren Coleman & Jerome Clark (1999) Simon and Schuster
In The Domain Of Lake Monsters By John Kirk (1998) Key Porter Books
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