tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31729567930549291602024-03-14T03:10:12.993+00:00Beasts of BritainA blog about Bigfoot, Dogman, Lake and Sea Monsters, Unidentified Flying Cryptids (UFC's) Out Of Place Animals (OOPA's) and other strange creatures of the British Isles!!!Beasts Of...http://www.blogger.com/profile/12286209031109996628noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3172956793054929160.post-56321497418399581482020-02-04T10:49:00.004+00:002021-10-20T22:41:31.975+01:00THE CAITHNESS CAT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><b>“Just thought I'd share my encounter with you as I've kept this quiet for a very long time...</b></i><br />
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<i><b>This sighting happened
approx. 23 years ago, just outside of the town of Wick in Caithness. It happened
at night on a single track road between Reiss & Sibster. My friend & I
were out running about in my car; we got bored of cruising the streets so we
thought we'd take a drive, out and around what could be classed as the Sibster
circuit. We left Wick on the A99 and took a left turn at Reiss, we drove along
for about a mile, after which there are a couple of slight right-hand turns which head uphill
& go into a blind tight left-hand turn, heading downhill and along another straight. As we came round the tight left-hand corner onto the straight, I noticed eye shine and
had to do an emergency stop! </b></i></div>
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<i><b>In front of us, standing not 5 feet away from my
bumper, just off to the left and directly in front of my passenger side, (on the single
track road), was what I can only describe as a full-sized s<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_leopard">now leopard,</a> (tan
coloured, black spots, long hair/fur). This cat was side on and looking directly
at us, and my passenger and I were both looking directly at this cat for at
least 5-10 seconds, with full headlights on it; before it turned its head, stooped
down, rocked back and then took 1 step forward and leapt over a 3ft wall, (from left
to right, past my driver’s side)! </b></i></div>
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<i><b>This cat was standing approximately, in the middle
of the road, (at the right side of the road, there's a ditch with grass on each
side, before it even gets to the wall); So, I'd estimate that the distance from where it's front feet were to the wall, was approx. 9-10 feet away, with the wall being at least 3ft high. This cat
leapt over this wall in 1 bound! I looked at my passenger and all he could do
was lock his door! Up until then, I'd heard plenty of stories about large
cats that had been seen out near the Thrumster area, outside Wick, but they were all
large black cats.</b></i></div>
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<i><b>I was looking at satellite images of the area and I noticed there's a large area of Heather and some trees not far away from the direction it was heading, In the satellite image I've attached, you'll see a white building, below that building, is the field that it jumped into.</b></i></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eGBDYqqSIFA/XjlJd1uoJJI/AAAAAAAAHdE/GmohH98V8DUIBEs-D6Ju8SeM7HOnpIxlQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screenshot_2020-01-13-11-00-15.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eGBDYqqSIFA/XjlJd1uoJJI/AAAAAAAAHdE/GmohH98V8DUIBEs-D6Ju8SeM7HOnpIxlQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screenshot_2020-01-13-11-00-15.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><b>I clearly remember that its
hair was not like that of a leopard, cheetah or black panther; it looked duller and fluffier, more so around the belly and thinner on its body. I can safely
say that this cat was 1 metre plus in length, not including its tail. Its tail seemed to be hanging down in a 'J shape' which was curled under its back end, but it would have been able to touch
the ground. The tail was thick and looked to be about 1.5 - 2 inches thick, with what looked like black rings
around it. Its height would have been below my backside, I'm 6ft tall, and if I was
standing up straight I'd be able to touch it's back with my fingertips, so, it had to
be at least 2.5 ft. high! Its ears were short but fluffy on the inside, it didn't
have the long black hairs on its ears like a Scottish wild cat or a lynx! All I can remember about its paws was saying to my passenger, that its paws were about the size of my hands, massive!</b></i></div>
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<i><b>There are no Zoos up here. We have to
travel for about 3 hours by car to get to the closest wildlife park in
Kincraig. </b></i></div>
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<i><b>The photo attached is
just about right in every way, spots look very similar, colours not far off, I
can say that its tail didn't look as thick around as in this image, but the rings on the tail are very
similar. If there are any other types of cats which you think could look very
similar to my description then please let me know…”</b><o:p></o:p></i><br />
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<i><b>Written by Andrew McGrath</b></i><br />
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<i><b>(Although the witness, in this case, has chosen to remain anonymous, I'm sure they will see this blog and so I would like to offer my thanks for sharing such an awesome sighting with us all!)</b></i><br />
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<i><b>Find more Beasts of Britain, here: </b></i><br /><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://geni.us/BeastsofBritain" target="_blank">Book </a></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://youtu.be/NFnqr8CLK4Y">TeaserTrailer</a> </span></span></b><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://a.co/d/0igdz53">Merch </a> </span></span></b><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Facebook</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastsof/">Instagram</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://www.beastsofbritain.com/">Website</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/beastsofbritain/">Pinterest</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><u><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/beastsofbritain/works/36509629-beasts-of-britain-map">Beasts of Britain Map</a> </u></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thebeastsofbritain">Tumblr</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/"> </a></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/">Beastly Theories Podcast</a></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">
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Beasts Of...http://www.blogger.com/profile/12286209031109996628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3172956793054929160.post-48296875315190153802019-11-11T23:16:00.003+00:002021-10-20T22:44:57.164+01:00FOLLOWING THE SHOALS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">When a Monster, of the sea serpent variety, was filmed 3 times in the River Thames in March to April 2016. I was reminded of an old theory I had pondered upon, regarding the creatures of Loch Ness and other seldom sighted water cryptids. </span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A2F_-fDdbDM/WPKTUrnTzRI/AAAAAAAABpU/Laco5dvVoRYpHAqBiMJ0zXFJ3ErGDKjwQCLcB/s1600/Sea-Serpent-Mosaic-300x294.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A2F_-fDdbDM/WPKTUrnTzRI/AAAAAAAABpU/Laco5dvVoRYpHAqBiMJ0zXFJ3ErGDKjwQCLcB/s400/Sea-Serpent-Mosaic-300x294.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">The mosaic which adorns the floor of the <a href="https://visitworldheritage.com/en/eu/archaeological-area-and-the-patriarchal-basilica-of-aquileia-italy/f903e5e3-90b8-43e1-8202-b09815a9da9a">Patriarchal Basilica of Aquileia</a>,<br />
Italy and depicts the prophet, Jonah, being swallowed by a sea monster.<br />
(4th Century AD)<br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">My theory in regards to the seldom sighted creatures of 'Ness and their numerous relatives, is that they are seasonal or occasional visitors, following fish migration routes and that they are spotted by members of the public,</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 19.3333px;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">when they are travelling through our lochs, lakes and rivers or around our coasts.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.5pt;">This is theory only, but one that could be applied to many lake monster sightings around the British Isles in both coastal and inland waters. Because the search for food is a behaviour defining necessity for all animals, I began to wonder if we could track these creatures' movements via the monitoring of fish migration patterns? Maybe, even predict the times and places that they are most likely to visit a particular coastal spot, river, lake or loch, based upon real-time updates of fish migrations to and from our waters. Then at least, we might just have a chance of proving the existence of these creatures through repeatable and predictable sighting hotspots, creating protected nature reserves and arranging for scientific monitoring of the species via non-intrusive remote high tech ROV's and online camera surveillance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.5pt;">Special data collection and collation would be required for such a theory to work, including cooperation with various fisheries departments and monitoring bodies. But, in the absence of this great feat of (assumed) government cooperation in the search for sea monsters, there is another quite important technique or method that can be derived from this <i>'</i></span><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 19.3333px;">pie</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 19.3333px;"> i</span></i><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">n the sky'</i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> idea and that is the collation and </span><span style="font-size: 19.3333px;">data-basing</span><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> of locations, times and dates of spawning and migration of known prey species, weather conditions etc. and </span><span style="font-size: 19.3333px;">then</span><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> correlating this information against sightings of these magnificent and elusive creatures in the hope of finding repeatable patterns of predation. </span><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">This information could then be used to create an algorithm or a 'key' for predicting the time and season of future appearances of any number of cryptids upon </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">which to base an </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 19.3333px;">expedition</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.5pt;">This theory is based partially upon an assumption that repetitive feeding patterns or migration routes of most animals are habitual, and that a location that has had one sighting is likely to have another, and if that sighting observes feeding or predation, then it can safely be assumed that this location and sighting are potentially repeatable. In cases of the predation taking place during a fish migration, then the reliability of the method for predicting the approximate timing and locality of the '<i>monsters</i>' appearance could be increased tenfold. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.5pt;">Another possible theory is that they are seen when searching for a mate. As most sightings of sea serpents and lake monsters are of single animals and very rarely feature 2 or more creatures together <i>(multiple sightings are often assumed to be adults with young)</i>, I would propose that it is safe to assume that they are solitary, possibly territorial animals, that only seek the company of their own kind as juveniles or during natural breeding seasons, perhaps somewhere out at sea (like <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8273000/8273877.stm"><span style="color: #222222; text-decoration-line: none;">eels</span></a>) or maybe; leaving their lakes and waterways to move across land, driven by some inexplicable natural sense to propagate their species.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.5pt;"><br />The possibility of water monsters feeding on migratory fish like <a href="http://www.nessie.co.uk/htm/about_loch_ness/fish.html"><span style="color: #222222; text-decoration-line: none;">eels </span></a>and <a href="http://www.nessie.co.uk/htm/about_loch_ness/nesfood.html"><span style="color: #222222; text-decoration-line: none;">salmonids </span></a>is very probable and there have been several eyewitness accounts that describe them doing just that. </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">What follows are some examples of alleged plesiosaur sightings that describe the animals in the act of hunting or predation. I think these serve as a small sample of the type of information that could be collated nationwide to include not only observed predation but also '<i>regular</i>' monster sightings where the witness' did not see voracity per se, but the sighting still </span><span style="font-size: 19.3333px;">coincided</span><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> with the location of a known fish migration or congregation. <i>(river mouths, etc.)</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Let Us Prey</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Fisherman along the stretch of coastline between Paignton, Plymouth and Falmouth in the south-west of England have</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.5pt;"> for many years blamed a poor day's fishing </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.5pt;">on the presence of <i>Morgawr </i>and </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">it's many </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">relatives that inhabit </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">this corner of the British Isles. Although most of the British coast is </span><span style="font-size: 19.3333px;">replete</span><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> with monster sightings, this little corner</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> of our waterlogged island seems to be </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">particularly popular with these mysterious creatures</span><b style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">. </b><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><i><b>T</b>he Saltern Cove Chameleon</i> was w</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">itnessed by several people in July 2010, chasing shoals of Mackerel in the shallows of Saltern Cove, Paignton, Devon. The frightened fish were actually seen beaching themselves in an attempt to escape the creature, which was seen hunting the fish in and out of the water by several witnesses. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">What has become known as </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><i>The Plymouth Crocodile</i> was sighted </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">at </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Devil's Point, off </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><a href="http://research.omicsgroup.org/index.php/Morgawr_(cryptid)" style="font-size: 14.5pt;" title="Plymouth">Plymouth</a> in </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">1987 by an experienced diver who says he saw a <i>'dog-like head on a neck rising 1 metre out of the sea'</i>. He noted that it was in a <i>'spot favoured by conger eels'</i>. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Probably the most famous Sea Monster in this part of the British Isles is </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><a href="http://research.omicsgroup.org/index.php/Morgawr_(cryptid)"><i>Morgawr</i></a> <i>(which means Sea Giant in Cornish)</i> that was first seen by 2 witnesses at </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">Pendennis Point, Falmouth; in September 1975. The witnesses claim to have seen a humped figure with 'stumpy horns' and bristles on its long neck, catching a </span><a href="http://research.omicsgroup.org/index.php/Morgawr_(cryptid)" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;" title="Conger eel"><span style="color: #222222; text-decoration-line: none;">conger eel</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> in its mouth, </span></div>
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<b style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><br /></b><b style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Navy Seals</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 19.3333px;">The Welsh coast, as well as its inland lakes, have their fair share of water monster stories, one of which recounts the predatory pursuit of several seals by a plesiosaurid sea monster. It is notable that other Sea monster reports around the world have also made mention of seals as an occasional prey item for these aquatic cryptids. The eyewitness account, related here and which was first reported in Paul Harrison's '</span><i style="font-size: 19.3333px;">Sea serpents and Lake Monsters of The British Isles',</i><span style="font-size: 19.3333px;"> is quite plain and yet definitive in its description of both predator and prey. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">In 1963, Mr P Sharman whilst on Holiday in New Quay, Wales (Dyfed) saw a plesiosaur-like creature from a clifftop as it was chasing seals in a rocky cove,<i> </i>(presumably in an attempt to prey upon them as a food source)<i>. </i>He described '<i>watching the seals flee from the animal, which was 30-40ft long and black in colour, with a short tail, four flippers and a long neck with a small head.'</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What's This All A Trout?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.5pt;"><i>Loch Ness</i>, Scotland's most infamous and over investigated tourist attraction, has very few observed sightings of predation. One reason for this could be that the creature either hunts in the deeper waters of The Loch or both preys on and eats the fish it catches underwater. Salmon inhabit the Loch and its rivers all year round and there are also, sea trout, char and eels amongst other fish species, that could provide a regular supply of food for any proactive predator willing to travel. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.5pt;">One example of Nessie hunting fish was witnessed by John Mclean, whilst standing at the shore near the <i>mouth </i>of the Altsigh Burn<b>.</b> H</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 19.3333px;">e was looking for a good spot from which to fish and was</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> watching to see whether any trout were rising when he saw something very frightening. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">He said: </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">"It was the monster's head and neck, less than twenty yards from me and it was, without any doubt, in the act of swallowing food. It opened and closed its mouth several times quite quickly, and then kept tossing its head backwards in exactly the same manner as a cormorant does after it has devoured a fish. 1 was absolutely petrified with astonishment, and if I did have a camera with me I was so excited that I would probably have spoiled the chance of a lifetime. The monster, I am sure, is eighteen to twenty-two feet long, the tail fully six feet, and the largest hump was about three feet high. The head is small and pointed, the skin very dark brown on the back, and like that of a horse when wet and glistening. The neck is rather thin and several feet long, but I saw no flippers or fins." </i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> Although the witness did not actually observe the fish being eaten, the fact that this extraordinary sighting took place at a </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">river mouth</i><b style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">popular with fisherman, in conjunction with the action of swallowing, in which the creature was observed, clearly leads to the conclusion of feeding. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: large;"><b>Something Smells Fishy? </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.5pt;">For the purpose of matching Nessie sightings to fish migrations and movements, the year-round salmon supply in The Loch makes things a little difficult. To add to this, the eel migration happens in August at night, a time when this rural setting provides a dark cloak of invisibility to any creature that wishes to remain hidden and unobserved. There are however some very interesting facts which were gleaned from <i>Nessie sightings</i> over the last 20 years that provide other methods with which to streamline this which-hunt. Geographically, the majority of sightings are in the northern half of the Loch and where they appear in the southern end, they are usually exclusively near the 'Inver' <i>(Gaelic - River Mouth)</i> villages. In fact, almost all sightings apart from 'mid loch' sightings are in the vicinity of river mouths emptying into The Loch. The only section of The Loch lacking in any sightings at all is the south-east end, which coincidentally perhaps, does not have any rivers at all. This adds a sense of gravity to the theory of temporary and transient habituation of The Loch as a place to hunt fish that congregate at the river mouths, which are in turn attracted by the nutrients that are stirred up by the current and its insect life, but it is also this concentration of fish that is indicative of the creatures presence or lack thereof! </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.5pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.5pt;">Salmonids and eels are insectivorous fish and therefore the availability of insects upon which to feed will directly affect their numbers. When looking at the last 20 years of Nessie sightings at Loch Ness, an environmental influence on the frequency of sightings becomes apparent. For example, there was an average of 5 sights per year between 2001 -2005 <i>(which culminated with a heatwave)</i> but then the sightings dipped right down to 1-2 sightings in the years 2006-2010, which had 4 incredibly wet summers. As many a beekeeper will testify, bees like many other insects will fly in the snow, frost and fog, but not the rain! And if the bees won't fly, then neither will the other insect species, leaving a much smaller food supply for the insectivorous fish population and in consequence reducing it, thus leaving Nessie & friends to seek their fare elsewhere! This for the moment is just a theory, but I think that the data supports the idea of Nessie being a part-time resident in Loch Ness, a fair-weather friend, if you will, willing to wander to wherever the food supply is plentiful. Yet, another environmental lesson for us to learn about how weather affects every aspect of the natural environment and can even change the behaviour of both predator and prey!</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">An illustration of the type of correlation one would expect to find if this theory were true can be demonstrated in the concordance between the yearly salmon catch in Loch Ness and reported Monster sightings. For example, in 1999 there was a huge drop in the salmon catch in Ness' which was also matched by a significant drop in Nessie sightings! </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">The table below is based upon a 16 year period in Loch Ness, utilising data such as salmon catches, weather conditions (where available) and Nessie sightings, to validate a correlation between fish numbers and </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 19.3333px;">the predictability of 'monster' sightings.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.5pt;"><b><u>SEE TABLE: </u></b></span><br />
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In the figures for each year below, there is a general correlation between salmon numbers and Nessie sightings, but also some anomalies. For example, in 2013, only had one sighting all year but nothing to indicate the reason why. Although, it was colder than the average, with several months of disruptive snow and further summer months of downpours. 2010 also stands out, but Met office data for this year provides a possible answer.<br />
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Year</div>
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Number of Nessie sightings</div>
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Salmon catch</div>
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Amount above/below 5yr average catch</div>
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Weather data using 1981-2010 average</div>
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<tr style="height: 24.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;"><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border: 1pt solid black; height: 24.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">2015</span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">5</span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">1222</span></div>
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+276</div>
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mean temp +0.2C</div>
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rainfall 105-115%</div>
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<tr style="height: 36.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2;"><td style="border: 1pt solid black; height: 36.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">2014</span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">5</span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">815</span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">-120</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 36.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="TableStyle2">
mean temp +0.5-+1.5C</div>
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rainfall 105-115%</div>
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<tr style="height: 36.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3;"><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border: 1pt solid black; height: 36.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">2013</span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">1</span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">930</span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">-26</span></div>
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mean temp -0.2- >+0.5</div>
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rainfall 85-105%</div>
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<tr style="height: 36.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 4;"><td style="border: 1pt solid black; height: 36.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">2012</span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">2</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 36.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">847</span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">-144</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 36.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="TableStyle2">
mean temp -0.5 - +0.5C</div>
<div class="TableStyle2">
rainfall 85-105%</div>
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<tr style="height: 36.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 5;"><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border: 1pt solid black; height: 36.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">2011</span></div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 36.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">4</span></div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 36.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">917</span></div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 36.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">-199</span></div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 36.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="TableStyle2">
mean temp +0.2-1.5C</div>
<div class="TableStyle2">
rainfall 115-135%</div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 72.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 6;"><td style="border: 1pt solid black; height: 72.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">2010</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 72.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">1</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 72.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">1166</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 72.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="TableStyle2">
+1</div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 72.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="TableStyle2">
mean temp -1.2 - 0.5C below</div>
<div class="TableStyle2">
rainfall <65-85% average</div>
<div class="TableStyle2">
disruptive snow and rain</div>
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<tr style="height: 36.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 7;"><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border: 1pt solid black; height: 36.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">2009</span></div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 36.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">1</span></div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 36.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">923</span></div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 36.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">-376</span></div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 36.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="TableStyle2">
mean temp +0.5 - 0.8C</div>
<div class="TableStyle2">
rainfall 95-115%</div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 36.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 8;"><td style="border: 1pt solid black; height: 36.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">2008</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 36.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">2</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 36.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">1102</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 36.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">-321</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 36.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="TableStyle2">
mean temp +0.2-0.8C</div>
<div class="TableStyle2">
rainfall 105-135%</div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 13.95pt; mso-yfti-irow: 9;"><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border: 1pt solid black; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">2007</span></div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">2</span></div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">1471</span></div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="TableStyle2">
+81</div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 13.95pt; mso-yfti-irow: 10;"><td style="border: 1pt solid black; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">2006</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">1</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">1174</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">-144</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 13.95pt; mso-yfti-irow: 11;"><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border: 1pt solid black; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">2005</span></div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">4</span></div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">1823</span></div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="TableStyle2">
+496</div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 13.95pt; mso-yfti-irow: 12;"><td style="border: 1pt solid black; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">2004</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">3</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">1546</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="TableStyle2">
+402</div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 13.95pt; mso-yfti-irow: 13;"><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border: 1pt solid black; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">2003</span></div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">2</span></div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">934</span></div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="TableStyle2">
+20</div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 13.95pt; mso-yfti-irow: 14;"><td style="border: 1pt solid black; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">2002</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">5</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">1114</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="TableStyle2">
+84</div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 13.95pt; mso-yfti-irow: 15;"><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border: 1pt solid black; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">2001</span></div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">5</span></div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">1218</span></div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="TableStyle2">
+284</div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 13.95pt; mso-yfti-irow: 16;"><td style="border: 1pt solid black; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">2000</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">11</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">910</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="TableStyle2">
+10</div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 13.95pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 48.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 17; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border: 1pt solid black; height: 48.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">1999</span></div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 48.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">4</span></div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 48.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">595</span></div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 48.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span face=""helvetica" , sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">-545</span></div>
</td><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-top: none; height: 48.25pt; padding: 4pt; width: 96.3pt;" valign="top" width="128"><div class="TableStyle2">
large drop off in numbers of sightings with a huge drop in the catch</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Most interesting is the huge drop off in salmon catches in 1999 which links with a drop in sightings overall. The sighting figures do not recover with the fish catches suggesting people are NOT reporting or misidentifying salmon as 'Monsters'<br />
<br />
<b>Sources:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Total Ness District Rod Catches of Salmon (salmon and girls combined), 2015 season catch analysis, Ness District Salmon Fishery Board. <a href="http://www.ness.dsfb.org.uk/">www.ness.dsfb.org.uk</a></li>
<li>The Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register, <a href="http://www.lochnesssightings.com/">www.lochnesssightings.com</a></li>
<li>Annual Weather Summaries, www.metoffice.gov.uk</li>
</ul>
<ul></ul>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Absence of Evidence</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.5pt;">Many theories have been put forward over the years as to what Nessie could eat in The Loch as it has been estimated that only 27 tons of fish exist in its 'unproductive' Waters <i>(excluding eels</i>). This theory in particular, realistically only acts as an 'academic' Straw Man, a protest from researchers too busy trying to prove a truth instead of discovering one and a study too personal to view as unbiased. In rebuttal, it could simply be pointed out that this information was gathered from a ship that only trawled to a depth of 100 feet and it should reasonably be assumed that the study chose a small section of The Loch within which to statistically demonstrate the population of the entire water, which would naturally exclude its great depths. After all, as it is commonly boasted that the Loch is between 700-900 feet deep,<i>(there is some dispute over this)</i> I feel that it would be safer to conclude that the outcome of this research was the discovery of only 27 tons of fish in the first 100 feet of Loch Ness (excluding eels); and the acceptance that there may be more or fewer fish stocks in the deeper places of this massive body of water, not forgetting its rivers. There are also large numbers of zooplankton in the Loch, that could easily sustain a very healthy population of fish, or perhaps, even a monster if it were so inclined to eat such fare. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.5pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.5pt;">The fish species in the Loch are salmon, trout and sea trout, eels, char and very occasionally sturgeon. There are also many sheep grazing in the surrounding hills, that could become a choice meal on the odd occasion, as well as deer in healthy numbers, there have been several '<i>alleged</i>' sightings over the years of Nessie emerging from the undergrowth with '<i>sheep</i>' and other animals in its mouth. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.5pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 14.5pt;">Some claim that there have been a significant drop in Nessie sightings per capita of visitors to Loch Ness over the years, with some of the more evangelical sceptics claiming that the increased traffic on and around The Loch should yield a significant increase in sightings, as there are quite simply, more people to witness her than ever before. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.5pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 14.5pt;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.5pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 14.5pt;">Again, another common '<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man">Straw </a>Man' that is regularly used as an example for </span><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"><i>'the absence of evidence, being evidence of absence'. </i>T</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">his argument, of course, quickly succumbs to the powers of <i>'the monster' </i>to frustrate the sceptics at every turn - I am of course alluding to the year <a href="http://www.lochnesssightings.com/index.asp?pageid=498361">2016 </a>being one of the </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 19.3333px;">busiest</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> years on </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 19.3333px;">record</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> with 7 recorded Nessie sightings! In regards to the supposed absence of scientific evidence and p</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 19.3333px;">referring always</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> to name the elephant in the room, I would say something </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">more along the lines of '</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 19.3333px;"><i style="font-size: 14.5pt;">If there's enough evidence for a court to convict you, then it should surely be enough to convince you!'</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Nessie, Where Art Thou? </b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">So if there is a breeding population of prehistoric animals in and around the waters of the British Isles, why don't we see them more often? Surely, a large air-breathing creature like a plesiosaur would be seen frequently by anyone within the vicinity of its habitat? Not so! </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.5pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">There are a few points to make about this, the first of which is the misconception that wild animals somehow want to be seen by people or are oblivious to our presence. This is patently untrue and wild animals; even predators will usually avoid contact with humans if possible. The second point is that there are populations of known animals in the British Isles in great numbers which are very rarely seen, even in areas they are known to inhabit. There are, for example, an estimated 1.5-2 million deer roaming free in England that are rarely seen by the majority of the </span><span style="font-size: 19.3333px;">population. Why? because these animals are cautious, reclusive and wary of humans</span><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">. I am reminded of a story related to me of a party </span><span style="font-size: 19.3333px;">who</span><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> had stalked a </span><span style="font-size: 19.3333px;">known</span><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> population of sea otters on Loch Fyne for </span><span style="font-size: 19.3333px;">several</span><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> days. The otters were known to inhabit the loch and are rather conspicuous animals. After a very unsuccessful search of several days, one of the party </span></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 19.3333px;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">after sitting motionless for 2 hours in a rather inaccessible part </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">of the lochside, was lucky enough</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.5pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"> to </span><span style="font-size: 19.3333px;">glimpse </span><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">one of the animals for 10 seconds, at dusk. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.5pt;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.5pt;">In the case of lake monsters, counterbalancing the creatures reticence for public display makes a</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> focus on corroborative and especially antagonistic witness reports extremely important</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"><i>. </i></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">It is easy enough for our debunkers and researchers to neutralize and nullify a lake monster photo as nothing more than a log or a seal, but if 3 </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 19.3333px;">unconnected </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">witnesses claim that, that log or seal was, in fact, a 40ft long serpent, with reptilian features that reared up 10 ft out of the water and growled at them...well, then </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 19.3333px;">that's</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> a little harder to dispute.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fJcd8CiokrI/WPKbk3emo4I/AAAAAAAABpw/tpnwvF8frIYRV82wfUy2LUaRp0cjAGK_ACLcB/s1600/Roman-Mosaic-from-Lydney-Park-Color-Cropped1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fJcd8CiokrI/WPKbk3emo4I/AAAAAAAABpw/tpnwvF8frIYRV82wfUy2LUaRp0cjAGK_ACLcB/s400/Roman-Mosaic-from-Lydney-Park-Color-Cropped1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Roman mosaic from around the 3rd Century AD,<br />found at Lydney Park Temple in Gloucestershire, UK</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.5pt;">All in all, I think that it's highly likely that these creatures eat a varied diet of fish and other marine animals, such as seals, squid and eels, with the occasional land animal thrown in for good measure. Whatever their dietary outlook, they certainly do seem to be of a transient inclination, at least in the waterways they are said to inhabit, and I can only join the great throng of speculators, who postulate not only about the preferred <i>plaice</i> for their palate, but also the mode of their habits and habituation. Are they migratory fish eaters, stalking and hunting the shoals throughout the offshore and inshore waterways of the British Isles? One thing is for certain, and that is that Nessie and her many friends are seen both in fresh and saltwater, more frequently than some would like to admit, in and around the British Isles. It would be reticent of us to not consider that some of the animals we see in the rivers and off the coasts are of the same genus as those in lake and loch and are on occasion, perhaps even the same animal, far away from home, searching for its next meal. So it would seem (at least in theory) that t</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">he discovery of these elusive creatures is not altogether impossible, but is </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 19.3333px;">fraught with difficulty and distraction </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 19.3333px;">as has been proven in the last 80+ years.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">But, If we can map the movements of their food sources, we should be able to predict, within a reasonable margin of error, the time and place of their appearance. The author is not a statistician however and his conclusions could by his own admission, be quite fallible. However, there is a seed of an idea in this hypothesis, a working and wonderful blueprint for tracking down all unknown animals. That is, </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">follow the food - find the beast!</i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">In conclusion, i</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;">f we follow the source of <i>their </i>food with quietude and discretion, with carefully placed hides and remotely monitored game cams at conspicuous locations that have a history of sightings, we </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 19.3333px;">may indeed</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.5pt;"> find our elusive cryptids, engaging; just as all other animals do, in the eternal and unending lifelong search for food! </span><br />
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<b style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif;">Addendum:</b><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Originally written between 2016-17 and redrafted for the 2nd edition of this title in 2019, this chapter was published before the results of Professor Neil Gemmel's eDNA were announced. However, although the results of this extraordinary new technology seem somewhat damning, I do not believe that they were exhaustive nor conclusive in disproving whether or not 'the monster' exists. The study itself even failed to obtain DNA samples of otters, which are known to frequent Loch Ness and seals, which although rare, do occasionally enter the Loch, from time to time. That being said, one would have hoped for at least some ambiguity or some unknown, yet quantifiable evidence, of our beloved cryptid mascot to have been found...</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 19.3333px;">Written by Andrew McGrath</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 19.3333px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 19.3333px;"><i>'Following the Shoals'</i> is an excerpt from my debut title - </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 19.3333px;"><i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1070832944/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_ZoEYDbZ61D5QK">Beasts </a><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07SK7Q3CY/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_QpEYDbX1RFXZX">of </a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SK7Q3CY/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_pnEYDbAZTXETF">Britain</a></i>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19.3333px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 19.3333px;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;">For more on Beasts of Britain, check out:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://geni.us/BeastsofBritain" target="_blank">books </a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://youtu.be/NFnqr8CLK4Y">TeaserTrailer</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Facebook</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain?lang=en">Twitter</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastsof/">Instagram</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://www.beastsofbritain.com/">Website</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/beastsofbritain/">Pinterest</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><u><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/beastsofbritain/works/36509629-beasts-of-britain-map">Beasts of Britain Map</a> </u></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thebeastsofbritain">Tumblr</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://a.co/d/0igdz53">Merch </a><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/"> </a></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/">Beastly Theories Podcast</a></span></span></b></div></span>
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Beasts Of...http://www.blogger.com/profile/12286209031109996628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3172956793054929160.post-53641071475735717732019-09-03T17:15:00.001+01:002021-10-20T22:45:48.896+01:00THE PLYMOUTH CROCODILE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large; text-align: justify;">In early February 2015, a huge reptile was photographed swimming in Plymouth sound, Devon; with several local people claiming to have observed the strange creature swimming half-a-mile offshore. Allan Jones, a university technician who reported the sighting had a telephoto lens with him at the time and managed to capture a number of images. He said: <i>"At one point it was near a boat and it looked about the same length. I've never seen anything like it - the first thing that struck me was that it looked just like a huge crocodile, The first photo I took I was up by Smeaton's Tower, but then I went down towards the sea for some closer shots. The creature or object moved in circles, appeared to curve its shape and moved a considerable distance from left to right, turned and then moved back the other way. I have circled a piece of floating wood that floated up to and past it. The creature or object then turned and remained stationary. It was very strange. It must have been 20-foot long. And it was moving against the current at some points. I'd love to know what it was."</i></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"><b>The Plymouth Crocodile - Photo by Allan Jones, 2015.</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background: white;">This sighting has a great degree of credibility. There are so many facets that enrol themselves as a witness to the validity of this testimony that it scarcely seems worth defending or explaining. But, in order to juxtapose this sighting against others and validate its criterion, let us examine the verbal and physical evidence as we see it. In the first instance we have multiple witnesses that viewed the creature moving against the current, saw it circling and curving its shape and therefore it could not have been an inanimate solid object. We also have a boat in the background to give it some scale and several photographs taken by a <i>‘university technician’</i> with a telephoto lens from 2 separate vantage points, that place the creature in several different locations, swimming both with and against the current, therefore proving its animate nature, for as we all know; flotsam does not possess the ability to either change its shape or actively move against the current. The portion of the creatures back that is visible in the photos has the appearance of being bumpy or pocked in a similar (but not exact) manner to that of a crocodilian, but with a strange small, sail-like spine and small rounded lizard or snake-like head, which tells of an altogether different genus for this creature than that of a member of the crocodylomorph family.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background: white;">So, once again we come to this identity crisis, a taxonomic tossup, as to which order this creature belongs. If we look in to the history of the coastal area around Devon and Cornwall especially, we find many similar accounts of strange reptilian sea monsters and of course some photographic evidence as well, that may offer some familial support in reference to extending the credit of this errant and troublesome visitor to our shores and the unfortunately speculative lives of all cryptozoologists as well. Fortunately for us in this case this whole area is replete with sightings of similar beasts and strange oceanic visitors. In 1975 we hear of a sighting of a large creature with a humped body, long neck and small head with black-brown skin like a sea lion that was witnessed near Pendennis Point, Cornwall. The creature was photographed and the photo donated anonymously to The Falmouth Packet Newspaper, the following year in 1976. The creature was given the name Morgawr, which means Sea Giant in Cornish, by self-proclaimed Wizard and alleged conjurer of these aquatic beasts, Tony 'Doc' Shiels. In point of fact the photo by Mary F is also allegedly a manufacture of this controversial ‘Wizard of the West’ and bears a striking resemblance to a photo he allegedly received from Edward Kelly, also an alleged hoaxer, of a creature in Lough Leane in County Kerry, Ireland in 1981. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background: white;">When we are faced with such indeterminate evidence and questionable character, we certainly are not able to ascertain the truth from such sources and must revert again to the unwilling and antagonistic witness and rely upon the power of trauma upon those whose memory has been shocked in to remembering an unusual encounter, as something of such an unnatural animality, that it will be emotionally burned in to the brain of those who experience it.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background: white;">There have of course been many other regular witnesses over the years, but the local acceptance of a creature borne out in superstition, but also based in reality has had a mixed effect on the perceived folkloric element of the creature whose presence is said to be prefaced by a scarcity of fish and the coming of bad weather. Whether or not this is mythology mixed with experience we cannot know for sure, but historically speaking, most attributed supernatural animal powers are an interpretation of natural events viewed through the lens of superstitious culture and tradition. However, the history of British Water Monsters is replete with hoaxers and fakers and although we are in a time when cryptozoologically speaking, Bigfoot is King! and the hay day of Nessie-like reports and newspaper articles have certainly waned; our aquatic cryptids of lakes and lochs and our mystery migrants from the sea, still have the ability to steal the headlines, at least for a morning or an afternoon and very occasionally for the most bodacious of serpents, until teatime. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background: white;">Written by Andrew McGrath</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background: white;">The Plymouth Crocodile is an excerpt from my book - Beasts of Britain.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;">For more on Beasts of Britain, check out:</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://geni.us/BeastsofBritain" target="_blank">books </a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://youtu.be/NFnqr8CLK4Y">TeaserTrailer</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Facebook</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain?lang=en">Twitter</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastsof/">Instagram</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://www.beastsofbritain.com/">Website</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/beastsofbritain/">Pinterest</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><u><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/beastsofbritain/works/36509629-beasts-of-britain-map">Beasts of Britain Map</a> </u></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thebeastsofbritain">Tumblr</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://a.co/d/0igdz53">Merch </a><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/"> </a></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/">Beastly Theories Podcast</a></span></span></b></div>
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Beasts Of...http://www.blogger.com/profile/12286209031109996628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3172956793054929160.post-42281769394850966782019-08-03T22:35:00.003+01:002021-10-20T22:47:14.825+01:00CATS IN THE CRADLE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><b>Nocturnal Isolation</b></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">The most commonly held
theory about the presence of Big Cats in Britain is that they were released</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> by
exotic pet owners, shortly before the introduction of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">'Dangerous Wild Animals Act, 1976’</i>, (which
was introduced to regulate the disquieting trend in the late 60s and early 70s,
of keeping dangerous, exotic and hybrid, status animals), and have since gone
on to thrive, in what is largely an island of cattle and countryside,
overflowing with easy prey species which are officially, lacking any large,
natural predators. Britain is, for the most part, an island in darkness; dotted
with poorly lit villages and dimly illuminated towns. Even its large
cities are crisscrossed with green corridors and wooded outposts full of cover,
where a nocturnal and elusive animal could easily hide out after dark. So, how
do we examine this Big Cat problem? Unlike most <i>cryptids</i>, we are at
least certain of the existence of these animals, it's just that they
are not supposed to exist here, in Britain!</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Living in Symbiosis</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Unfortunately, the introduction of the DWA act
would seem to have had the opposite of the desired effect, of keeping the population of these animals under strict control. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">In Section 3 (c) & (f) of the act, we can read
the requirement that: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">(c) any animal concerned will at all times of its
being kept only under the authority of the licence — (i) be held in
accommodation which secures that the animal will not escape, which is suitable
as regards construction, size, temperature, lighting, ventilation, drainage and
cleanliness and which is suitable for the number of animals proposed to be held
in the accommodation.</span></i><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">(f) While any animal concerned is
at the premises where it will normally be held, its accommodation is such that
it can take adequate exercise.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Sadly, it is these two particular stipulations that
I believe, would have had the greatest impact upon owners of Big Cats. The
costs of providing both an adequate enclosure to comfortably house and allow
for the adequate exercise of such energetic and powerful animals, in near
zoo-like conditions would have been prohibitive for everyone, except the
financially well endowed. Thus it makes sense that owners would have released
these animals into the wild. These reckless or perhaps desperate, owners, were
simply unable to foot the bill and released their pets, either believing that
they would perish or be protected, by their largely nocturnal habits and the
isolation of their rural settings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">In retrospect, it may have made sense to provide an easy way out for these owners, in the form of agreements with local zoos and
wildlife parks to take any unwanted animals, or for local authorities to
provide initial subsidies to existing owners, caught out by this change in
circumstance. But that does not seem to have been the case.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Historically, Norfolk, Suffolk, Devon and Cornwall
seem to have had the largest concentration of sightings, but that is no longer
the rule. Sightings are countrywide and are reported so frequently, that it has
become a full-time job just trying to keep track of them. The most frequently
sighted species are large black cats, most likely melanistic leopards, with the
second most sighted, likely being pumas (mountain lions), with many witnesses
describing a large cat with a tawny or silver-grey colouration. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">As we are now in the early part of the 5<sup>th</sup>
decade since the Dangerous Wild Animals Act, 1976, was introduced and these animals
have a maximum lifespan of 13 years for the puma and 17 years for the leopard;
there should be no doubt that the cats' people are now seeing, are the
descendants of these original exotic pets. There have even been sightings
of Big Cats with cubs, yet more proof, if any were needed; that the
animals are surviving quite comfortably in our land of fields and felids. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">When it comes to this particular <i>'British
Cryptid'</i>, or perhaps we should say, more properly, <i>'Out of Place
Animal'</i>, there are simply too many significant sightings to recount here.
The accounts of Big Cats are in fact so numerous, that I am certain
several books consisting solely of eyewitness reports, could be written on the
subject and yet still leave a wealth of untapped original reports for other
authors to research. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Initially, when I began writing this book, I made a
social media appeal for people who had witnessed any unusual animals, asking
them to send me their stories. As one might imagine, I received countless Big
Cat stories and little much else! Our national and local newspapers are replete
with big cat stories and anyone with the patience to surf a few websites, will
easily find myriad reports to choose from and researchers engaged in the hunt
for this elusive invader. But, in order to exhibit here, this bountiful treasure
trove of anecdotal animals roaming throughout our land, I intend for the most
part, only to include sightings that have been reported to me directly. In
fact, you will not find the following reports in other books or in any
newspapers. Alarmingly, what they represent to me is a ticking time bomb or an
incident in waiting; whilst we continue to deny on a governmental level, that
we now have several, large, native predators; that are for want of a better
word – home-grown!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Sightings<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">THE FINEDON
LION<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">This sighting was related to me by a resident of
Finedon, a small town of just over 4,300 people, set amidst the beautiful
countryside of Northamptonshire. Although there is extensive rural landscape
surrounding the town, it is worth noting that the animal he witnessed in the
late summer of 2009, would have had to traverse a populated and very urban part
of the town, in order to find itself in his back garden.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“It
was late summer and I had gone out to take the laundry off the line. As it
happens, I was taking clothes off pegs and was facing the rear of the garden. I
suddenly caught movement in the background. On the right-hand side of the
garden as I was looking at it, was the very tip of something tan coloured and
although I only saw it extremely briefly, the colour was very distinct, as it
flashed behind a big black water barrel that was there at the time. Almost
immediately, I saw movement again. Something was clearly behind that barrel. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">I
continued to look and what must have been a few seconds later, I saw a creature
take two leaps across the width of the garden, followed by an almost vertical
jump to the top of a 6-foot fence panel, at the rear left-hand side. The fence
swayed 2-3 times under its weight and then the creature jumped down into the
neighbouring garden.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Three
thoughts went through my mind as I was watching all this. I remember them
clearly. These three things were:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">There
is a boxer dog, in my back yard!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Boxers
don't have long tails?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Boxers
don't jump on fences<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">!<o:p></o:p></b></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">I
remember those exact thoughts as if they happened yesterday. I remember the
fear setting in immediately, as my mind finally made a connection between what
I saw moments before and the cougars I had seen in films and documentaries
throughout my life. I remember running into the house with whatever clothes I
already had in my hands and locking the door. I remember shouting incoherently
at my wife, running up to the upstairs bedroom that overlooked the back garden
and trying to catch a glimpse of it again. For the next couple of weeks, I did
not venture into my back garden at night and when I went there in the day, I
carried a very big knife on me.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br />
<b>THE CASUAL BIG CAT OF RUSPER</b></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Two incredulous witnesses observed a Big Cat at
around 9:30pm, on Monday 27th November 2017, in Rusper, West Sussex, whilst
collecting a hay consignment from a local farm. After loading the hay on to
their vehicle, they were just about to leave the property, when one of the
witnesses briefly jumped out of the car to close the farm gate. As she made her
way back to the vehicle, both she and her friend clearly saw, illuminated by
their headlights, an enormous jet-black cat walking towards them and looking at
them intently. When the animal was about a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">'bus
length away'</i> (45 feet!), it stopped and licked its nose, before casually
disappearing into a hedgerow. The witness, amazed by the sight of this
creature, says that there can be no mistaking what she saw and said of the
animal: <i>"It was huge and its big eyes were shining back at us. It
was unnerving, to say the least. It didn't seem bothered by us at all. I had no
idea at all that we had big cats in this country!!" </i>She further
described the creature saying: <i>"It was about the size of a Great
Dane, but much, much heavier built and definitely male. When it turned, I could
see its body was around 4ft long and its tail was around 3ft long. The tail
wasn't straight and almost touched the ground, even though it curved at the
end. The thickness of its tail was approximately as thick around as my wrist
and its legs were, well, stocky, thick or 'good boned' as we would say in horse
terms. It had a slinky walk for its size, moving effortlessly. Its ears were
also strange, they were not pointed but round”.</i></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">THE LEOPARD OF LLANDUDNO</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">This sighting was related directly to me via social
media and of the many reported sightings I received, this particular one stood
out as an unusual and slightly comical sighting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">"My name is Terry Brown and I once saw a black
leopard on a north Wales beach, while fishing with my son. It was just after
first light, so there was good visibility. We saw a leopard stalking in sand
dunes close by and watched it until it suddenly spotted us, then we ran like
crazy! I even overtook my son! Looking back as we ran, I noticed that it ran
the same way, which was scary! It must have thought we were fair game; it was
literally 100 metres away. We got back to the car carrying 50lb of fishing gear
in record time! This sighting was in 1998 and I and my son still laugh about
how I overtook him. I did report it at the time, as I was worried about
people getting mauled, but the police just laughed at me, so I've not talked
about it since. I've kept the location to myself for fear of people wanting to
kill (or hunt) this marvellous animal."</span></i></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">AVEBURY,
BIG CAT & CUB</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">One of the sticking points in Big Cat research is
the absence of credible reports of adults with young cubs. This incredible
sighting, which occurred near the Avebury Stone Circle, in Wiltshire; fills
that gap very neatly and illustrates a very natural mother and cub interaction:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“My
sighting was in early August 2012, in Wiltshire; not too far from Avebury stone
circle. I had decided, as I don't live so far away that I would take my dogs
there for a walk and make a day of it. I had parked near the white horse and I
was on a country path that went towards an old Iron Age settlement. I was the
only person around the path and was at the top of a hill, so I had a good view
down in front of me. It was then that I noticed two black things moving around
on a grassy patch by some trees, next to the edge of a field. One was smaller
than the other and it sat watching the bigger one, which was pouncing around in
the grass trying to catch something. After a while, the larger one just started
to walk away along the edge of the cornfield, away from me. The smaller one
jumped to its feet and chased after it. They walked the edge of the field, until
out of sight. It was a huge black cat and a cub. It had a long tail and it scared
me. I turned around and walked back to the car after that.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">BIG
CAT OF HOLLYM<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">This sighting took place in Hollym, in East
Yorkshire (Coast) somewhere between April and May of 2002 and is a good example
of the boldness that some of these animals are starting to display towards
people and vehicles; which may go some way to explaining, the steady increase
in sightings over the last 20 years!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“At
the time of my sighting, I was living in Withernsea – a small seaside town on
the East coast of Yorkshire and working at a bakery in Hull and as such was
getting up fairly early and driving to work. The next village is Hollym, it has
a crossroads and it was further down the road from this that, as I drove along,
I saw a huge black cat, appear at the side of the road next to the hedge. It
was casually walking (slowly) across the road, from my right to left – it was
massive!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">It
was not bothered about me or my Ford Escort whatsoever, It almost stopped
halfway over the road and looked over towards me, as if to say:, ‘I’m a big
black cat! –whatcha gonna do?’ I couldn’t believe my eyes, all the hairs on my
body were standing in shock, it was beautiful and freaky at the same time and I
was thoroughly amazed and couldn’t stop thinking about it for ages.</span></i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">As I got further down the road, it
simply went in, under the hedgerow and disappeared.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">THE PRESELI PANTHER </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Witnessed in 1999, by the sister of an
ex-girlfriend. After an afternoon visiting a friend in a nearby farm, our
witness was riding her horse home over the Preseli Mountains in West Wales,
when she stopped briefly to rest and look back towards the farm, she had just
left. Usually a sceptical person, she was very surprised to see a large black
cat with small ears and a long tail, about the size of an Alsatian dog, chasing
sheep in the field next to the farm. Seeing that the creature had a predatory
demeanour, she became afraid and quickly rode home.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">THE CRYMYCH CAT </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Another big cat sighting took place outside a home
in which I was staying, in the lovely village of Crymych, West Wales on
Christmas morning around 5am, in 1999. A guest of my host, a lady in her
mid-50's and a smoker, was enjoying a cigarette on the front porch, when she
suddenly noticed a large black cat, resembling a panther, staring at her out of
the darkness just 15 feet away. She watched the animal for about 30 seconds before it melted away into the undergrowth. She was understandably in a
state of shock at what she had seen and for obvious reasons decided not to join
our impromptu Big Cat hunt later that day. I personally have a lot of
trust in the veracity of both this and the Preseli Panther sighting. Both
persons were known to me and had no interest in or awareness of the Big Cat
phenomenon, at the time. They both gave corroborative descriptions of the
animal they had witnessed and I think it can quite confidently be asserted that
either they witnessed either the same animal or the same species of animal, on
both occasions.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">THE SANDY COLOURED STALKER </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">This sighting was passed to me by
a roadie of one of my former bands, back in
the late 90's; after he had witnessed a sandy coloured, large cat
that resembled a puma; on a Devonshire beach one night.
The animal approached him and his friends, just stopping
short of the headlights of their car. The animal quietly
observed them for around 30 seconds, before disappearing
into the darkness. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">THE DEVONSHIRE DOG CATCHER </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Another Devonshire encounter, with one of these
mystery big cats was related to me by an ex-flatmate in
the year 2000. He was living in a small village in
rural Devon and was walking his dog one summer evening at twilight,
when he became aware of a black shape in the tree line
moving towards them. At first, he thought he was looking at
another dog, but due to its size, quickly realised that he
was being stalked by what appeared to be a large black
panther. He quickly ran with his dog back to his home, which
was close by, and secured himself and his
dog inside. He stated that he believed that the creature
was stalking his dog and not him, but was fearful of what
could have transpired if he had not escaped, due to
the animal's size.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Under Our Nose</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">These sightings are just the tip of a very large
iceberg. Even though there were an astounding 460 reported sightings logged by
police in England, Wales and Northern Ireland between 2010 and 2016, it is
estimated that there are around 2,000 sightings each year in the UK, many of
which go unreported, due to fear of ridicule. This extremely high number of
reports and sightings would seem to defy the efforts of any sceptic to deny the
presence of Big Cats living in our midst. I would expect that anyone
examining the wealth of evidence pertaining to the presence of these creatures
here in the UK, presented through photographs, film, eyewitness reports, tracks,
livestock kills and other signs of habituation would seriously reconsider their
position on this very exciting subject.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">We live in a land of plenty, for such skilled
predators as Big Cats. A land that offers many places to nest and hide, filled
with livestock, deer and many smaller species that could sustain quite a healthy population of these <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">'Out of Place
Animals'</i>. In our present era, many still believe that these sightings are
cases of mistaken identity, perhaps large dogs or deer seen in poor light, or
even an occasional zoo escapee; but for our children, I believe that Big Cats
will be an accepted and natural part of the fauna of the British Isles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Written By Andrew McGrath</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="color: cyan;"><strong style="text-align: left;"></strong></span></div>
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<br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;">For more on Beasts of Britain, check out:</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://geni.us/BeastsofBritain" target="_blank">books </a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://youtu.be/NFnqr8CLK4Y">TeaserTrailer</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Facebook</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain?lang=en">Twitter</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastsof/">Instagram</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://www.beastsofbritain.com/">Website</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/beastsofbritain/">Pinterest</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><u><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/beastsofbritain/works/36509629-beasts-of-britain-map">Beasts of Britain Map</a> </u></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thebeastsofbritain">Tumblr</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://a.co/d/0igdz53">Merch </a><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/"> </a></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/">Beastly Theories Podcast</a></span></span></b></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><br /></span></b></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c7uQBf8iuRc/YXCOPG74A9I/AAAAAAAAbM8/fYxna8Xv2TUMHCrFPDPsX4v01prEPRF2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Beasts_of_Britain_Proof_08-16-2021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1458" data-original-width="2048" height="228" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c7uQBf8iuRc/YXCOPG74A9I/AAAAAAAAbM8/fYxna8Xv2TUMHCrFPDPsX4v01prEPRF2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Beasts_of_Britain_Proof_08-16-2021.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span><br /></span></b></div></div>
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Beasts Of...http://www.blogger.com/profile/12286209031109996628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3172956793054929160.post-81258140879982484692019-07-24T01:04:00.001+01:002021-10-20T22:48:19.616+01:00OPERATION DEEPSCAN<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Steve Ravenhill & Family aboard the New Atlantis in 1987</span></td></tr>
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: center;">Operation Deepscan was the brainchild of Adrian Shine, a marine biologist, lifelong Nessie researcher and hopeful sceptic. The leader of the Loch Ness project, in cooperation with Darrell Laurence the head of a U.S. company, Laurence Electronics; organised a sonar hunt for the elusive creature of Loch Ness, which would utilise 24 boats fitted with Laurence X-16 sonar units, which had a range of 1300ft and could target objects as small as 1ft long. It commenced on October the 9th 1987 and was at the time, the largest sonar investigation of any body of water anywhere in the world.</span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />24 sonar equipped boats set off from the new clansman hotel witnessed by 250 journalists, 20 television crews and countless spectators from all over the world, who turned up to see this momentous search for the creatures of Loch Ness. Adrian Shine, who addressed the volunteers that day, <br />asked that they do it for, <i>"all the maligned eyewitnesses who look to you for vindication.</i>"</span><br />
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />On the first day, 3 strong sonar contacts were recorded from 78 metres (256ft) to 180 metres (590ft). The best of these was made just off Whitefield, opposite Urquhart Bay. Darrell Laurence said that <i>"All the contacts made were larger than a shark but smaller than a whale",</i> and Adrian Shine, leader of the Loch Ness Project, said that in his opinion, <i>"All 3 targets were unlike those which could be expected from the lochs known inhabitants, like salmon, eels or shoals of char", </i>and that they were, <i>"Deep midwater contacts of considerable strength."</i></span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i>However, later, in what appeared to be a partial recantation or at least a more realistic appraisal of the contacts, Adrian speculated, based on size, that they might be seals which had entered the loch! <i>(Of course, it goes without saying that the discovery of a seal capable of growing to a size somewhere between that of a large shark and a small whale, would also be an amazing discovery!)</i></span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i>Somewhat reassuringly, the following day, some of the sonar equipped boats returned to the location, but no further contacts were made, indicating that these anomalous sonar contacts must have been moving midwater targets and not stationary objects.<br /><br />Nevertheless, the rest of the operation passed without any significant findings and it was largely tabled by the media as a flop and lauded by the scientific community, as proof of the 'non-existence' of the fabled creatures of Loch Ness. <br /><br />In May of 2017, I was fortunate enough to catch up with Steve Ravenhill, who took part in Operation Deepscan, aboard a vessel named <i>‘New Atlantis’</i>. Steve Ravenhill was a lifelong fan of Nessie and friends and actively kept abreast of the latest in lake monster lore from his retirement home in Columbia, where he sadly died, early this year.<br /><br />What follows is an account of this event in Loch Ness history, from a first-hand observer and active participant in this extraordinary expedition!<br /><br /><b>OPERATION DEEPSCAN</b></span><br />
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b>B.O.B: </b><i>"How did you become involved in Operation Deepscan?"</i><br /><br /><b>Steve:</b> <i>"I have been interested in Loch Ness since I was a boy, now many years ago! I first visited the loch in either 1970 or 71. I know that because the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loch_Ness_Monster#Loch_Ness_Phenomena_Investigation_Bureau_(1962%E2%80%931972)">LNPIB </a>was still open. I have been there many times since, either staying in a local hotel or renting a boat from Jim Hogan at <a href="http://www.caleycruisers.com/">Caley</a> <a href="http://www.caleycruisers.com/">Cruisers</a>. In Sept 87, I was going back up and Jim informed me that New<br />Atlantis was available for 2 weeks. I jumped at the chance and rented it for 2 weeks! I took my mother, father, then-wife and her mother; and had a great time learning how to use the sonar. I showed some of my sonar readings to Jim, he asked me to interpret them, which I duly did! He said he was very impressed, said I had a natural aptitude for sonar and told me about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loch_Ness_Monster#Operation_Deepscan_(1987)">‘Deepscan’ </a>and invited me to join the crew of Atlantis. I accepted and that’s how I got involved!"</i><br /><br /><b>B.O.B:</b> <i>"What role did you fulfil in the investigation?"</i><br /><br /><b>Steve:</b> <i>"The role of Atlantis was to operate in a support capacity to the main fleet and to verify any contact they might have! I personally took on a lot of the driving and the side scan. We also went off on our own for a bit of, off the record poking around, mostly around Urquhart bay and down by the horseshoe scree."</i></span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i><b>B.O.B: </b><i>"Was there ever any discussion about possible sonar contacts that were too ambiguous to be proof?"</i><br /><br /><b>Steve: </b><i>"I can't remember any specific discussion about sonar contact but yes, there must have been some! Plenty of discussion (argument) about the Dinsdale film and various photos!"</i><br /><br /><b>B.O.B:</b> <i>"Did you feel that Adrian Shine and company wanted to prove or disprove the existence of the monster?"</i><br /><br /><b>Steve:</b> <i>"Adrian always played down the monster hunt side of ‘Deepscan’, but I remember his speech saying, 'we must go out and vindicate the many eyewitnesses', so there was a public side and a private side! I do remember Dick Raynor and a story about some giant eels seen by the Foyers Power Station. As you must know, both of them now go for the big fish theory! David Martin never has believed, Alistair Boyd did not believe, but then he had a hump sighting and now I think he does!"</i><br /><br /><b>B.O.B:</b> <i>"Do you believe there is now or has ever been anything like Nessie in the Loch?"</i><br /><b>Steve:<i> </i></b><i>"Yes I do believe there is something unexplained in loch Ness, I have spoken to eyewitnesses and personally witnessed one deepwater sonar contact as it happened. What the creature is I cannot say, but I do not think there is any 1 theory that covers all the reported sightings! A fish cannot explain the head and neck, as an eel cannot explain the humps!"</i><br /><br /><b>B.O.B:</b><i> "Do you think that Nessie/s live in the Loch all year round, or do you think they travel between the Lochs and the sea?"</i><br /><br /><b>Steve: </b><i>"I don't think they migrate to and from the loch, because any connection from the loch to the sea large enough for these animals to use would be far more obvious! I have just remembered one incident involving one of the boats in the line! They reported over the radio, a deep water rising directly beneath it, from around 400 to 500 feet! We were some distance away and proceeded towards them as fast as we could when suddenly the boat shot forward fearing a collision with the contact! Then contact was broken and by the time we arrived, we were unable to regain or verify contact. I don't think this incident was ever reported."</i><br /><br /><b>DEEPSCAN'S DEEPSCAM</b></span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b><br />B.O.B:</b> <i>"Do you think that Operation Deepscan was proof that no large Nessie-like creatures live in the Loch?"</i><br /><br /><b>Steve:</b> <i>"Don't forget Deepscan never covered all of the loch, only about half, or 60% or so! Think about it! Neither end of the loch was covered, none of the bays were covered and because a lot of the volunteers were inexperienced boat drivers, it was deemed too dangerous to go too close to the sides, especially at the southwest end! Many of the drivers had a struggle just keeping in a straight line without crashing into each other! The loch is pitch black from 6 to 7 feet down, so eyes would be pretty much useless! If they are sensitive to sonar, then Deepscan must have been deafening and they probably pissed off up the other end of the Loch! No wonder we didn't find anything! As well as not covering the ends, and the sides and bays of the loch, there were also gaps in the sonar curtain itself, because the line abreast soon fell apart! Add to that the fact that because there were so many sonars pinging away they interfered with each other and had to be set to the lowest sensitivity level, it was always unlikely there would be any contacts at all! Put yourself in the position of one of these creatures! You are swimming along looking for your dinner, then there is this almighty racket that scares you witless! What would you do? Getaway as far as possible? Find a nice little hidey-hole? You certainly wouldn't hang around to see what's going on! Alex Campbell, the former water bailiff of Loch Ness, once reported witnessing one of the creatures reacting scared to the sound of an approaching ships engine and diving before it came in to view!"</i><br /><br /><b>THE AFTERMATH OF DEEPSCAN</b></span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b><br />B.O.B:</b> <i>"Do you believe that Deepscan was a success for the sceptics or believers in Nessie?"</i><br /><br /><b>Steve:</b> <i>"Deepscan, What did it achieve? Bluntly, not a lot! 3 deep water contacts? Nothing new there! There was already a good few since around 1982 and Deepscan did not add anything to help solve what they are. We debunked the Rhines gargoyle head photo, Yes! But that was already known and I don't think Adrian Shine had anything else to give to a packed, expectant press conference, but that is just my opinion! It raised a few people’s profiles and made a few local businesses a lot of money! For a week we were followed continually by press and TV looking for interviews. But being a quiet, shy chap, I ran a mile. There were a few of the more prominent 'faces' who saw it as a giant ego trip, sorry no names!"<br /><br />"That’s about it! Will the mystery ever be solved? No, I don't think so!"</i><br /><br /><b>A SHALLOW SUCCESS</b></span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b>At the time, this gargantuan operation was painted as the final <i>'nail in the coffin' </i>for the mystery of Loch Ness, its aim to disprove <i>(or prove)</i> emphatically, whether any large creature existed in this large and intransigent body of water. The sonar <i>'net'</i> set by this operation should certainly have captured any large, errant creatures in The Loch and of course, if the <i>'net'</i> came up empty, then the conclusion that the monsters existed only in the realm of fantasy, or were a mere histrionic frail brained fallacy, would be implicit!<br /><br />Aside from those initial sonar contacts on the first day of this expedition, nothing further was found. But, as can be seen in the comprehensive trip down memory lane, afforded us by Steve Ravenhill, the mission was not really equipped to find anything significant, due to its being, in composition, fatally oversized and under-skilled. These flaws, coupled with the low sonar intensity, <i>(due to overlap with the other vessels)</i>, and up to 40 % of the Loch remaining untouched (<i>including the bays and the sides of the Loch)</i> due to safety concerns; would indicate that the operation was doomed to failure, in lieu of its experimental nature and unnavigable topographical dilemmas.<br /><br />It is of course, always easy to speculate on the <a href="https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=shudda%2Ccudda%2Cwudda">Shudda, cudda, wudda's</a>, with the benefit of hindsight! But perhaps, the operation was not as cut and dry as it was sold to be. In any plan of a prospective nature, there will always be technical issues that are difficult to foresee.<br /><br />So again, Nessie resists all attempts to be recognized and become a permanent resident of the British Isles! <i>(Joking aside, she was recently refused British residency by the home office, in reply to a somewhat comical campaign to have her naturalized, as part of the Brexit campaign!) </i><br /><br />However, when it comes to believing the <i>'facts' </i>about the creatures that are said to inhabit Loch Ness and other cryptids locales around the world, a little faith, admittedly, can be dangerously stretched, to transform sticks into sea serpents and bears into Bigfoot. However, a lack of faith also can wash over the most blatant evidence, making even the most extraordinary sightings out to be, the experience of frail brains and fraudulent men! A bit of balance on both sides, <i>'Sceptic' </i>& <i>'Believer'</i>, would certainly be beneficial if any progress is to be made, in finding, cataloguing and more importantly; protecting these elusive beasts, that have survived <i>'extinction'</i> to make our little island an an altogether more interesting and magical place!<br /><br />Written by Andrew McGrath</span></div>
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<div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;">For more on Beasts of Britain, check out:</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://geni.us/BeastsofBritain" target="_blank">books </a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://youtu.be/NFnqr8CLK4Y">TeaserTrailer</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Facebook</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain?lang=en">Twitter</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastsof/">Instagram</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://www.beastsofbritain.com/">Website</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/beastsofbritain/">Pinterest</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><u><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/beastsofbritain/works/36509629-beasts-of-britain-map">Beasts of Britain Map</a> </u></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thebeastsofbritain">Tumblr</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://a.co/d/0igdz53">Merch </a><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/"> </a></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/">Beastly Theories Podcast</a></span></span></b></div></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><br /></span></b></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bjOdiNNzFdc/YXCOlNM-AlI/AAAAAAAAbNI/u2V1DBhAA04fOZu7RaWMfBU5LW30Tk-PACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Beasts-of-Britan-Proof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bjOdiNNzFdc/YXCOlNM-AlI/AAAAAAAAbNI/u2V1DBhAA04fOZu7RaWMfBU5LW30Tk-PACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Beasts-of-Britan-Proof.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span><br /></span></b></div>
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Beasts Of...http://www.blogger.com/profile/12286209031109996628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3172956793054929160.post-85565259265984161272019-07-05T17:43:00.001+01:002021-10-20T22:49:22.377+01:00DOGGERLAND<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;">In Ancient times a land stretched between Britain and Continental Europe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This stretch of forgotten territory, called <a href="https://youtu.be/4P9wQj6qX2I">Doggerland</a>, was first discovered in the 20th century, when fishing trawlers began to drag up remains of Deer, Mammoth, Lion, and prehistoric tools and weapons, just east of 'The Wash'. </span><br />
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A hypothetical map of the now submerged Doggerland, </div>
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that once connected Britain to Continental Europe. </div>
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(copyright - Bryony Coles and Vince Gaffney) <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Archaeologists and anthropologists believe the Doggerlanders were hunter-gatherers who migrated with the seasons, fishing, hunting and foraging for food such as hazelnuts and berries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">However, this landmass was submerged by rising sea levels sometime around 6500BC, at a time when the peoples who inhabited these nations, were distinct from those who now call this island home. Throughout the ages, stories were told and depictions were carved, embroidered and chiselled into our heraldry and woven into the folklore of our island, of the European Wildman. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Known by many names, the Wildman or more properly, the Woodwose, has occupied our superstition and our artwork since at least, the 12th century and even appears as a surname around that time in the form of 'Wudewuse'.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Is it possible that when the seas liquidated the land bridge known as Doggerland, these wildmen sought refuge in remote areas of Great Britain, now cut off from their continental cousins, forever?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We know for a fact that large apex predators once roamed our island and even until comparatively recent times, bears and wolves hunted in or forests and hills, and yet these beautiful beasts did not arrive in Britain by sea but were native to the land. A land that was once connected to the European continent.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So what does this legend have to do with our misperceived overpopulation of concrete Britain? Well, what it offers is plausibility to the theory of how the Wildman or Wodewose arrived on our Island via Europe, whilst removing the significant maritime impediment that has been levied against it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">There are currently over <a href="https://britishbigfootsightingreports.com/map/">500 contemporary sightings</a>, of a being that closely parallels the medieval descriptions of the European Wildman - or as it's now commonly known - The British Bigfoot!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Written by Andrew McGrath</span><br />
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<br /><div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;">For more on Beasts of Britain, check out:</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://geni.us/BeastsofBritain" target="_blank">books </a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://youtu.be/NFnqr8CLK4Y">TeaserTrailer</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Facebook</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain?lang=en">Twitter</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastsof/">Instagram</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://www.beastsofbritain.com/">Website</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/beastsofbritain/">Pinterest</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><u><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/beastsofbritain/works/36509629-beasts-of-britain-map">Beasts of Britain Map</a> </u></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thebeastsofbritain">Tumblr</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://a.co/d/0igdz53">Merch </a><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/"> </a></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/">Beastly Theories Podcast</a></span></span></b></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><br /></span></b></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jA53UTjrTTM/YXCO2abQd7I/AAAAAAAAbNQ/1Pe9QZjT4M0cb-8vFBtLQL8G5ts9fSUiQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Beasts_of_Britain_Proof_08-16-2021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1458" data-original-width="2048" height="228" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jA53UTjrTTM/YXCO2abQd7I/AAAAAAAAbNQ/1Pe9QZjT4M0cb-8vFBtLQL8G5ts9fSUiQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Beasts_of_Britain_Proof_08-16-2021.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span><br /></span></b></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><br /></span></b></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><br /></span></b></div>
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Beasts Of...http://www.blogger.com/profile/12286209031109996628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3172956793054929160.post-90236419845356693902019-07-02T22:48:00.004+01:002021-10-20T22:50:25.285+01:00THE AYRSHIRE FOREST GIANT!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">I recently learned of a strange event which took place in the vicinity of Balminnoch Farm, Kirkmichael Rd, near the hamlet of Straiton, Ayrshire, sometime around the 18th or 19th April, this year.</span></b></span></b></div>
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</span></b><b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /> Two men were out hunting in the forest behind Balminnoch Farm, at approximately 11pm when they both came running out of the woods in a very frightened state. Both men believed that they had witnessed a large looming, bipedal figure, very dark in colour and possibly around 9 feet tall!<br /><br /> Bigfoot researcher, Robert Shankland, who initially received the report from a 2nd hand source, visited the location and was met by a local farmer, who greeted him saying, <i>" I know what you’re going to ask me about, so you start talking and I'll tell you if it's about the same thing ".</i></span></b><div>
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<b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">He then went on to confirm that the story was legitimate and that, it was in actual fact, his own daughter's house that the two men had run to in their panic, banging on the door until she opened it. <br /> <br /> The farmer phoned his daughter, (who was in work at the time) who then proceeded to tell Robert that, <i>"The witnesses came running out of the woods like two wee frightened schoolgirls!" and were in, "A very agitated and nervous state indeed!” </i></span></b></div>
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<b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><i>O</i>ne of the men, in particular, was, <i>“Very, very scared, of something they had both just seen in the forest.” </i>She also said that the men claimed to have seen something in the forest that was, <i>“On two legs, bipedal, very big & looming.”</i><br /> <br /> Balminnoch Woods is a sizable area, with a small loch to the North, located in The area of Straiton, on the Galloway Forest Park boundary, in which there was a large forest fire, a short time before this sighting occurred, which damaged 5 miles of woodland! </span></b><div>
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<b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">This particular area has become synonymous with possible Bigfoot activity, where our valued correspondent, Robert Shankland, has found several unusual prints and other anomalies.</span></b></div>
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<b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Scotland is a vast and pristine nation that boasts a trifling 1.9% of its landmass devoted to urban sprawl. If a Bigfoot-like creature were to endure here in the UK and resist our best attempts to capture and catalogue it, I can think of no more remote a realm in our beautiful isles, </span></b><b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">than there!</span></b></div>
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<span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><b>By Andrew McGrath</b></span><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;">For more on Beasts of Britain, check out:</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://geni.us/BeastsofBritain" target="_blank">books </a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://youtu.be/NFnqr8CLK4Y">TeaserTrailer</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Facebook</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain?lang=en">Twitter</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastsof/">Instagram</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://www.beastsofbritain.com/">Website</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/beastsofbritain/">Pinterest</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><u><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/beastsofbritain/works/36509629-beasts-of-britain-map">Beasts of Britain Map</a> </u></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thebeastsofbritain">Tumblr</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://a.co/d/0igdz53">Merch </a><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/"> </a></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/">Beastly Theories Podcast</a></span></span></b></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><br /></span></b></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AIAALYXTO2Q/YXCPE3Z2LjI/AAAAAAAAbNU/r0JKNBQ4Fe0bj7cF46A7af0FhSxR8Z5BQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Beasts-of-Britan-Proof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AIAALYXTO2Q/YXCPE3Z2LjI/AAAAAAAAbNU/r0JKNBQ4Fe0bj7cF46A7af0FhSxR8Z5BQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Beasts-of-Britan-Proof.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span><br /></span></b></div>
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Beasts Of...http://www.blogger.com/profile/12286209031109996628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3172956793054929160.post-52364780557394169832019-06-03T12:34:00.001+01:002021-10-20T22:51:49.635+01:00STICKS AND STONES!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 9pt;">An <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘A Glyph’</i> found in Irwell Park, Salford in 2017.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 9pt;">Photo by Andrew McGrath</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>‘Sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me!’</i> - Isn’t that how the old proverb goes? A once powerful retort, invoked by children everywhere to the vocal bully, who, in those innocent days of childhood to which we once belonged, could be stopped in his tracks or made mute and immobilised, by this most cunning of all comebacks, right? But, as adults, or grown olds, we actually experience the reverse, in that, names or more precisely, our name or reputation, can, in fact, hurt us. Ironically, far more than sticks and stones ever could.<br /><br />When entering the house of cryptozoology, one might think that your reputation should be left at the door, but this could not be further from the truth! This fringe discipline, often clinging on to the edge of methodical principles, is largely tenanted by laymen, who must somehow compete for the attention of professors in the highly regimented and recognised realm of the scientific sphere; where the practice of systematic observation, measurement, experiment, and the formulation, testing and modification of hypotheses, are prerequisite to acceptance!<br /><br />With this in mind, we creep carefully into the minefield of sticks and stones or, Bigfoot Sign, as some would classify them. One can scarcely join a Bigfoot group on social media these days, without being bombarded by photos or film of trees that have fallen into odd positions, sticks twisted into strange shapes/glyphs, or piles of stones that have allegedly been left as territory markers, by our elusive forest friends. Although most of these signs can be explained away by forest fall and man-made activity, I feel that it is imperative that we deal with some of the regular signs that people encounter and at minimum try to eliminate some of the natural explanations for these supposed anomalies. The importance that is currently assigned to this issue within the research community, is, I believe, damaging on a reputational level and paradoxically in juxtaposition to the childhood proverb, our obsession with these sticks and stones are a direct cause of the names that will inevitably hurt us. <br /><br />I have compiled a short list here of some regularly observed stick and rock formations, that are associated with Bigfoot activity:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>X:</b> This is often observed as two trees that have fallen across one other, to form the shape of a letter X. the sign is commonly believed to be a territorial marker or barrier to keep other Bigfoot or people out!</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Pinned Arch: </b>Usually, a living tree that has been bent over and pinned beneath another tree, or tree limb/log. Believed by some to point in the direction of water.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Stick Tepee:</b> a makeshift hut or grouping of sticks, in a free-standing tepee formation, sometimes clumsily leant against a tree. Variously interpreted as temporary lodgings or the bored musings of our hairy friends.</span></li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mini Pinned Arch - Littleworth Common, Esher, Surrey.<br />
Photo by Andrew McGrath, 2017.</td></tr>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Bigfoot Kerplunk:</b> Seriously!? This sadly is the only way that I can think of to interpret this particular stick formation, which seems to be a collection of sticks or branches, jammed together from every angle, to form a kind of spikey circle. Some of these examples, in North America at least, seem impossible for humans to replicate without machinery. However, I am not aware of any British examples that fit these criteria. </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Stick Leans: </b>These are simply branches that have been leant against trees. Often, several branches are observed together facing in the same direction. Additionally, they are often observed leant against several trees in a row. These are believed to be directional markers, left by Bigfoot, to tell other Bigfoot which way they went.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Glyphs:</b> These are usually small signs, made of intertwined or carefully placed sticks that form a shape or symbol. Some researchers believe that some of these shapes resemble characters from the mysterious Neolithic Vinca markings, an ancient set of symbols found on artefacts from 6th to 5th millennia BC, in Central and South-eastern Europe.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Rock Stacking & Clacking: </b>These are usually small piles of rocks placed in prominent places, on sawn tree stumps or next to roads and on beaches etc. There are also paired rocks, presumably used for rock clacking, a regularly reported feature of Bigfoot behaviour.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Making a Scene </b><br />There are abundant natural explanations for many of these phenomena and it is important that we try to entertain the more mundane possibilities, before assigning a more grandiose character to their manufacturers. The first and most obvious, go to, for much of what we observe in stick structures is windfall. One of my favourite cannibalised sayings is:<i> ‘if a tree falls in the forest, did Bigfoot push it, or do trees just fall in the forest?’</i> Of course, the answer must be the latter; for wind, snow, and rain and even natural death, in trees, leads to all kinds of strange and unusual formations that may appear unnatural, to the untrained eye. <br /><br />Another causal explanation for these unusual edifices could simply be that they are man-made. The forest, after all, is host to a myriad of different groups, from forestry workers who regularly cut away deadfall, to wild campers and bush crafters, who like to make huts and dens out of deadfall, <i>(incidentally, this is a regular feature of some children’s activity camps!) </i>Our travelling community in the UK, is also rumoured to employ the use of stick and stone signs in the forest, to indicate resources, like water and to give directions. Which brings us finally, to the biggest bugbear of them all, rock stacking and the rather irritating trend that has recently spread throughout the country, of leaving these teetering towers of terror, in forests, mountains and on beaches, as a kind of middle-class interpretation of the practice of tagging; wherein, the talentless tagger spray paints, <i>‘Kevin was ‘ere!’</i>, on the wall of some beautiful building, in an attempt to leave his mark upon the world.<br /><br /><b>In Conclusion:</b><br />Should we ignore these signs and exclude them from our research? Certainly not! If both repetition and locality are demonstrable across the spectrum of this physical data, then further investigation is certainly warranted. However, one would also expect other collectable data to be available at these locales, such as tracks, hair samples and animal remains. <br /><br />Unhappily, as it stands; if one finds sticks in the woods, that is only evidence, of trees!</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Written by Andrew M.L. McGrath </span></span><br /><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;">For more on Beasts of Britain, check out:</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://geni.us/BeastsofBritain" target="_blank">books </a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://youtu.be/NFnqr8CLK4Y">TeaserTrailer</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Facebook</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain?lang=en">Twitter</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastsof/">Instagram</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://www.beastsofbritain.com/">Website</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/beastsofbritain/">Pinterest</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><u><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/beastsofbritain/works/36509629-beasts-of-britain-map">Beasts of Britain Map</a> </u></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thebeastsofbritain">Tumblr</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://a.co/d/0igdz53">Merch </a><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/"> </a></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/">Beastly Theories Podcast</a></span></span></b></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><br /></span></b></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JmZ7UJ5x-CU/YXCPYabIXWI/AAAAAAAAbNg/lxfg52ZY2psxAwz0xS0E5BqfqdbXTeGpgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Beasts_of_Britain_Proof_08-16-2021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1458" data-original-width="2048" height="228" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JmZ7UJ5x-CU/YXCPYabIXWI/AAAAAAAAbNg/lxfg52ZY2psxAwz0xS0E5BqfqdbXTeGpgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Beasts_of_Britain_Proof_08-16-2021.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span><br /></span></b></div>
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Beasts Of...http://www.blogger.com/profile/12286209031109996628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3172956793054929160.post-20423901866567321542019-02-24T22:53:00.001+00:002021-10-20T22:52:46.643+01:00MONSTER ON THE MEDWAY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The fence line where our witness observed a large figure walking at 8:30am on the 21st Jan 2019.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo taken just minutes after sighting.</span><br />
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I was intrigued lately to receive a fresh report about an unusual sighting of a tall, nondescript humanoid, that was observed at 8:30am on Jan 21st, walking along the fence line, of a horse-paddock; around the area of the Medway Estuary and Marshes, in Kent. The location which I visited just a few days later, is sparsely populated and rests on an area of 11,735-acres, that is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest and an Internationally Important Wetland for Wild Birds and although there are some relics of old industry scattered around the landscape, it is, quite simply put, pristine habitat!<br />
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On my recent visit to this area, the isolation, even during the daylight hours was stark. The seemingly infinite flat marshes bring strong howling winds, which obliterate even the most cumbersome sounds from ones hearing and intensify a strange feeling of vulnerability, which seems to hang in the air. This particular sighting was preceded by the nervous behaviour of the witness's horses and their refusal to approach their feedbags, which are situated on the fence, where the 'figure' was seen, are somewhat telling. The fence line also sits upon the top of a steep embankment, which drops down to a disused railway line, that cuts its way through the landscape and offers an unpleasant fall, for any person foolish enough to walk there.<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(You can watch the witness, with the help of her husband, reenact her encounter </span><a href="https://youtu.be/lcmh7Hpr9QY" style="font-size: small;">here </a><span style="font-size: x-small;">and </span><a href="https://youtu.be/BlNDHRO_NX8" style="font-size: small;">here</a><span style="font-size: x-small;">. Unfortunately, the windy conditions make for difficult listening, but the footage does help to give us an idea of the area and conditions under which this sighting occurred).</span><br />
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There are many other large unidentified humanoid, sightings in Kent, (<span style="font-size: x-small;">which can be sourced <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1s1zOmmdM216PMftPUM9K1qqGrFg&ll=51.34991839013179%2C0.5558107226045195&z=10">here</a>)</span> where footprints, shadowing and other types of activity have been observed. This particular group, however, all correlate to the same general area and I would imagine that we are looking at the same individual/s, in each case.<br />
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<u>Monday 21st January 8:30 am: </u><i>"I was out in the field, as usual, clearing the horse muck, I was concentrating on what I was doing when out of the corner of my eye I was aware of somebody walking along the other side of the fence and bush line roughly 150 yards away. </i></div>
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<i>It struck me as odd as no one can get there easily or should be there as ten feet further on is a 30-foot drop to a freight rail line. </i><i>As I turned to directly to look at the figure, it had obviously seen me first and I saw it move and duck down behind a large bush</i>. </div>
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<i>At that exact moment my dog had also noticed the figure and tore across the field in that direction barking, which confirmed to me that something was there and as I stopped to process what I had seen, I realised that the figure was extremely large, as I had seen his head and shoulders above the bush which is over 6 feet tall. What also struck me was that, although I only saw it take a few steps, the stride pattern was very wide.</i> </div>
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<i>As an aside, recently on occasion, I will turn the horses out into the field and they will stay on the opposite corner of the field looking in that direction, instead of eating from their hay bale, which is very unusual for horses."</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Our witness describing seeing the head and</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">shoulders of a figure above this bush, before it ducked out of sight!</span><br />
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<b>ISLE OF GRAIN, SASQUATCH</b></div>
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A good friend of mine has lived in a remote Kent farmhouse, along The Medway on The Isle of Grain, for a number of years now and has experienced some strange goings-on and at one point she saw what she could only describe as a <i>"large Sasquatch type creature" </i>on her property. She described seeing a tall, hairy, creature; that looked like a cross between a man and an ape, walking upright on two legs. There is a caravan (mobile home) standing on the property and this has been rocked and banged upon a few occasions. I asked my friend to explain what this creature looked like and she said: <i>"The creature itself has been seen leaning over a Ford Escort Van, and although it wasn't standing straight up, but was hunched over, the roof of the van still only came up to its stomach."</i><br />
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There are very few houses in the area. If you go there and have a look around you can see how it wouldn't be too difficult to get around unseen. Situated between Allhallows and the Isle of Grain, the area is a wildlife haven and is protected under law. As I say it's quite isolated. There are lots of water sources and a few woodlands. It gets more wooded as you follow the river, not too far away.<br />
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It has been seen by our friends up close and doesn't seem to be put off by their presence. I have been invited out to camp there so I'm going to spend time looking around the sightings spots. We live in the area ourselves on a local farm and have seen what looked like a very large print of something laying down as if a large animal had made a bed or a nest of some kind in the tall grass. We are local to a river, power lines, a disused train track and plenty of woods and forest.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Part of the river Medway, snakes its way through the marshes on the <br />Isle of Grain, a protected habitat, teeming with animal life.</span></td></tr>
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<b>THE HAIRY MAN OF COOLING, KENT</b></div>
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In 2011, My son and his friend were in the fields, in the early hours before morning light. They were both getting set up for the day, when they saw a very large, hairy man, running along some hay reels. They said, <i>“The man like creature saw us, and then 'it' took off at great speed across the hay reels and headed for some woods."</i> I don't think they saw its face clearly as they mostly saw the 'creature' as it moved off. They said it was really tall and was all hair covered and had some sort of weird hair at the back, almost mane-like. It spun its head as if to hide its face, as soon as 'it' saw them looking at it and then took off running on two legs, moving very fast, across the top of the hay reels. It was moving with ease and ran off up toward the woods. This happened in Cooling Kent, it frightened the life out of them both. We are surrounded by Thames Marshes that are very vast and go on for miles. My son didn't think of Bigfoot to describe this 'thing' until I was surfing the net and I asked my son about it. He agreed that it looked like the 'thing' he saw and he won't go up that way anymore.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A disused railway line that lies beneath the horse paddock.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">The large figure our witness observed would have been walking </span><br />
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Although these incidents seem solitary and anomalous, in relative proportion to the sparse population in this part of Kent, it would actually appear to be quite the opposite and in fact, the continued interactions around homes and with people that we see in these cases, would seem to indicate a boldness that is not often noted in most alleged Bigfoot 'habituations' in the UK.<br />
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Our investigation of this area is ongoing and we hope to collect some compelling evidence over the coming months.<br />
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Written by Andrew McGrath<br />
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Beasts Of...http://www.blogger.com/profile/12286209031109996628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3172956793054929160.post-22073900084654509842018-12-30T23:52:00.003+00:002021-10-20T22:53:58.827+01:00BEASTS COME OUT AT NIGHT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Camberwell Old Cemetery is located on Forest Hill Road, Honor Oak, London. It has been in use since 1856 and covers approximately 30 acres of land, much of whose plants and trees have merged with the older tombstones, to create an eerie ‘forest of the dead’ like feeling. The site was in frequent use from its inception and by 1984, 300,000 bodies had been buried there.</b><br />
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<b><br /></b><b>Cemeteries are creepy enough places to be, during the day, but at night, that inexplicable fear of the unknown that we all possess becomes a living force. I was originally drawn to investigate this location due to two extraordinary witness accounts. The first related by a man who had decided to cut through the old cemetery one night on route to visit a friend, in 1996 and the second, which occurred many years later in 2004/5, related by a woman who was travelling past the graveyard with a friend, when she experienced something she still cannot explain to this day.</b><br />
<b><br /></b><b>The images I captured whilst there do not quite convey the unhealthy atmosphere, which was palpable, all around me. Although, admittedly, visiting the site of such extraordinary sightings does imbue one with a sense of expectation, which in itself can become a causative of feeling ‘ghostly vibes’!</b><br />
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<b><u>The Werewolf of Camberwell</u></b><br />
<b><i>On October 9th, 1996, a man on route to see a friend, had decided to take a shortcut through Camberwell Old Cemetery to save time, when something prodigiously strong grabbed him by the arm and smashed him into the ground. He saw a large creature, with dark fur and a head like a German shepherd, looking at directly at him intently, slobbering and growling and sniffing his body up and down, just as a dog would. Just as quickly as the attack started, it was over and the beast sprinted off on its hind legs. The witness believed that he was spared because he suffers from a disease that dogs can smell and that probably because of this, the creature left him alone.</i></b><br />
<b><br /></b> <b><u>The Camberwell Tree Shaker</u></b><br />
<i><b>“It was in 2004 or 2005 on a summer's night around 11.30pm and a friend and I were walking up Underhill road on the cemetery side of the road. I lived on Barry Road on the corner of Underhill road for many years and I was in my mid-20s at this point.<br /><br />On the corner of the cemetery side of the road, we heard a really loud weird noise and both turned to look. A large tree in the corner of the cemetery was shaking incredibly hard as if something really powerful was shaking it with all its might. I don't think I have ever seen such a strange sight. It was definitely not made by a person or an animal or pet. The tree looked as if the roots were ready to be ripped out. There was another noise too like a low growl.<br /><br />Needless to say, my friend and I took to our heels and fled as fast as we possibly could although in different directions. I sprinted up Harcourt road as hard as I could. When my friend caught up with me, we were both terrified and could not rationalise what had happened or account for the sheer terror we both felt. Instinctively, we knew we had to get as far away from the flimsy fence of the cemetery as fast as we possibly could.<br /><br />There is something very sinister there. I don't think I ever walked past the road in the dark ever again or ever ventured inside the cemetery. I have moved away from the area now, but still not far enough away from that place!!!”</b></i><br />
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<b>Werewolves? Dogmen? Bipedal Canines roaming throughout London and attacking people in graveyards? Frankly, It sounds like something for the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/High-Moon-Vol-Bullet-Holes/dp/1629918415/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506878185&sr=8-1&keywords=high+moon">High Moon</a> fans and I wholly reconcile my own feeling of disbelief at such encounters, with those other practically minded souls who find it hard to accept that such a being exists at all! </b><br />
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<b><br /></b><b>However, our folklore and history are replete with tales of such creatures stalking the darkness, not only in these resplendent isles, which we inhabit but also </b><b>amongst the legends of </b><b>our soon to be estranged, continental cousins. </b><br />
<b><br /></b> <b>I also feel the need to further compound this problem with my staunch belief, that such creatures are not immaterial and belong firmly in the flesh and blood world. Perhaps, patiently awaiting the taxonomic net of the brave, intrepid (and perhaps foolhardy) explorer to fall upon and fit them neatly, into the section marked 'New', in one of our delightfully leather-bound books, of the known Animalia that inhabit this wild and wondrous creation!</b><br />
<b><br /></b> <b><br /></b> <b>Written by Andrew McGrath</b><br />
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<div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;">For more on Beasts of Britain, check out:</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://geni.us/BeastsofBritain" target="_blank">books </a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://youtu.be/NFnqr8CLK4Y">TeaserTrailer</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Facebook</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain?lang=en">Twitter</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastsof/">Instagram</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://www.beastsofbritain.com/">Website</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/beastsofbritain/">Pinterest</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><u><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/beastsofbritain/works/36509629-beasts-of-britain-map">Beasts of Britain Map</a> </u></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thebeastsofbritain">Tumblr</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://a.co/d/0igdz53">Merch </a><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/"> </a></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/">Beastly Theories Podcast</a></span></span></b></div></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><br /></span></b></div>
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Beasts Of...http://www.blogger.com/profile/12286209031109996628noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3172956793054929160.post-89363639969176939842018-12-29T13:06:00.002+00:002021-10-20T22:55:08.633+01:00IS ALL THIS CONTROVERSY REALLY NESSIE...SARY?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>The Loch Ness Monster, Nessie (Niseag, in Scots Gaelic), LNM and the delightful, but not scientifically accepted, Latin classification of Nessiteras Rhombopteryx, are all names that have been attributed to what is arguably the most infamous water monster in the world and, until the recent Bigfoot boom, undeniably the most famous cryptid on the planet</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Some proponents argue that sightings of this creature can be traced all the way back to St Columba, who according to his chronicler, St Adamnan 625 - 704 AD, had a somewhat successful confrontation with the animal in the River Ness, in 565 AD, in which he came upon the funeral of a man who had been injured, but not eaten it seems, by the monster and thereafter decided to send one of his followers into the river as bait. Whereupon, the beast made its appearance, was spiritually 'told off'' by the Great Saint, and fled from the poor baited disciple, as if dragged away, 'by an invisible rope!' Apart from a lesser-known priestly encounter with a monster in Lake Connaught or Lough Ree, in which Saint Mochua is actually the cause of a disciple being eaten by a monster and also his salvation from the beast; most other sightings of the water monsters of Loch Ness and other bodies of water, are less endowed in their ecclesiastical and historical credibility, but nevertheless, persist as legend and are, from time to time, still recorded in the annals of newspapers and local history books, up until the early part of the 20th Century.<br /><br />We then, of course, come to the international breakthrough of Nessie knowledge and popularity, which begins shortly after a road is blasted into the hillside surrounding the loch; giving access to all and sundry, that was hitherto only available to those who travelled over the mountains on foot or who sailed the loch, by boat. The somewhat groupie-like hysteria that followed can easily be attributed to a growing international press and communications network accelerated almost certainly by wartime correspondence during the first world war and the alliances that remained so strong after its end and the race in Britain at that time, by several press barons, to enlarge their circulation along more humanistic lines, to sell to a larger, newly literate, working class. Within the following histrionic reception and inevitably profitable environment for the perpetrators of hoax, there are however some indefatigable sightings that, although disputed, are still pawed over meticulously today by some of the most evangelical sceptics and believers of our time!<br /><br />Some of the most famous of these cases are of course without a doubt: <i>The Spicer's road sighting, The Hugh Gray photo, The Arthur Grant road sighting, The Surgeon's photo, The Taylor Film, Peter McNab photo, Tim Dinsdale film, Wacked out Wizard and Hoaxer Mentor - Anthony Doc Shiels', muppet photo, Jonathan Bright's - Nessie Head</i>, and so on and so forth.....!!!<br /><br />The proponents of this discipline, <i>'sceptic'</i> and <i>'believer'</i> alike, have a proclivity for a golden age focus on the legendary evidence of yesterday and for trawling over the same empty waters of theory and philosophy regarding the origins of these creatures, or conversely, the international delirium, that according to some, causes the <i>'desiring'</i> witness of this unusual animal, to magnify the otter, catfish, sturgeon, seal and eel, into creatures of <i>'dinosaurian' </i>proportions!<br /><br />What these <i>'experts'</i>, fail to see, whilst fighting over the ambiguity of past evidence, are the ongoing, corroborative sightings, year upon year, of large, unidentified animals that are regularly witnessed, photographed and filmed (albeit inconclusively) at Loch Ness, by persons from a diverse background of cultures, professions and gender. <br /><br />What the witnesses report, regularly match several similar descriptions, which, largely exclude the regularly lauded list of monster impostors! <br /><br />They are: <br /><br />· A long neck, with a comparatively small head. <br /><br />· A large animate hump, shaped like an upturned boat or several humps that undulate or change shape. <br /><br />· 4 paddle-like flippers (that are sometimes clawed.) <br /><br />· A large rounded body or conversely a long snakelike form.<br /><br />· A powerful tail. <br /><br />· Two horns or <i>'breathing tubes'</i> on the head of some animals, (suspected to be either some type of breathing apparatus or more likely, a type of sexual dimorphism.) <br /><br />· And, most conspicuously - A large animal of a <i>'dinosaurian'</i> appearance, measuring anywhere between 12 to 40 feet in length!<br /><br />Generally, in the Lake Monster/Sea Monster research community, the evangelical sceptic is king and this has unfortunately led to an acceptable climate of laughable alternatives, (or monster impostors) to stand in for the extraordinary creatures that are regularly reported, not only in Loch Ness but also in lakes and seas in diverse locations around the world.<br /><br />Some of these comical stand-ins are:<br /><br />· A giant sterile eel (measuring somewhere between 20 - 40 feet in length!) <br /><br />· A giant, previously unknown, long-necked pinniped, (A rather conspicuous, air-breathing mammal!). <br /><br />· A large Sturgeon (where's the neck on a sturgeon?). <br /><br />· The (diminutive) Eurasian otter. <br /><br />· The seal (grey, common, harbour - any species really!) <br /><br />· A Wels Catfish (again, the absent long neck poses an issue.) <br /><br />· My all-time favourite - A giant unknown animal, similar to a mudskipper, with a plesiosaur head and neck-like lure????? <br /><br />The reader will I know, forgive the obvious vitriol and scorn which the author holds for such learned opinion, but, being unbound by popular paradigm and therefore enabled to examine the numerous descriptions of this animal, without recourse to ecumenical fervour; the massive body of anecdotal evidence seems to point clearly, in the direction of a previously thought to be extinct creature, of a suspected bygone era!<br /><br />So, why do we preferentially pick and mix our tolerable prehistoric survivors? Why is it perfectly permissible to have an animal like the coelacanth or horseshoe crab living on in to our current era, relatively unchanged and yet have a different animal, like the plesiosaur, that has allegedly been witnessed thousands of times in our lakes and seas, subject to such derisory dismissal and explained away with the type of mental gymnastics that would put any flat-earther to shame?<br /><br />I think this whole <i>'controversy' </i>comes down to a<i> 'size matters' </i>philosophy, that seeks the dissolution of any convincing evidence of large (and therefore impressive) prehistoric survivors, living on in our modern era; and is essentially based upon an existential argument, that often descends into the debate on origins within cryptozoology, between the materialists and their other religious counterparts, the creationists. But, stepping away from these two warring camps, with their zealous denial of one another and looking at the cumulative and corroborative reports made for the most part by antagonistic and uninitiated witnesses from every walk of life, it would seem obvious that what we are dealing with here is a <i>'living dinosaur'</i> of sorts. That is at least, an animal that belonged with the dinosaurs and one that is rendered as such, in many of its suspected haunts around the globe. One only has to look at representations of Champ, Ogopogo, Caddy, Nessie, Morag, Ishi and others like the Lepel Tsmok of Belarus, to see a uniformity, that is hard to pin down to the global permeating influence of Nessie culture, upon an unsuspecting and frail brained general public.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br />Over the last 84 + years, since the Loch Ness media explosion, Lake Monster research has taken many wonderful twists and turns and has had its fair share of glorious moments. The folklore & successes of its great men, now embellished, retold and re-spun for the digital age. But it is an ageing art, a dying discipline, whose language would be extinct, but for the tacky machinations of the tabloid press and the working-class masses who devour them.<br /><br />All is not lost, however, and a fresh supply of oxygen is and has always been present in this genre. That life-giving breath is held within our modern sightings and the witnesses who lay claim to them. Nevertheless, it is time to close the book on the past of Loch Ness and start a new modern chapter on the steady trickle of sightings that are reported year on year; to discuss their commonality and how we can employ modern technology and theory upon the mode and habituation of these elusive beasts.</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Written By Andrew McGrath<br /><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;">For more on Beasts of Britain, check out:</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://geni.us/BeastsofBritain" target="_blank">books </a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://youtu.be/NFnqr8CLK4Y">TeaserTrailer</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Facebook</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain?lang=en">Twitter</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastsof/">Instagram</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://www.beastsofbritain.com/">Website</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/beastsofbritain/">Pinterest</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><u><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/beastsofbritain/works/36509629-beasts-of-britain-map">Beasts of Britain Map</a> </u></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thebeastsofbritain">Tumblr</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://a.co/d/0igdz53">Merch </a><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/"> </a></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/">Beastly Theories Podcast</a></span></span></b></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><br /></span></b></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HIWjZzt0feE/YXCQH0DOOjI/AAAAAAAAbN4/oCAt7mD6V_gOyJ6fALXMUQ1J-0n9zWF2QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Beasts_of_Britain_Proof_08-16-2021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1458" data-original-width="2048" height="285" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HIWjZzt0feE/YXCQH0DOOjI/AAAAAAAAbN4/oCAt7mD6V_gOyJ6fALXMUQ1J-0n9zWF2QCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h285/Beasts_of_Britain_Proof_08-16-2021.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span><br /></span></b></div>
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Beasts Of...http://www.blogger.com/profile/12286209031109996628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3172956793054929160.post-30531692845136101762018-11-20T23:37:00.001+00:002021-10-20T22:56:15.771+01:00HOWLS & GROWLS - WHOOPS & WOODKNOCKS!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">In Part 1 of this series on behavioural characteristics of the British Bigfoot, I spoke briefly about cases of <a href="http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/2018/10/bluff-charges-intimidation.html">Bluff Charges & Intimidation</a> in the U.K. and their corroboration with other bigfoot witness reports from around the world.</span></b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><br /></b></span></span> </span><br />
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<b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">In Part 2 of this series, we will examine some of those commonly observed behavioural traits of 'International Bigfoot' that are also witnessed, although less frequently so, in alleged Bigfoot encounters in Britain.</span></b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><br /></b></span> <b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">So, what are Howls, Growls, Whoops and Woodknocks? Plainly put,they are audible encounters, that are assumed by the cryptozoology community, at large, to be a form of communication among these animals, that is primarily employed to convey a message or a mood to one another; and less commonly believed, by some, strangely 'connected believers', to be a form of communication between these animals and themselves.</span></b><br />
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<b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Recorded examples of these audible idioms are distinctly equivocal worldwide. One of the reasons for this possibly being, that certain sounds are relatively easy to explain away, via the transposal of other known corporeal impostors, that admittedly, could be wholly responsible for these alleged, sensory confrontations! <br /><br />Even in a country like Britain, allegedly devoid of large predators, many of our indigenous animals growl, our dogs howl and birds whoop and whistle. Woodknocks, also regularly meet their nemesis in the woodpecker and, of course, all 5 of these sounds, could easily be attributed to human activity for myriad reasons. Some of which, could be as simple as, forestry workers felling trees, walkers whistling, their dogs howling and growling, or the obvious elephant in the room - the activity of other bigfoot researchers, out in the woods, practising their own primate power of projection! <br /><br />So, regarding our little island and its maligned man-ape, what audio contacts do our 'ear-witnesses' report and are they mixed up with our aforementioned monster impostors, or, do these occurrences have a more mysterious origin, that points to Albion, having its very own 'Master of the Forest' roaming throughout its green and temperate lands? </span></b><br />
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<b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">We shall see! <br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"> The following encounters are presented here verbatim, but with some minor excision of unneeded detail, edited carefully, so as to neither lose nor add anything in translation, that may inadvertently bend the will of the witness to my own perception. Additionally, although there were many reports that could have been included in this study, I have only chosen a few that illustrate best, the brushes, that many British people have had with these sensory happenings: </span></span></b><br />
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<b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><u> The Friston Forest Screams</u><br /><br /><i>"In 2012, I was walking through Friston forest with my friend and his dog looking into a rumoured big cat sighting when the dog suddenly smells something and runs into the bushes. So we start whistling for it to come back and we hear this scream come back at us that sounded like the scream cliff does on finding Bigfoot! I do more whistles and the dog comes back with her tail between her legs like something scared the hell out of her. It was mid-afternoon."</i></span></b><br />
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<b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><u>Strachur Strange Wood Knocks, Screams and Tree Breaks</u><br /><br /><i>"I would like to inform you all of a sighting I had the other day in Strachur, Argyll, Scotland. I was out riding on my local Mountain bike track when I started feeling a little weird like I was being watched. I got my stuff packed and started cycling down the hill towards the village and I heard a high pitched howl and I then heard woodknocks coming from the bottom of the hill. I quickly rushed down the hill to find a tree pushed over the path. I got over it but after that, I never heard anything more."</i></span></b><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><i>"There is a place called Snapewood, it is part of the old original Sherwood forest, but, due to the industrialisation of the Midlands has become a secluded woodland area separated by at least twenty miles and is fenced off, with deer roaming throughout it and is now a nature reserve. I used to camp there many years ago as a teenager growing up. We would stay overnight often and would hear screeching this was not birds or any type of wildlife, our camp was ransacked one night as we lay in our tents zipped up and our food was taken. That night my friend caught sight of what he described as a huge hairy man with no clothes on. I never saw the creature at the time but it changed my friend's life. He would often tell us over and over again about it over the years and we would joke about it to him. He used to go back over the years on his own and sit for hours and come back and tell us there was a family of three, the youngest being a child ape-like creature, which ran on its hind legs. We thought he was nuts.</i></b></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><i><br />He took us back there some thirty years later and showed us where they could be seen. From the top of a disused railway line embankment, overlooking the part of woods where an old clay pond had formed, we were around half a mile away, we sat there all afternoon drinking beers until we heard the same screech we had heard as young teenagers. Even now I am lost for words, as this huge chestnut coloured, hairy man-thing, emerged from the clearing towards the pond and I watched it with two of my mates, bathing for over half an hour. The only thing my mate said was, "I told you, I told you, but you never believed me!" He still frequents the woods in winter and leaves food. He told us he has seen the branches you show in your videos. He says they are waypoint markers and when one passes by they will turn it towards the direction they walk towards, so others know which way they have gone. I came across your channel by accident and was stunned when I started watching, even now at my age! I'm over 50 and I find it hard to believe. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed they exist, but I can categorically state they do!</i></b></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><i><br />To be honest myself and other friends ragged my mate for over thirty-five years, it's just not something I would have believed in, but actually seeing it although from a distance there was no disputing what it was,, my friend was always adamant from the beginning as to what he witnessed all those years ago and he never let it lye either, he would often sporadically call in to see me in passing my house which is adjacent to the woods and he'd tell me that he had been back to the woods with food,I cannot tell you how many times I rolled my eyes and laughed at him; but after seeing it for myself, the whole saga was pretty emotional!"</i></b></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Here I am,</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>listening out for an 'Audio Encounter'</b></span><br />
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<b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i>"I had something strange happen when I was about 18 or 19 coming back from a festival. I'm on a bus to get home and at the time I was living in Leigh, Lancashire. I didn't want to walk the long way home, so I got off at the next stop and cut across a field instead of going all the way into town, then walking all the way up again. I thought this would be quicker since I have done it in the daytime a few times before. So I get off the bus and I start walking, I lit a cigarette, and I called a mate and asked him if he wants to come to mine for some beers? </i></span></b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><i><br /></i></b></span> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><i>As I'm making my way down the path under the footpath to go across the field it starts to get darker. I have nearly finished my cigarette and as I put it out, you know your eyes adjust to the light and you can see more? I don't remember the moon being full but it was just enough to light the way down where I was going and as I was getting closer to the end of the path, where it's more covered in trees, I thought I heard something, something I couldn't make out, so I stop and look and I thought I could see things running in the distance, I couldn't make it out clearly, so I put it down to my eyes adjusting and I just carried on thinking nothing of it. As I get closer to the trees, I heard a noise again. All of a sudden there was this deep growl not very loud, but loud enough, it was just a creepy growl and it was enough for me to move faster than I was before, I picked up my pace without looking back." </i></b></span></div>
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<b><u><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Derbyshire Moorland Beast</span></u><br /><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i>"My experience with what has become known as the North East Derbyshire Moorland Beast was in August of 1984. I was bivouac camping with my cousin at a place called Blackamoor, Totley just outside Sheffield. I was about 14 and I was visiting family in the school holidays. We had set up the tents and camp, and it had been a fun day and as evening drew in we called it a night. I got into the tent at around 11 pm and we both decided to try to get some sleep.</i></span></b></div>
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<b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i>It felt like no sooner had we settled down to sleep that we heard what I can only describe as "the deep growl of what we'd supposed must be a large apex predator" That may sound far-fetched, but that's what it sounded like at the time, it was not something we had heard before or could identify. We shook with fear instantly & struggled not to wet ourselves. We lay breathless as we listened to heavy footfalls moving through the heather around us. After a while we raised a bit of courage and gripping our knives we managed to get up out of the poncho shelter. A thick moorland mist had settled and we could barely see each other in it, let alone anything else, we kept searching the fog as we hurriedly packed, whilst all the time praying for all we could muster. Strange how you suddenly find the need for God. We went as quickly as we could, back down to the street lights at Totley and then home."</i></span></b><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><u>Growls and Mystery in the Simonside Hills </u></b></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><br /><i>"Several years ago my wife and I along with our German wired haired pointer Oskar took a trip to the Simon side Hills in Northumberland. As I was walking close to some hazel bushes, my wife Anne was about 30 yards away to my right and Oskar was beside her. Suddenly I was aware of a loud growling sound coming from the bushes beside me, it didn't sound like a large cat growl more of a very large dog. My wife at that point hadn't heard the growl, neither did Oskar.<br /><br />Further down the hill about another 50 yards another loud growl came from the trees, this time my wife shouted did you hear that? I said let's get back to the car and we quickly walked down the hill to the car. Suddenly to our horror we found that whatever was making the growling sounds had beaten us to the car and was now in the trees directly in front of us, making even louder growling noises. I told my wife to quickly get into the car and I dragged Oskar to the back and put him in the boot. It was at this point that I was truly scared, as I looked around for some large stick to fend off whatever it was, to my mind, that was about to spring at me from the trees. I got into the car and breathed a sigh of relief. Whatever it was had stalked us all the way down the hill for over 300 yards and by the sound of the growl was extremely large. I wish that I could have seen whatever it was but from the safety of the car. I just want to make the point that whatever it was, was very big and the sound it made seemed artificial if that makes sense. I have never heard anything like it in my life, except on a visit to the zoo."</i></b></span><br />
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<b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><u>The Howler of Barlow Woods</u><br /><br /><i>"It was around 1989 when this happened to me, I was 17 at the time. I was just killing time and I went into the wood for a look at the pine trees. I'm just wandering around and everything was normal, I could hear the birds, just a good day up to that point. I was about 100 yards in when went all quiet, silence, not a sound, even the birds stopped. There was nobody around at all just me. The wood was so quiet, I just stood there looking around and then I heard the strangest sound! A loud Whooping noise and knocking sound from all around, then everything went silent again.</i></span></b></div>
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<b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i>Just like that, complete quiet, no birds nor car noise, no animal sounds just complete silence, I didn't see who or what made the noises, but I could tell I was being watched. I could feel it, I'm looking around everywhere but can't see anybody at all. These woods are thick and the trees are large, I couldn't make out anybody or anything around me.</i></span></b></div>
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<b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i><br />I headed down towards the small stream and got down to look, and I saw nothing. I lay there for ages, I did some knocks back and the whoops started again, louder this time, my cheeks where puckered now, I was so spooked. I looked back into the thick woodland and my eyes saw loads of shapes in the sunlight but nothing I could pinpoint. Then bump, bump, crack in the distance! I could not take it anymore and I was off, I went back to my bike as fast as I could and all the way out I could feel I was being followed. I was scared, I kept turning around but couldn't see anything and then quiet came again. as I left the woods I could hear the natural noises return, the birds and stream noises. It was over. I have never returned to the wood."</i></span></b><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i><b>"I'm a carpet fitter. In September 2015, I had a job out in the sticks, and as I was unloading some underlay from my van I heard about 4 vocalizations. Now the best way I can describe these sounds were like a wooing noise single at a time, but they sounded like the sort of woo you would here in a jungle. They did sound primate and tropical.</b> <b>The nearest zoo is 25 miles away, I wouldn't think it would travel that far, but I might be wrong. I've never heard these noises before and it was enough for me to stop in my tracks. I was in the Tilmanstone area of Kent, which is an old mining village near the Dover, Sandwich area. It sounded close, but not close at the same time. and I know it wasn't a fox or anything. As I was in work mode, that's why it stood out so much, as I could tell it was nothing I had heard before, and it was definitely like a primate type of whoop. It sounded like a very haunting sound, it sort of hung in the air. It wouldn't sound out of place in a jungle type environment. A very hard one to explain."</b></i></span><br />
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<b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;">WOODKNOCKS </span><br /><br /><u>Goyt Forest Woodknocks </u><br /><br /><i>"In 2012 I had an interesting experience in my research location Goyt Forest, Peak District National Park. I hadn't visited the location for about a month, as I was using my free time to search for Deer antlers in a Deer Park not far from my house. Anyway, I decided to head over to the forest where there is a wild population of Deer, to see if I could find any antlers. A few hours in, I had just descended down a steep slope into the forest that lies in a valley and started making my way down to the bottom where I have to cross a river. I Got down to the bottom, crossed the river, and made my way up to a logging road. About 10 minutes after I had reached the logging road and had walked a little further down it, I heard a series of VERY loud knocks, which sounded like they were coming from close to where I crossed the river only 10 minutes ago. There would be 5 knocks, a 10-second pause, and then another 5 knocks. The knocks were very dull sounding, so it was coming from something being hit on a large, thick tree. Didn't think much of it, assumed it was loggers or something. Anyway, this went on for about 7 minutes, so I got curious and decided to check it out. As I reach the corner of a clear-cut that would allow me to see the river where I crossed and where I suspected the knocking was coming from, it stopped abruptly. I started glassing the area with my binos, and couldn't see anyone or anything. </i></span></b></div>
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<b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i>I know that no rangers were on duty that day, and there were no loggers as their vehicles and high vis jackets are easy to identify. I had just passed that area 10 minutes earlier and I am 100% positive nobody was there. So annoyed I didn't get a recording of the knocking, but I just assumed it was someone down there. Anyway, made my way down there quickly and there was nobody there at all. There was no wind, and the knocks were always a series of 5, and then an approx 10-second wait before there would be another series of 5 knocks. And, I noticed the knocks started happening after I tripped and landed on a branch that had fallen, which made a large cracking sound. <br /><br />I actually went back with my sister, and again, heard the same knocking sound. No wind, it wasn't a woodpecker, and I can rule out campers because I had just walked past the area the sound was coming from about 20 minutes earlier. I did a couple of hand claps to see if it would respond, but the knocking immediately stopped and we didn't hear it again. Interesting for sure. I went there at night and heard the exact same mumbling sound that I heard a couple of months ago, coming from around 20 feet in the treeline at the side of the logging road I was walking on. I then heard something large run through the brush as I could hear the limbs breaking. Could have been a Deer, but it came from the same area where I heard the rumbling sound?"</i></span></b></div>
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<b><u><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Holme Fen, Wood Knocks</span></u></b></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><i>"I was recently down at Holme Fen which is an area of Special Scientific Interest, and an area which I have visited hundreds of times... The woods here are diverse and full of Silver Birch, Beach and Oak trees. Wildlife abounds with many species of native and visiting bird life. The area has fisheries and The Great Fen is a 50-year project to create a huge wetland area. One of the largest restoration projects of its type in Europe, the landscape of the Fens between Peterborough and Huntingdon is being transformed for the benefit both of wildlife and of people. When I was there I heard knocking on the trees. A distinctive knocking and it was a double knock, which I know was not deer or human's messing about. This knocking sounded like wood on wood as if someone or something was knocking on the tree. It stood out and I think it was meant too.</i></b></span></div>
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<i><br /></i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><i>I have a background in gamekeeping, so I am used to the usual noises you would hear outdoors in nature, this was different and it stood out, what I heard was unusual enough that I felt very uneasy when I heard this sound. It intrigued me and worried me at the same time.<br /><br />As I walked I kept looking everywhere, but all I could see were Muntjac deer, which seemed to be acting in an uneasy manner, almost unsettled. I keep visiting this site and will continue to do so, and I am sure that something strange happened on that day, something out of the ordinary."</i><br /><br /><br />Looking objectively at these 'ear-witness' accounts, many of us would find it pretty straightforward to put some of them in the monster imposter category and apart from the odd exception, where an actual bigfoot is seen, it is only logical to do so. The rational mind is structured in a way to provide us with emotional security and a sense of safety and were we to find ourselves in a similar situation to these witnesses, we would likely employ the same power of rationalisation, to explain away the oddities of our experience. <br /><br />Those few and far between, who do have a visual experience of an unknown animal, often struggle with the mental adjustment of drinking down the authenticity of what they have seen; but those others whose brush with the unknown has not taken them to such awe-inspiring heights, are rather left with a larger hole to fill, and with a greater unknown with which to make it full!</b></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /><b>Written by Andrew McGrath </b><br /> <br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"> (Extra special thanks to <a href="http://britishbigfootsightingreports.com/">Deborah Hatswell of the British Bigfoot</a> research organisation and to the witnesses of these extraordinary creatures, for their tireless research and bravery in this little-known area of British Cryptozoology)</span></b></span><br />
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<div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;">For more on Beasts of Britain, check out:</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://geni.us/BeastsofBritain" target="_blank">books </a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://youtu.be/NFnqr8CLK4Y">TeaserTrailer</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Facebook</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain?lang=en">Twitter</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastsof/">Instagram</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://www.beastsofbritain.com/">Website</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/beastsofbritain/">Pinterest</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><u><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/beastsofbritain/works/36509629-beasts-of-britain-map">Beasts of Britain Map</a> </u></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thebeastsofbritain">Tumblr</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://a.co/d/0igdz53">Merch </a><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/"> </a></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/">Beastly Theories Podcast</a></span></span></b></div></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><br /></span></b></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-__V77A7UesM/YXCQcxUOxjI/AAAAAAAAbOA/wuMhsT0RUQcq39b4xs9Zn3Arwgz_XdIpgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Beasts-of-Britan-Proof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-__V77A7UesM/YXCQcxUOxjI/AAAAAAAAbOA/wuMhsT0RUQcq39b4xs9Zn3Arwgz_XdIpgCLcBGAsYHQ/w225-h360/Beasts-of-Britan-Proof.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><span><br /></span></b></div><div>
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Beasts Of...http://www.blogger.com/profile/12286209031109996628noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3172956793054929160.post-15289612335937416472018-10-24T13:14:00.002+01:002021-10-20T22:57:31.192+01:00BLUFF CHARGE & INTIMIDATION<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Much has been posited about the likely existence of a bipedal, ape-like creature, that is alleged to have been beheld by thousands of people, in some of the most remote and isolated regions on the planet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Trace evidence, like footprints, hair samples and some very compelling film and photographic footage; have been captured, catalogued and studied with an almost microscopic diligence paid to every detail, by the obsessive devotees of this particular, fabled, fauna fetish!</span><br />
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"Get Off My Land!!!!"</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The tales of the North American Sasquatch draw most public focus along with the Himalayan Yeti,(only from a pop culture retrospective nowadays)and now thanks to the work of Adam Davies and others, The Orang Pendek of Indonesia also, is a subject of serious scientific study.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">There are in fact, many organisations worldwide, investigating other Bigfoot-like creatures, like the Chinese Yeren, the Russian Almasty, and Australia's Yowie. Viewed together, they seem to form a conglomerate of 'far off legends' that are only credible to our minds, due to their environmental isolation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We have little trouble believing in these creatures or considering them real, simply because we do not have to consider the viability of their habitat or the means of their survival into our modern epoch; famously absent from our yearbook of the natural world and somehow, managing to evade even the most diligent scientific researcher, without ever having landed themselves caged, in carnival or zoo! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So, we preponder that maybe an animal like Bigfoot could avoid detection in the Pacific Northwest, or that the Yeti might remain unseen in the vastness of its 'alleged' mountain home; solely because our detachment from these lands makes it more tolerable to believe that we could have overlooked the presence of such faraway beasts. But, what of those sightings in a more'closed system' like the UK? How could it be possible that a type of 'Wildman' could also be roaming our countryside, for the most part avoiding the detection of our teeming millions and managing to live sustainably; without ever piquing the interest of our mighty British naturalists; who have, in ages past, been held responsible, for classifying so much of the natural world?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">With this egotistical disqualification in mind, we turn to the study of the British Bigfoot or Wodewose; a subject that seems to invite derision from even the most seasoned of researchers, who, while juxtaposing the ecological needs of its ape-like cousins on to its island kin, judge the claims of our witnesses as somehow falling outside of the 'what we know to be true' paradigm. Which, even in cryptozoological circles can be fixed in its observance of the official line.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What I intend to present in this blog series, are behavioural characteristics of the British Bigfoot, that not only corroborate characteristics observed by witnesses of these creatures in more acceptable locations in the world but also, as we will see, are almost indistinguishable from them and their other simian cousins.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We will start with a relatively untouched area of Bigfoot Research, bluff charges and intimidation - which are behaviours that are regularly observed in great apes, which have also been observed in 'bigfoot-like' creatures around the world. It should be noted that these witnesses reported this behaviour without any prior knowledge of the existence of an ape-like hominid in the UK.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>PLAS DOL Y MOCH -GIANT APE CREATURE</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In April of 1966, two teenagers staying at the Plas Dol Y Moch outward Bound centre in Wales were taking part in a night navigation exercise when they encountered a thick and bulky black shadow, like a giant ape, that came crashing through the undergrowth and roared at them. The Boys, dropping their maps and equipment ran back to the centre and alerted the staff, who to their surprise believed their story and called the police, who promptly questioned them and even organised a search. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>CHILD'S ERCALL - MAN BEAST</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In 1971 after an evening spent with her then-boyfriend at the home of his parents in the village of Child's Ercall, Shropshire, a teenage girl was happily riding her bicycle back home when she was shocked to see a large, hairy animal dash across the road directly in front of her and glaring at her menacingly. The animal was human-like in shape, covered in long flowing dark hair, with bright yellow eyes and a black-skinned, shiny face.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>CANTERN BROOK WOODS - GREY HAIRY THIN</u></b></span><b style="font-size: x-large;"><u style="font-size: x-large;">G</u></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A witness recalls how he and several other small children were regularly run out of the Cantern Brook Woods in Shropshire, by a huge grey screaming figure, whilst cutting wood to make their dens. The creature would chase them to the edge of the woods and then stand watching them, from the trees.</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">STOWE-BY-CHARTLEY - GIANT CHIMP</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Late one evening in September 1986, a man and his wife were driving past the ancient ruins of Chartley Castle in Staffordshire, England; when they were forced to brake to avoid a huge stag crossing the road, followed by what looked like a large chimpanzee, which came bounding after it. Halfway across the road, the creature looked directly at the couple and angrily charged their vehicle, breaking off at the last second. In a panic the husband tried to reverse, stalling the car and leaving the couple briefly stranded in the road. Over the next twenty seconds, the huge ‘Chimp’ charged their car twice, before finally bounding off in the direction of the stag. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>THE CANNOCK CHASE - THING</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Some local residents of Cannock Chase were chased by a Bigfoot whilst driving through the area at 2am. The creature was human-shaped, but around seven to eight feet tall and very broad and stocky. When it realised it had been seen, it stood up straight and ran towards the terrified witnesses who sped away in their car. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>THE IVY DEN - CREATURE SIGHTING</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In the 1980’s several children were playing at a place called The Ivy Den, at Hackenthorpe Sheffield, when they were chased away by a 6-7 ft tall, dark figure, with very bright red eyes, which they saw running up the side of a stream about 20 feet away from them. The creature jumped across the stream with ease, at which the children fled. An interesting aspect of this sighting is that one of the children fell while running, only to see that the creature had ceased chasing him and was watching him a little distance away. This might indicate that the creature had simply meant to scare them off. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>THORPE PERROW - SCREECHING FIGURE</b></u></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In 1983, a young teenager living in a rural area called Thorp Perrow in Yorkshire was riding his bicycle back home at night, without lights. Taking a shortcut through a farmland track, he was singing to himself when he swerved to avoid hitting a ‘person’ in the road. He stopped to look back, only to see a huge ‘person-shaped thing’ with its arms above its head, screeching at him angrily. Over 30 years later he still can’t forget the way its eyes stared at him.</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">FRANKS WOOD CRANHAM - WILDMAN</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In 2002, In Cranham Essex, A black shadowy figure, standing two and a half metres tall with no discernible features, gave chase to a group of friends as they left the wood. </span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">THE CLEADON GEET</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In 2003, around 11pm, a 16-year-old girl was waiting for her bus home, when she felt an urgency to relieve herself. She snuck off into some bushes nearby, when suddenly to her terror, a 7ft tall, skinny, hairy ape-man; lunged from the bushes and chased her. Needless to say, she ran all the way home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>THE RED CHESTED BIGFOOT - OF SALTFLEET MARSH</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In the winter of 2004, two sisters were walking their dogs along the edge of the salt marsh at Saltfleet, East Lincolnshire; when they were pursued by a large ‘person’ covered in red and brown shaggy hair. Needless to say, they ran all the way home and have not been back to the area since. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>MIDDLE WOOD - APE-MAN</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In August 2015, a man walking in Middle Woods, Offten, Sussex; suddenly became overwhelmed by a fear that he wasn't alone. He explains that as a large man of 20 stone (127 kilos) that he is pretty fearless, but inexplicably on this occasion, he lost his nerve and decided to leave the woods. On leaving the area he heard a monkey go ‘woo woo’ and an almighty crashing noise. Then a 2 legged ‘thing’ like a chimp in colour but a gorilla in build, approximately 5’7 in height, came hurtling across the trail, using its long arms to knock aside the trees. He noted that its arms were at least a third longer than his own.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>DORKING DEEP DENE - CREATURE</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Two explorers visited an abandoned tunnel in Dorking Deepdene late one evening in 2016. Hearing noise inside and thinking that it was other explorers, they waited outside for them to finish. Their two dogs started barking and were suddenly silenced by a loud Roar. Then they heard the sound of something big moving the trees, breaking and snapping branches like they were twigs and then it stopped. After 10 mins of sitting in silence afraid to even breathe, they left the area, slowly. Returning some days later, they found a large footprint around 20 inches long. 8 inches wide at the top and about 3 inches wide at the bottom.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In these rather extensive examples, one can see, <a href="https://youtu.be/Hhmi6x8YVRs">bluff charges</a> and intimidation, with some people, even being chased out of an area. However, what is also quite clear, is that these animals tend to stop short of any physical action against the humans they encounter. One of the important aspects of the <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1s1zOmmdM216PMftPUM9K1qqGrFg&ll=53.351473500000004%2C-1.3700294000000213&z=18">Ivy Den Creature </a>encounter is that The 'Ape-man' that chased the children out of the woods, was observed to stop its pursuit when one of the fleeing children fell; indicating that the creature was lacking any real intent to harm; or the <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1s1zOmmdM216PMftPUM9K1qqGrFg&ll=51.22862980000003%2C-0.32135010000001785&z=18">Dorking Deepdene Creature</a>, which roared and broke branches in the woods facing two explorers, but remained out of sight, throughout the entire confrontation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What remains certain, is that for all the doubts about the veracity or plausibility of the witness reports in the British Isles, our sightings are replete with lesser-known behavioural characteristics, that appear throughout other multitudinous and unconnected reports around the globe and testify, against the preference of the paranormal promulgators, to the mundane and physical character of the British Bigfoot.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In part 2 of this series, we will take a look at HOWLS & GROWLS - WHOOPS & WOODKNOCKS</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Written by Andrew McGrath</span><br />
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(Extra special thanks to <a href="http://britishbigfootsightingreports.com/">Deborah Hatswell of the British Bigfoot</a> research organisation and to the witnesses of these extraordinary creatures, for their tireless research and bravery in this little-known area of British Cryptozoology)<br />
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<div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;">For more on Beasts of Britain, check out:</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://geni.us/BeastsofBritain" target="_blank">books </a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://youtu.be/NFnqr8CLK4Y">TeaserTrailer</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Facebook</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain?lang=en">Twitter</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastsof/">Instagram</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://www.beastsofbritain.com/">Website</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/beastsofbritain/">Pinterest</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><u><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/beastsofbritain/works/36509629-beasts-of-britain-map">Beasts of Britain Map</a> </u></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thebeastsofbritain">Tumblr</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://a.co/d/0igdz53">Merch </a><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/"> </a></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/">Beastly Theories Podcast</a></span></span></b></div></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><br /></span></b></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SU14lRXn60U/YXCQvG79y1I/AAAAAAAAbOI/0TnGbiYST1I5t3MPSCTQnCgcrJx8n3uugCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Beasts_of_Britain_Proof_08-16-2021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1458" data-original-width="2048" height="285" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SU14lRXn60U/YXCQvG79y1I/AAAAAAAAbOI/0TnGbiYST1I5t3MPSCTQnCgcrJx8n3uugCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h285/Beasts_of_Britain_Proof_08-16-2021.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span><br /></span></b></div><div>
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Beasts Of...http://www.blogger.com/profile/12286209031109996628noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3172956793054929160.post-80014630364328188912018-07-20T00:07:00.004+01:002021-10-20T22:59:26.466+01:00THE BLACK COUNTRY STALKER <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The Wodewose or British Bigfoot<br />Sketch by Andy McGrath</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(I'm clearly no artist!)</span></td></tr>
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Tales of the Wodewose abound across the length and breadth of the British Isles. Contrary to popular opinion, these aren't simply tales of yore, or folksy myth and legend passed down by generations past. They are actual, real-life, modern day sightings, that are taking place year upon year, in this misty, green island, of pasch and pessimism!<br />
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Sometimes in the world of Cryptozoology, and especially because of the difficulties of researching undiscovered or thought to be extinct animals, we researchers, have a tendency to make 'concessions for credibility'. This in its most basic form, is a sacrifice of one 'principle' to build up 'another'. So, for example, if I say, that I believe that there is a monster in Loch Morar, but that because of 'poor' conditions and over-imaginative public desire, that there is unlikely to be a monster in Loch Ness; then I imbue myself with a type of objectivism and subconsciously increase my credit within the public sphere. Similarly with Bigfoot, if I say, that I believe there is a North American Bigfoot, because of the multitudinous eyewitness testimonies and the available habitat, but I don't believe that there is a British Bigfoot, that is attested to, with the same types of eyewitness testimony; simply because I assume that the conditions for habitation don't exist in the UK. I again, sacrifice one equally valid 'principle' to build up the credibility of 'another'.<br />
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Bigfoot research in the UK, has until recent times, been entrusted to those few indentured initiates, who willingly took on the mantra of 'laughing stock' within the British cryptozoology community, (a community that has at times been more sceptic than skeptic!), in order to follow the delightful track and trail of one of the delicacies of our trade - the rejected cryptid. These faithful followers in the footsteps of other great and mocked explorers, have kept tryst in hard times and nurtured interest in this subject, when even those, born-again believers, of the US Bigfoot belt, laughed at their claims for a British Bigfoot, due to unsubstantiated perceptions about poor habitat and a 'residual image' of the UK, as one giant city, covering every scrap of green in sight.<br />
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To the consternation of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L._Ron_Hubbard">Hubbard-like</a> adherents to the cult of <a href="http://www.paranormality.com/zooform_phenomena.shtml">zooform</a>, this flesh and blood phenomenon, shows no sign of dying away and instead what we are seeing, is increased awareness and a greater willingness to report these strange sightings, due to the availability of a now established and respectful infrastructure of experienced and open-minded organisations and researchers.<br />
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So it is, with this 'out with the old and in with the new' peaceful takeover, that new faces, fresh field researchers, healthy debate and evidential enquiry, has begun to spread in the study of the British and European Bigfoot and their long history and current presence, in our part of the world.<br />
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To continue these 'Tales of The Wodewose', we have another previously unreported sighting from Baggeridge Country Park, near...ish to Wolverhampton, England, in an area that is commonly known as the Black Country.<br />
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I would like to thank Hal Smith, for travelling to the location and engendering a safe environment within which, this elderly couple, without access to the online world, or even any knowledge of the 'bigfoot phenomenon', were able to speak openly and without fear of ridicule; and finally, get closure and reassurance, on what after all, must have been a very traumatic experience for them.<br />
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Here is their sighting as reported by Hal Smith.<br />
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<i>On Tuesday morning I was up on Baggeridge Ridge at around 9.30 when I saw an elderly gent walking his dog. He said morning to me and carried on down towards the car park. I finished around 10 and headed for the cafe. The gent was in there.. I got a coffee and sat down.. after a while, he came over and sat down.. He pointed at my t-shirt (Gone Squatchin') and asked If I believed in it. I said yes and told him that I investigate sightings..He said he had something to tell me but wanted his wife present.. We arranged to meet back at the cafe on Thursday at 9am.</i></div>
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<i>Thursday I got there around 8.55 and they came at around 9.15. We sat, had a coffee and chatted in general. I brought up the subject of sightings and the old fella said not hear and we left the cafe. They led me up a path that I know well as I had put owl boxes up there about 10 previous. This area I call horseshoe path because it follows the treeline in a half circle. The path is only single file-wide with trees on both sides. One side falls downhill and the other side has a slight incline and it is very quiet there.. very few people use as it is off the beaten path. We reached an area around halfway around the trail. Then they told me what they had seen.</i><br />
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<i>One morning around 9.30 in April 2017 the elderly couple were out walking their little dog as they did most mornings. They chose this path as their dog does not get on well with other dogs and it's very rare to see anyone else up there. As they walked along the man noticed a dark figure in the trees around 30 feet away. He thought it was strange as it seemed to be watching them from behind a tree then ducking in every time it was noticed. The man decided not to say anything to his wife as he did not want to alarm her. They continued to walk but the figure stayed around the same pace as them and continued to try and remain hidden. After around 10 minutes had passed the man's wife noticed he seemed anxious and asked what the matter was. He told her and pointed the figure out. She eventuality spotted it and saw it duck back in and start peeping at them from around the tree it was hiding behind. The dog then started barking and growling at it. They rushed as best they could with the dog now on the lead and eventually reached a fork in the path and they knew that one way would take them back to the car park. As they turned at the bottom of the path that leads out of the woods and onto open fields they stopped to catch their breath. As they looked back from where they had come from, the creature had stepped out onto the open path.. They both agreed it stood upright, was very dark in colour and covered in hair. She said it was around 8 feet tall, but he said it was closer to 7. It didn't follow them any further. They got back to their car and now, don't walk that area any more. In fact the rarely use Baggeridge Country Park anymore, so our accidental meeting was a spot of good fortune, as I got the story they have never told anyone before and I was able to put their minds at rest that they had nothing to fear from these animals, as there have never been any reports of anyone being harmed by one in the UK.</i><br />
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<i>They wish to remain anonymous, but I have no reason to disbelieve their story as they seemed very scared to me and the elderly lady had to keep wiping tears from her eyes.</i><br />
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There is nothing fanciful in this report. The witnesses are disconnected from the modern world by age and lack of technological awareness, In fact, if not for Hal's Bigfoot 'Bat Signal', shining out into the village either, in the form of his 'Gone Squatchin' Tee! The old gentleman who spotted it, may never have felt secure enough to tell another soul about the strange encounter, that he and his wife had experienced. I can only imagine what mental reassignment of reality, they must have had to cope with in that past year, in order to both rationalise their encounter and to keep it secret, likely fearing local ridicule, amongst their peers. This particular fear being something I understand intrinsically, as I struggle with my intentional overexposure to this world of cryptozoology and my desire to see its popularity grow.</div>
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There are other sightings in this area, one of which took place in <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20src=%22https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb%22%20width=%22600%22%20height=%22450%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20style=%22border:0%22%20allowfullscreen%3E%3C/iframe%3E">Showell </a>Lane, in Lower Penn, near Wolverhampton, in May of this year (2018) and describes a witness seeing a man-shaped creature, covered in shaggy, 'orangey' hair, standing around 7 ft in height and in the words of the witness it was, "built like an American football player". This and many other sightings around the UK can be found on Deborah Hatswell's British Bigfoot <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1s1zOmmdM216PMftPUM9K1qqGrFg&ll=52.55378510000002%2C-2.1847129000000223&z=18">map</a>.<br />
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In the coming years, myself and other researchers that are, 'out in the field', hope to set you on the road, to entertain the plausibility of the existence, of a large hairy hominid, here on our tiny, yet mostly uninhabited island, in the gloomy, yet gorgeous - North Atlantic!<br />
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Written by<i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Andrew </a><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain">McGrath</a>, </i></div>
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<div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;">For more on Beasts of Britain, check out:</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://geni.us/BeastsofBritain" target="_blank">books </a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://youtu.be/NFnqr8CLK4Y">TeaserTrailer</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Facebook</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain?lang=en">Twitter</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastsof/">Instagram</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://www.beastsofbritain.com/">Website</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/beastsofbritain/">Pinterest</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><u><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/beastsofbritain/works/36509629-beasts-of-britain-map">Beasts of Britain Map</a> </u></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thebeastsofbritain">Tumblr</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://a.co/d/0igdz53">Merch </a><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/"> </a></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/">Beastly Theories Podcast</a></span></span></b></div></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><br /></span></b></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eZgl9k-spkw/YXCRNPwviEI/AAAAAAAAbOU/gYuk3yEfwhwUX6Alokzgp0w8x8AFO8rngCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Beasts_of_Britain_Proof_08-16-2021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1458" data-original-width="2048" height="285" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eZgl9k-spkw/YXCRNPwviEI/AAAAAAAAbOU/gYuk3yEfwhwUX6Alokzgp0w8x8AFO8rngCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h285/Beasts_of_Britain_Proof_08-16-2021.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span><br /></span></b></div><div>
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Beasts Of...http://www.blogger.com/profile/12286209031109996628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3172956793054929160.post-52097095135465504362018-06-29T12:48:00.003+01:002021-10-20T23:00:08.157+01:00THE APEMAN OF ABERNETHY FOREST<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Satellite Map of Abernethy Forest<br />
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abernethy_Forest">Abernethy Forest</a> in <a href="https://www.visitscotland.com/">Scotland </a>is the largest part of what remains of the<b> </b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caledonian_Forest">Old Caledonian forest</a>, located in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strathspey,_Scotland">Strathspey </a>in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_(council_area)">Scottish Highlands</a>, it is an area that comprises 4000 hectares of forest. It has an abundant red and roe deer population and black grouse and the capercaillie (wood grouse) as well as 70 bird species in total. There are otters and pine marten, as well as wildcat and red squirrel, multitudinous rabbits and ample wild food sources, like blackberries, cowberry, crowberry, sorrel and abundant edible fungi. The area has a tiny population, below 5000 people, nearly all of which reside in the towns of Nethy Bridge, Boat of Garten and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aviemore">Aviemore</a>.<br />
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Scotland is a country comprising of 30,090 square miles of land, 10,250 miles<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> </b>miles of coastline, including it's many islands, with varied landscapes such as fertile farmland, thick woodlands, mountains, moorland, beaches, beautiful islands and stunning sea views, interspersed among 31.460 lochs and lochans and boasts, as a country, an almost unbelievably diminutive 1.9% of its land area that is actually built upon. Representing a tiny urban landscape, in a vast wild land, with a population of approximately, 5,404,700 million people.<br />
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It is no surprise then, taking in to consideration the provident conditions present and the sparsity of human habitation, that from time, some of the local inhabitants and visitors to this area and to Scotland in general, claim to have had encounters with strange, bipedal, 'ape-men', that resemble in appearance, superficially at least, the North American Bigfoot.<br />
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I have been intrigued recently, to receive a very descriptive British Bigfoot (or 'Wodewose') sighting, that occurred in Abernethy Forest in 2012, witnessed by two brothers, whilst on their annual camping and hunting holiday. One of the most compelling facets of this particular sighting, is that one of the brothers, has spent many years working in Zoos in the UK and around the world, as a<b> </b>primate keeper<b>; </b>making his description and his assertions about the animals appearance, of a highly important nature, to us laymen, who often have to traverse the highly controversial and divisive seas of opinion on the possible genus of these unknown animals; believed by many researchers, to be either a form of advanced ape or alternatively, a relict hominin.<br />
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<span style="color: #444444;"><b><i>My name is Al Smith but everyone calls me Hillbilly Al, which got shortened to Hal some years ago, and it stuck. </i><i>After leaving school, I decided that I wanted to be outside as much as possible so thought that a job with animals would be ideal Through <a href="https://biaza.org.uk/">BIAZA </a>I found a job as a field biologist's assistant, which I loved and it gave me a great opportunity to travel and see some amazing places, meet different people and to see animals in their natural habitat. </i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;"><b><i>I soon learnt that I had a real passion for primates and talked to people about furthering this passion into a career. I was told about <a href="https://www.southstaffs.ac.uk/animal-zone/">Rodbaston College</a> and found I already knew someone that was a lecturer there, so enrolled. After leaving Rodbaston I decided to look into zoo keeping as the Field Research had become a little bit too much, and I had at that time met the girl who would later become my wife, and wanted to spend more time with her. </i><i>I was lucky enough to work at several zoos all over the UK, my favourite being Dudley Zoo, because I met some of the best <a href="https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/news/day-life-primate-keeper">primate keepers</a> I had ever worked with and had total respect for them.</i></b></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #444444;"><b>During this time, my elder brother and I, would make sure we booked our yearly holiday together - fishing, hunting and wild camping in Scotland. We always chose Scotland because their laws on wild stays are different than ours (In Scotland, you can camp for two days in one spot as long as you respect the land, then move on to another spot.) In August 2012, It was my brothers turn to chose the location for our annual holiday and that year he chose a wonderful spot in the Abernethy forest, Strathspey, in the Scottish Highlands. </b></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #444444;"><b>The site was perfect, Water nearby, open grassland and plenty of tree cover.. We set up camp around 20 feet inside the forest using tarps and hammocks and then set about building a fire.. While out collecting wood I looked for game trails and found loads of signs of rabbit activity in the clearing not far from camp.. There were also lots of fruits such as blackberry and plenty of dandelion and cats tails. </b></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #444444;"><b>The next morning I woke around four am, way before my alarm was due to go off, but that's usual for me.. I've always been an early riser. I got out of my bunk, dressed head to toe in realtree camo, stoked the fire and put the coffee pot on. My brother was still lightly snoring so I kicked the bottom of his bunk to gently wake him. I could see it was starting to get light above the canopy, so got my rifle ready (only a point 25) and we quietly made our way to the treeline and the rabbit field as I now call it. As we stepped out, we stayed close to the treeline and headed left towards a huge blackberry bush I had noticed the night before. </b></span></i><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><i><br /></i> <i>Now, I usually hunt alone because my brother has a heavy footfall, but after a few steps, I couldn't hear him behind me, so I looked back to see if he was still there. The look on his face was something I had never seen from him before. Both his mouth and eyes were wide open and he was looking straight past me. Now to be as honest as I can be, I don't remember fully if he pointed or spoke, because the next few seconds are a little blurry in my head. I looked to see what was upsetting him so much and got the shock of my life. </i></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><i><br /></i> <i>There was a dark figure crouching down with its back to us, I reckon it was about fifty feet away and even crouched down, looked easily to be my height (5'2"). It looked like it was eating berries from the bush, from the way its shoulders were moving and the way it was hunched over. It then raised its head a little, turning slightly towards us, and tilted it to one side, as if listening. It stood up and turned at the same time and was now looking straight at me. It must have stood seven to eight feet tall! It was covered in jet black hair all over its body, except for the upper chest and face and its skin was very dark, except for its bottom lip which looked pink. It had a wide nose and large eyes. Its features reminded me of an <a href="https://youtu.be/urEzsfx7P70">older bonobo chimp</a>anzee, but the face was much flatter, especially around the mouth. </i><i>It was going bald on top and to my eyes, <u>this picture of a bonobo is what i was looking at, but with a much flatter muzzle.</u></i></b></span><br />
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An old Bonobo Chimpanzee, </div>
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an animal, according to Hal, which closely</div>
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resembled his British Bigfoot sighting.</div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><b> I</b></span></i><i><span style="color: #444444;"><b>t looked to be around four feet across its shoulders, with longer hair on its forearms and and on its chin. I have never been so scared in my life, although it never once took a step towards me or made any threatening movement, It was just its sheer size and the fact that in my mind it should not have been there. I don't know how long we stared at each other, it felt like forever. I had an overwhelming feeling to put my rifle down, so I dropped to one knee, really slowly, and placed my rifle on the ground. It then turned and walked off into the treeline, just looking back one more time, to see if we were following it. Then It was gone. I looked back to get my brothers reaction but he wasn't there, he'd also gone, so I grabbed my rifle and ran back to camp, panicking now realising that I was all alone. </b></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #444444;"><b>By the time I had got back to camp, my brother already had his tarp, bunk and bits stuffed in bags and was working on mine. I tried to stop him as I wanted to stay and look for what we had just seen, but he wouldn't even speak to me. I'd never seen him like that before. He later sold all his camping and fishing gear. Not very long after, we stopped speaking all together. Although I still see his wife occasionally, she tells me he never leaves the city now.</b></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><b><i>I went back in 2016, to the exact location and I admit now that I had taken on looking for these creatures. I was full of such big expectations, but other than tree breaks, leans and a very quiet vocalisation, that I couldn't quite make out, nothing happened. I had, of course, heard of Bigfoot before all this happened but never really thought about them.. Now my eyes are wide open. In all of my years spent in woodland and forests I have never seen anything that I could not explain straight away, that is before this sighting, which has changed my life. As someone who has worked closely with primates, </i><i>I believe that what i saw was a simian and not a hominid. </i><i>To me it was not human in any form, to me it was a big ape. The body looked very much like an upright gorilla, the arms and thighs were huge, Just like a gorilla. The face was much flatter, but still very ape like.</i></b></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #444444;"><b> I can't even walk my dog now without wondering if there something in the trees...</b></span></i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abernethy Forest, Strathspey, Scotland<br />
Photo by Richard Webb</td></tr>
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Although a much maligned subject in cryptozoology, There is a growing congregation of British Bigfoot reports, nationwide, that are as descriptive and matter of fact as this one and share many of these corroborative details and, thanks to organisations like: <a href="http://britishbigfootsightingreports.com/">British Bigfoot Research</a> and other dedicated Bigfoot groups in the UK, more reports and evidence of the presence of these mysterious animals are being catalogued year on year. </div>
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One of the commonly reported physical attributes in this report and something that I always thought contributed to making Bigfoot, 'seem' man-like, to some witnesses, (apart from its bipedalism), is its flat face. Which, seemingly has, a separate nose and lips, instead of an ape-like muzzle. Could it be, that this unusual physical presentation leads many witnesses to the conclusion that what they are looking at, is a for want of a better word, a relict hominin, instead of some possibly extant species of great ape, like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigantopithecus">Gigantopithecus</a> living on into our modern times?<br />
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For witnesses like Hal, the British Bigfoot is a real creature and conceptually speaking, a game changer, as far as one's perception of the order of the world and its many inhabitants, are concerned. What most people find hard to fathom of course, is how such an animal could escape detection in a land such as ours, that is, allegedly, one of the most thoroughly explored in the world, and to that I would say, simply: - <i>That it is difficult to discover something, you are not seeking to find! </i></div>
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Written by<i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Andrew </a><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain">McGrath</a>, </i><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;">For more on Beasts of Britain, check out:</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://geni.us/BeastsofBritain" target="_blank">books </a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://youtu.be/NFnqr8CLK4Y">TeaserTrailer</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Facebook</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain?lang=en">Twitter</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastsof/">Instagram</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://www.beastsofbritain.com/">Website</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/beastsofbritain/">Pinterest</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><u><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/beastsofbritain/works/36509629-beasts-of-britain-map">Beasts of Britain Map</a> </u></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thebeastsofbritain">Tumblr</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://a.co/d/0igdz53">Merch </a><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/"> </a></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/">Beastly Theories Podcast</a></span></span></b></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><br /></span></b></div></div></div><div>
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Beasts Of...http://www.blogger.com/profile/12286209031109996628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3172956793054929160.post-85256454836355852362018-05-18T14:49:00.002+01:002021-10-20T23:01:22.487+01:00DOGMAN - REBRANDING THE WEREWOLF<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Alongside Bigfoot there is often talk of another hairy creature, bipedal in nature, man-like in form and of a similarly large stature; but with a fanged, dog-like or wolf-like head. These reports are generally rarer than Bigfoot reports both in the U.K. and the U.S. but share a striking similarity with one another, by eyewitnesses as far apart as Wales and Wisconsin. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">As one might imagine, the theories as to the identity of these creatures certainly do attract a few strange, weird and wonderful explanations. Some of them lucid and some of them ludicrous!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /> <span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">For myself, I always believe that the answer to most cryptid sightings is a natural one. If the creature is described as being animal-like, then it probably is an animal, even if the attributes it portrays seem somewhat superficially supernatural. For example, a creature whose eyes seem to glow without the aid of artificial light may in fact possess some form of bioluminescence instead of <i>'hellfire' </i>and a witness who describes feeling an intense feeling of dread or fear before sighting some unusual creature, <i>(Bigfoot/Dogman etc.)</i> could have been affected by a type of infrasound, similar to that allegedly used by <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/12/001201152406.htm">tigers</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Sightings of the Dogman, or as it has been traditionally known, the Werewolf; are the kind that I would have laughed at a couple of years ago, whilst simultaneously being a believer in Lake Monsters and Bigfoot. This is because the possibility of an upright, bipedal Wolf-Man had seemed improbable, almost too supernatural to me; a fanciful faerie tale, to scare kids straight and keep them out of the woods! It was a mystery too obtuse, too difficult to fit in to my <i>'natural animal'</i> explanation and unlike the other cryptids I have pursued, its history lay deeply embedded in the paranormal, a beast of myth and legend, or some pastoral parable of good and evil, to warn parishioners away from sinful conduct with a tale of beastly transformation.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /> <span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">After researching this phenomenon extensively in the UK, I was intrigued by an article that appeared in the<i> <a href="http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/woman-says-she-ran-into-hull-werewolf-old-stinker/story-29662753-detail/story.html">Hull</a> Daily Mail </i>about a creature called the 'Werewolf of Hull', or the 'Beast of Barmston Drain' as it is also known; a bipedal Wolf-Like creature that is said to stalk the Yorkshire Wolds, and which was sighted several times in May and August of 2016, by numerous independent witnesses, who all provided similarly eerie descriptions of this mysterious animal.</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Ol' Stinker the Beast of <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1s1zOmmdM216PMftPUM9K1qqGrFg&ll=54.970435754010545%2C-3.548557128125026&z=5">Barmston </a>Drain </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">A woman who sighted the 'potential werewolf' in December 2016 said <i>"It was stood upright one moment. The next it was down on all fours running like a dog. I was terrified. It vaulted 30ft over to the other side of the drain and vanished up the embankment and over a wall into some allotments." </i>She said that it both ran on two legs and on all fours, having the qualities of both a human and a wolf.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Another couple said they saw something <i>'tall and hairy'</i> eating a dog next to a drainage channel, which runs through the countryside. They added that it jumped over an 8ft-high fence, with the animal in its mouth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Yet, Another woman who was walking her dog one evening spotted something she described as being <i>'half dog & half human'</i>. She said that her dog adamantly refused to go any further along the path they were walking along. (although, the reason why this clever animal's refusal to walk towards a huge wolf-man should be noted in such a disciplinary tone, escapes me!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: "courier new", courier, monospace;">The Werewolf of <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1s1zOmmdM216PMftPUM9K1qqGrFg&ll=54.970435754010545%2C-3.548557128125026&z=5">Hull</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Jemma Waller, an animal rescue worker, described the moment she came face-to-face with the notorious werewolf 'Old Stinker' as she was driving through the East Riding village of Halsham. The 24-year-old said the beast looked like a big dog <i>"with a human face"</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Ms Waller was with two friends at the time of the sighting and said: <i>"We were driving down this country lane on our way to get some pizza and my friend in the back seat said that he had seen a fox. </i></span><i style="color: black; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">I looked on my driver's side and saw this beast on all fours who started to walk straight towards my car on two legs. It looked like a big dog, probably bigger than my car, but it had a human face. It also had this cream and grey fur. My automatic reaction was to keep on driving, but thankfully it didn't keep coming towards me. It just turned around and ran off diagonally. Everyone in the car was really shaken. We'd never seen anything like that before." </i>The party stopped their car at a nearby petrol station to calm themselves down. When concerned staff asked what was wrong, the friends described what they had seen, only to be told by the staff, to the legend of the 'Beast of Barmston Drain'.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Ms Waller said:<i> "We had never heard about it before, but when we started reading up about it, it was exactly like what we saw. It just made us more scared, to be honest, and I didn't get any sleep that night. It was just like a horror movie."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Sightings of 'Old Stinker' are believed to date back to the 18th century when wolves still stalked the countryside. In one report from the 1960s, a lorry driver said a creature had tried to smash its way through his windscreen as he drove along a remote Wolds road off Beverley Road in Hull. </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">(</span><span style="font-size: large;">There are many other Werewolf or 'Dogman' sightings in the UK, which can be found through many reputable sources such as Deborah Hatswell's British <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1s1zOmmdM216PMftPUM9K1qqGrFg&ll=54.02231316266587%2C-2.8970953979247724&z=5">Bigfoot</a> Map or via the purchase of one of Linda Godfrey's many excellent <a href="http://amzn.eu/aaX4tBV">books</a> on the subject.)</span></b></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">In the case of the Dogman or the Werewolf, I'm drawn to the (<i>not so original)</i> conclusion that perhaps what we consider to be dog-like in its features, could in fact be ape-like or more baboon-like, if only the muzzle was extended enough and the ears were long enough to appear to be on top of the head. But then, what ape or baboon ever had such features? Is the Dogman some new and original creature or, just like the werewolf legends of old in Britain and Europe just what it appears to be, a large, bipedal; Wolf-Man? The eyewitness accounts certainly seem to be very compelling and add further weight to substantiate that what people are seeing here in The British Isles closely resembles those North American tales of this strange beast. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><br /> <span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">In this line of questioning and theoretical over-extension, I suddenly realise that I have reverted to the position of sceptic and for a moment feel giddy with this new found pseudo-objectivity that allows me to briefly experience how the uninitiated perceive the evidence for Bigfoot, Nessie et al; and what evidence I as a researcher need to provide them, in order to allay their concerns and create a plausible explanation for the existence of undiscovered animals living among us. Yet, on the other hand, what I may be experiencing in regards to the concept of the Dogman, quite simply can be summed up in the phrase 'One Man's Meat is Another Man's Poison', or in this case, 'Werewolf'!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">As a final word, I would say that they, The Dogmen, that is, are rather rare, rarer than the Bigfoot, in any case, and they look to be far more aggressive in behaviour too. Also, they do not appear to inhabit the same range as Bigfoot, with many of the sightings in the UK concentrated in Staffordshire and Derbyshire, although, there are other sporadic sightings throughout most of the country. In all of the eyewitness sightings, the Dogman seems to exhibit very similar characteristics and behaviours to the Bigfoot, even though it does seem, overall, to be less intelligent and more animalistic in its general demeanour and composure than its ape-like <i>cousin</i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Written by Andrew McGrath </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;">For more on Beasts of Britain, check out:</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://geni.us/BeastsofBritain" target="_blank">books </a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://youtu.be/NFnqr8CLK4Y">TeaserTrailer</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Facebook</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain?lang=en">Twitter</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastsof/">Instagram</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://www.beastsofbritain.com/">Website</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/beastsofbritain/">Pinterest</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><u><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/beastsofbritain/works/36509629-beasts-of-britain-map">Beasts of Britain Map</a> </u></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thebeastsofbritain">Tumblr</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://a.co/d/0igdz53">Merch </a><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/"> </a></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/">Beastly Theories Podcast</a></span></span></b></div>
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Beasts Of...http://www.blogger.com/profile/12286209031109996628noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3172956793054929160.post-27080020596221531732018-02-26T14:41:00.001+00:002021-10-20T23:02:00.104+01:00BEASTLY BLAGGERS AND FISHERMANS TALES<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>THE MACRAE FILM</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Honestly Guvnor! its mouth was this big!!!"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Photo by Nily Ron</span></td></tr>
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The existence of this film is legendary, a kind of grail-like quest, passed on by word of mouth or in dusty, moth-eaten books about cryptozoology and occupying the bookshelves of the cooler granddads out there. Now sadly, unread for years and languishing in this internet age, in between a sort of mythical half-truth and hopeful allegory.<br />
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The story began when renowned Loch Ness researcher and author, Ted Holiday told of a meeting he had with a man named Alistair Dallas, from Kirkcudbright who claimed to have seen 2 extraordinary and conclusive pieces of Loch Ness Monster footage; or to be more accurate, 1 film of the Loch Ness Monster and another film of a similar Nessie-like creature, in Loch Duich. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The films in question had been recorded in the 1930s by a Dr MacRae, a physician who had retired to a house along the shores of Loch Duich. In his 1968 book, 'The Great Orm of Loch Ness', Ted Holiday recounts Mr Dallas' description of the films, starting with the animal filmed in Loch Ness:<o:p></o:p></div>
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'<i>Mr. Dallas told me that this film runs for several minutes. Three humps, </i><i>together with the neck and head, are clearly visible. The neck is held low </i><i>over the water and seems to be writhing to and for. During the sequence, </i><i>a bird flies down and lands on a stone in the foreground, which helps to </i><i>give scale to the picture. The Orm's head appears to be bluntly conical in </i><i>profile - rather like half a rugger ball, to quote Mr Dallas. On the crest of </i><i>the head are two horn-like sense-organs. Starting between these, and </i><i>running down the neck, is a bristly mane. Mr Dallas said that this mane </i><i>reminded him of baleen; it is stiff yet flexible and the texture seemed to </i><i>him fibrous rather than hairy. Slit-like eyes can be made out on the head </i><i>but they are not very distinct. Occasionally, the animal, rolls in the water </i><i>and one of the forward flippers makes an appearance; it is thick and </i><i>fleshy and seems to be capable of independent movement. The skin looks </i><i>tough and leathery. Another interesting feature is the fact that the head </i><i>seems to be in a state of continuous flux or movement, apparently due to </i><i>the play of muscles under the skin.</i></div>
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He then goes on to describe the animal in Loch Duich:</div>
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<i>'The second film, which was also taken by Doctor MacRae, shows a </i><i>creature lying in Loch Duich - a sea-loch on the Scottish west coast. The </i><i>monster is lying against the shore and is writhing its neck over a bed of </i><i>seaweed. It differs from the Loch Ness specimen in having a longer neck </i><i>and a mane which looks tufted. A man appears in the picture during this </i><i>sequence, probably in the background.'</i></div>
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At first glance, this story seems to be the map to El Dorado (for cryptozoologists anyway!.) A reliable, descriptive film taken by a reputable retired doctor, would seemingly hold a lot of weight. But, this all comes crashing down with Ted's news that Mr Dallas claimed that Dr MacRae had decided to leave the film evidence in an unnamed bank vault in a safety deposit box, under the trusteeship of Mr Dallas himself, a then deceased colonel - Sir Donald Cameron and a 3rd</div>
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unnamed person, until such time as the academic study of the monster, was taken more seriously. Furthermore, Mr Dallas claimed that he was allowed to speak about the film but not allowed to reveal it, as talking about it did not break the terms of his trusteeship.</div>
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This style of fisherman's tale, the one that got away, so to speak; constitutes the greatest threat to the credibility of the study of unknown animals and maligns the reputation of serious cryptozoologists</div>
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everywhere. The 'Carrot and Stick' method here tends to keep one trying to attain the unattainable, regardless of how many times you take a beating from that stick and in this instance, I can only conclude that Ted Holiday's sincere desire to find evidence of the creatures of Loch Ness and other bodies of water, dimmed his sensitivity to this obvious rouse. I would happily conclude in this case, that the MacRae film never existed and was a total fabrication, either by Alastair Dallas, or by Ted Holiday (which is more doubtful), to imbibe his long study and research at the loch with the possibility of success or at the very least, a hope of uncovering definitive evidence. That is, of course, if only the mysterious persons involved would be willing to reveal it.</div>
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I do not doubt that there is hidden and withheld footage out there somewhere of the monster of Loch Ness and others as well; kept hidden for reasons of reputation, financial leverage or most commonly in my unmitigated opinion, because of the philosophical implications of finding a living 'dinosaur'. And yet, the MacRae films are not one of those examples.</div>
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This highland folktale is replete with marvellous circumstance and unlikely players, not to mention the only other named witnesses being deceased at the time the tale was told. The holiday was also said to have followed up the matter with the present Donald Cameron of Loch Eil, who denied any knowledge of the films and as his letters to Alastair Dallas went unanswered, he concluded he could take the matter no further.</div>
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Again, these details unravel a dead end story with no corroborative witnesses and few compelling facts. It is in itself, a true representation of a typical legend of Loch Ness. Constituting and continuing an unfortunate and enduring foray into folklore and fantasy.<br />
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Written by Andrew McGrath<br />
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<div><div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;">For more on Beasts of Britain, check out:</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://geni.us/BeastsofBritain" target="_blank">books </a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://youtu.be/NFnqr8CLK4Y">TeaserTrailer</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Facebook</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain?lang=en">Twitter</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastsof/">Instagram</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://www.beastsofbritain.com/">Website</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/beastsofbritain/">Pinterest</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><u><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/beastsofbritain/works/36509629-beasts-of-britain-map">Beasts of Britain Map</a> </u></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thebeastsofbritain">Tumblr</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://a.co/d/0igdz53">Merch </a><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/"> </a></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/">Beastly Theories Podcast</a></span></span></b></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><br /></span></b></div>
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Beasts Of...http://www.blogger.com/profile/12286209031109996628noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3172956793054929160.post-28243745256692151812018-02-04T22:46:00.004+00:002021-10-20T23:02:39.866+01:00WHAT'S WITH THE HABITUDE?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Fight in the Forest<br />
by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Burgkmair" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: right;">Hans Burgkmair</a><span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: right;">,</span></td></tr>
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Bigfoot is big business these days! The 'merch' merchants are out in force, selling you everything from t-shirts to tortillas and kaftans to coffee! There are Bigfoot tours, seminars, conferences, television documentaries and also some very serious research and scientific study! This astonishing multi-faith mix of manifold disciplinarians, collaborating (loosely) in the name of our elusive hairy hominid friend, whose popularity, it could be easily contended, proclaimed, or even professed, has eclipsed Nessie, now making 'it' the world's number one cryptid, is both exciting and treacherous to the uninitiated!<br />
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It is in this climate of self-made bigfooters, with their gofundme...ish campaigns, that we find, in small doses at least, some modern-day sightings seeping out from some of the globe's lesser known, or at least lesser publicised Bigfoot locales.<br />
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The primacy of North America's Sasquatch in the promontory of the public minds eye, goes a little way to justifying the seemingly youthful appearance of other Bigfoot phenomena, making their way slowly to the front of the queue, appearing as brand new customers to the cryptid cashier, whose vision of the smaller 'squatch' has been understandably obscured by the giants she's been serving, over these past few decades!<br />
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This brings me neatly, of course, to our very own cryptid and cousin of North America's Sasquatch - the British Bigfoot; or, as it has been referred to throughout its history - The <a href="http://www.oddx.com/woodwose/">Wodewose. </a> This beast, that has been depicted throughout European history upon the heraldry of many noble families as a tall, hair-covered man, was once arguably ethno-known, among our ancient population as 'the wild man of the woods', a forest spirit, or guardian. (A description that is not too far removed from those of the first nations people of North America, the S<b>herpa </b>peoples of Nepal and the Aboriginal peoples of Australia; as well as countless other archaic and original inhabitants of other lands.)<br />
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One of the external issues that affect the credibility of those researching these creatures in other 'smaller' or less 'squatchy' parts of the world, is that of Bigfoot's perceived habitat requirements and the alleged unavailability of untenanted or unpopulated land within which, it could reside unseen.<br />
Putting these assumed base requirements aside, the <a href="http://britishbigfootsightingreports.com/map/">British Bigfoot</a> has actually been sighted hundreds of times in recent decades, with regular sightings being reported up to this very day, from diverse locations, throughout the length and breadth of the country - from the tops of our mistiest mountains, right down to the bottom of some of our most narrow and stagnant <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glen">Glens</a>.<br />
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The evidence for the existence of these animals is primarily anecdotal at present (eyewitness reports mainly), with some unsubstantiated blurry <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3310660/Is-Sussex-Sasquatch-Dog-walker-snaps-mystery-beast-strolled-Duke-Norfolk-s-estate.html">photos</a>, footprints and stick signs thrown in for good measure, amidst other interesting evidence, such as researcher, Bigfoot Tony's '<a href="https://youtu.be/b0ioX3fmrg0">tree pusher</a>', accidentally captured on film somewhere in South Wales. And researcher, Neil Young's '<a href="https://youtu.be/iznbWJ-nCYA">Infrasound</a>' recording, captured at <a href="https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/wood/10965/harwood-forest/">Harwood </a>Forest, Northumberland!<br />
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Amidst this accumulating body of evidence, we find the 'regulation rebuttal' given by sceptics and Sasquatch fans alike, which is that, <i>'Britain lacks the available habitat and food sources to sustain a population of large hominids and keep them well fed and (mostly), well hidden from man.'</i><br />
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This misnomer, this <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_memory">Mandela effect</a> of poor habitat, or perhaps to be more accurate, no habitat; has had a strong hold on the urban population of Britain (and the world) for many years. And yet, it is a surprisingly easy myth to dispel with freely available statistics and facts. The illusion of urban Britain, most probably engendered in the inception and franchising of the industrial revolution from our tiny island out unto the ends of the known world, is one that I hope to put to bed in this blog. Leaving in the aftermath of its sleepy collapse, into what I hope to be a permanent slumber, the clear light of a green field, on a sunny <i>urbanless </i>day!<br />
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There was, in 2012, one of the most complete studies of urbanisation in the UK, which was undertaken by the <a href="http://uknea.unep-wcmc.org/Home/tabid/38/Default.aspx">UK National Ecosystem Assessment</a>. They were surprised to discover that only 6.8% of the UK's land area could be classified as urban" (a figure inclusive of rural development and roads). The figures when broken down amongst the 4 primary nations that make up the UK portrayed a picture far different from that which is enshrined in the mind of the average British city dweller, convinced of the lack of available green space in our allegedly tightly packed, tiny island!<br />
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Instead, this exhaustive study of our land found that the urban landscape only accounts for 10.6% of England, 1.9% of Scotland, 3.6% of Northern Ireland and 4.1% of Wales. This means that a whopping 93% of the UK is not urban. This tired illusion of urbanisation is further diminished by the studies finding that 54% of the land in our towns and cities is also green space (parks, allotments, football fields etc.) Our gardens further use up another 18% of the urban land, and our waterways and reservoirs a further 6.6%. In England alone, 78.6% of urban areas are natural! This leaves a miserly 2.27% of England's landscape that is actually built upon, meaning that England (the most populated country in the UK) is nearly 98% natural! And they dare to say, "there is no habitat!?"<br />
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Of course, in the light of these figures demonstrating the general isolation the average city Brit has from the wild places he is ironically surrounded by, it is not unexpected that the next objection that the unwilling would venture, is that of the lack of food in our unproductive garden. As to what there is for a Bigfoot to eat in the British Countryside, again, a few simple statistics will easily illustrate the bountiful disposition of our green and pleasant land.<br />
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In the U.K., there are currently somewhere in the region of<a href="http://www.countryfile.com/explore-countryside/wildlife/deer-culling-britain-facts-and-statistics"> 1.5 million deer</a> running wild. Rabbit numbers are somewhere around the 37.5 million mark. we have 33.337 million sheep, most of which graze on our hills and in our fields. There are 4000 wild <a href="http://www.wild-boar.co.uk/WILD-BOAR-POPULATION.html">boar</a>, 62,000 breeding pairs of <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/canada-goose">Canada Geese</a> with a further 192,000 birds wintering here. We've myriads of game birds, wildfowl, small mammals, and healthy salmon and trout stocks, amongst many other fish species in great numbers in our rivers and lakes. There is also widespread crop growing and other available foodstuffs like wild berries and roots that grow year round. More than enough for an omnivorous, opportunistic and intelligent animal to exploit to its benefit!<br />
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There is another default argument that the majority of rural UK is intensively farmed and the actual remote areas are very small and encroached upon by our farming and high population density, but again, in reality, this exclusion is based upon an assumption and does not stand up to scrutiny. What we in fact see is, that although 70% of the total land is <i>classified </i>as agricultural, only 25% of the total land area is croppable (two-thirds of production is devoted to livestock, one third to arable crops.) Most of the rest of the agricultural land is grassland, rough grazing, or woodland. So in actuality, the word 'farmland' is misleading. To use the most populous UK nation as an example again: We find that the rural population of England is estimated at 9.3 million people and that within this number, only 0.5 million people live in <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rural-population-and-migration/rural-population-201415">sparse settings</a>. Further illustrating the available '<i>space</i>' in England, is the fact that the percentage of urbanisation presented here in my article, is also inclusive of rural settlements and roads.<br />
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So, what we have here is an environment that is not entirely understood by its native population, that is spacious, underpopulated and healthy enough in the provision for this cryptid creature to thrive in almost undetected. Something that the British Bigfoot or Wodewose, would seem to have mastered, over the many millennia it has spent living among us!<br />
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Written by Andrew McGrath<br />
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<div style="margin: 0px;"><div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;">For more on Beasts of Britain, check out:</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://geni.us/BeastsofBritain" target="_blank">books </a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://youtu.be/NFnqr8CLK4Y">TeaserTrailer</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Facebook</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain?lang=en">Twitter</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastsof/">Instagram</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://www.beastsofbritain.com/">Website</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/beastsofbritain/">Pinterest</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><u><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/beastsofbritain/works/36509629-beasts-of-britain-map">Beasts of Britain Map</a> </u></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thebeastsofbritain">Tumblr</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://a.co/d/0igdz53">Merch </a><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/"> </a></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/">Beastly Theories Podcast</a></span></span></b></div>
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Beasts Of...http://www.blogger.com/profile/12286209031109996628noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3172956793054929160.post-42728747470011543292017-12-14T17:06:00.001+00:002021-10-20T23:06:04.841+01:00INFRASOUND - How Low Can You Go?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S13NBRz0zjI/WjKygZdZBoI/AAAAAAAACEE/xxnWmfRbvMI8-fbFCOCS00Q-qtyHzpG0ACLcBGAs/s1600/166px-Radio_waves_hazard_symbol.svg%2B%25282%2529.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="145" data-original-width="166" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S13NBRz0zjI/WjKygZdZBoI/AAAAAAAACEE/xxnWmfRbvMI8-fbFCOCS00Q-qtyHzpG0ACLcBGAs/s1600/166px-Radio_waves_hazard_symbol.svg%2B%25282%2529.png" /></a></div>
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrasound">Infrasound</a> is sound that is lower in frequency than 20 Hz, which for us humans is the limitation of our normal hearing range. However, at certain high intensities, although we cannot hear it, we can feel the effects of infrasound vibrations upon our bodies. </span><br />
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">The purpose of infrasound in animals might be manifold or simply dependent on the needs of the particular species that use it, but I would suspect that one of the main reasons for its use, is its ability to travel long distances. <br /><br />There are only a few animals that use infrasound, with some of the better-known examples being: the whale, elephant, hippopotamus, giraffe, okapi, rhinoceros and alligator; most of which having been scientifically observed and recorded exhibiting this strange ability.</span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">It is interesting to note regarding this strange phenomenon, that some studies have also indicated that tigers also possess this capability and might even use it to paralyse or panic their prey. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">'Crouching Tiger' - by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ACrouching_Tiger_MET_DP836040.jpg">Eugene Delacroix</a>, 1839.</span></td></tr>
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</span> <span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">It is this weaponised use of infrasound that coincides with a lesser known theory about Bigfoot, which tells of its possessing a type of infrasound to aid in predation or as a tool with which to drive away unwanted visitors from its habitation. </span></span></span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">In the world of Bigfoot witness reports and researchers encounters, there are many stories of people who describe feeling 'uneasy' or 'spooked out' for no apparent reason; or even of some people experiencing an 'inexplicable fear', seemingly coming from out of nowhere and defying logical explanation, taking place either, just before their Bigfoot sighting or in areas where a Bigfoot have been reported. </span></span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">At times this fear has been so strong as to cause people to leave an area altogether and in some cases, many seasoned outdoorsman and hunters, have been too afraid to return to the area and yet cannot explain why. </span></span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">In the case of one of Britain’s most famous Bigfoot-like creatures, ‘The Big Grey Man' or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Am_Fear_Liath_M%C3%B2r#Description">'Am Fear Liath Mor' </a>as it's known in Scots Gaelic’, who is said to haunt the passes and the summit of Ben MacDhui, the tallest peak of Scotland's Cairngorm mountains. Many witnesses have described a mind enveloping fear, almost willing them to plunge off the mountainside to their deaths. </span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">There are also alleged cases of people becoming mysteriously unwell for days or weeks after experiencing this 'creepy feeling'. </span></span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">What if these elusive beasts we know as Bigfoot or Sasquatch do in fact possess some form of powerful infrasound, that can not only cause us to become fearful enough to take leave of our logical process and leave an area without clear cause; but can also cause humans and other animals who encounter them to become physically unwell from the effects that this 'infrasound' has on organic forms? </span></span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span> <span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">This is something that would certainly be a powerful weapon indeed if it is real! </span></span><br />
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<span style="background: white;"><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">I admit that the theory sounds quite far-fetched, and to those who do not already hold to some conviction of the reality of this creature, ascribing yet another extraordinary facet to its abilities, might seem a little self-indulgent. Nevertheless, since there are cases recorded by</span> <span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">the <a href="http://www.animalvoice.com/tigerpage.htm">Fauna Communications Research Institute in North Carolina</a>, where people have reported feeling the paralysing effects of infrasound from known animals like the tiger, then why could the same criteria not apply to a creature like the Bigfoot? </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Fourier transform of infrasound recording</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Th <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AInfrasound_FFT.jpg">Indblad</a> - 2009</span></td></tr>
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background: white;">One well known British Bigfoot Researcher who has both managed to record an example of <a href="https://youtu.be/iznbWJ-nCYA">infrasound </a>and has also had several British Bigfoot sightings, is <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/bigfootresearchuk/">Neil Young</a>; who was featured in the U.K. episode of <a href="https://www.animalplanet.com/tv-shows/finding-bigfoot/">Finding Bigfoot</a>. Neil has been kind enough to share some of his experiences of the British Bigfoot with me, including a sound recording he had made of a British Bigfoot possibly using infrasound. His encounter has been relayed here in his own words, so as to omit nothing in my translation or retelling of his story:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background: white;"><i>“I’ve had two possible sightings of The British Bigfoot, both in the same location, 8 years or so apart. The first sighting took place around 6am one morning as I was looking from my car across a section of clear-cut. There was a mist and it was just starting to get light. I saw an upright figure walking through the clear-cut and it climbed over the perimeter fence, the forestry commission erected to keep the roe deer out. It couldn't have been a person as we were the only chaps up there for sure. The second sighting happened on a forest track. After hearing the vocals they make, I got down and waited with the camera ready, then one walked across the track and back into the woods. As for what they are, only a body will tell us that, but I'm in the flesh and blood camp. They are also capable of producing infrasound bursts and I assume they have advanced nocturnal vision, perhaps with the same ocular capacity as a crocodile with double the available light bouncing around the retina, due to possible mirrored layers within their eyes. In my experience, they leave vertical sticks driven into the earth. It's their way of saying 'I inhabit this area'. They will often stalk you out of pure interest. If they think you're alone they'll come in close...ish. If you're after a sighting, go in alone, but keep doing it as it's a ratio factor. By going to the same spot again and again and simply sitting there, they will smell you out. Regarding infrasound, we obtained a sound file. We used the Zoom H4N Recorder to pick this burst up. It's all bass so you need to listen with headphones, but it's very impressive. We only picked it out on the recording the following day as we decided to hike back out and sleep in the car as we felt very uneasy that night, so we left the recorder in camp. That's the only night we ever felt threatened. I can't explain it." </i></span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background: white;">I think it is very significant that individuals who have dedicated themselves to the search for Bigfoot in Britain, experienced a feeling that made them take leave of their logical impulse to discover a new creature and decide to abandon a significant research area in which they were hoping to find the animal. </span></div>
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<span style="background: white;"><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Having personally studied the recording of the 'alleged' infrasound; it seems plausible to assume that this sound was being used to drive Neil and his research partner away from a significant habituation and unbeknownst to them until they heard the recording the following day, it seems to have worked.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Written by Andrew McGrath</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span><div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;">For more on Beasts of Britain, check out:</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://geni.us/BeastsofBritain" target="_blank">books </a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://youtu.be/NFnqr8CLK4Y">TeaserTrailer</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Facebook</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain?lang=en">Twitter</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastsof/">Instagram</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://www.beastsofbritain.com/">Website</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/beastsofbritain/">Pinterest</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><u><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/beastsofbritain/works/36509629-beasts-of-britain-map">Beasts of Britain Map</a> </u></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thebeastsofbritain">Tumblr</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://a.co/d/0igdz53">Merch </a><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/"> </a></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/">Beastly Theories Podcast</a></span></span></b></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><br /></span></b></div>
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Beasts Of...http://www.blogger.com/profile/12286209031109996628noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3172956793054929160.post-6093918104699814202017-12-01T14:56:00.001+00:002021-10-20T23:07:02.874+01:00PEDDLING THE PARANORMAL <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b>In our present age of tweets and memes, fake news and social media witch hunts, one can be forgiven for thinking that the generations that spring forth from this new cultural self-over-exposure, will be buffeted about on the winds of opinion, no strangers to a change of direction, if only enough righteous tweets and screets are aimed in their direction. It is this culture of amnesiac emotional and moral shifts where we currently find both judge and jury in full swing, operating outside of the authority and safety of the courtroom, where evidence is no longer king and the accused is guilty until proven innocent! This is now our de facto reality in our trial by twitter world! It is, therefore, no surprise that the philosophy one ascribes to, even in our very own slightly 'south of heaven' genre of the unknown, can make or break your acceptance into the higher echelons of the initiate opinion-makers of cryptozoology and the paranormal. Historically those who have risked a defined opinion outside of this scope have been summarily discredited or ignored by a histrionic culture of mystery crusaders and paranormal propagandists. This can be seen in a reticence to identify reported cryptozoological creatures as defined animals, based upon corroborative anecdotal, photographic and film evidence; and a default position which attempts to identify all uncomfortable creatures of cryptozoology as either monster imposters, or in cases where the eyewitness is very credible and descriptive, as paranormal in substance and therefore out of the scope of explanation by natural means. Thereby closing down all discussion upon the zoological nature of these creatures and effectively handing over the investigation to the department of the paranormal for further 'study'.</b></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b>In fairness to the pursuers of the paranormal there are certainly enough mysterious reports out there to be rightly and justifiably 'passed' on to them and even some of the more ambiguous cases could easily belong to their camp. However, being of a practical nature myself and having grown up in a religious environment, I see clearly how one's personal philosophy, or faith, can have a significant effect on the perception of what one sees, or believes to see and how personal desire can imprint its own interpretation on to what we observe. In more ancient times, in the west at least, we projected our superstition on to the things around us and imbued their wondrous physiological traits with supernatural meaning. I personally lean towards the philosophical position that ancient societies spiritualised animal traits that they could not understand, and I see that in our modern times we have slid towards a position of selective belief in the unknown. This seems to manifest itself as either a desire to discredit those that witness creatures whose existence we do not accept ( i.e. - yes to Bigfoot, no to Nessie!) or conversely seeks to attach a personal spiritual or supernatural significance to their abilities (i.e. - camouflage and infrasound as a spiritual power!) This particular DIY pseudo-spirituality being something that has seen a resurgence in recent years, due largely to the influential absence of organised religion in western societies.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b>As the old adage goes, however, there are of course always 3 sides to every story, my side, your side and the truth! Therein enters the spectre of perspective and the ugly ogre of subjectivity to which every scientist and layman alike must give deference and bend the knee. Anyone who thinks he is above this particularity is simply fooling himself; and is hopelessly shackled to the notion of his fallacious philosophy as fact, which of course as we all know, is inadmissible evidence when it comes to explaining the unknown. </b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b>When interpreting the extraordinary, we would do well to remember those dumbfounded souls who have gone before us and similarly to ourselves; have used a religious perspective to interpret the seemingly unexplainable sights that assailed their otherwise acute senses. One thinks of the Aztecs seeing the ships of Cortez in the distance and imagining them floating mountains or in their ruler, Moctezuma the 2nd, who thought Cortes to be the god, Quetzalcoatl, returning from the east; and thus saw the arrival of Cortes and his men as sacred. This blind belief, sadly signalling the beginning of the end for the Aztec nation.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Yet another lesson in the paucity of perception can be found in the first descriptions of the former cryptid and original Wildman of the woods, the Gorilla, which is a wonderful example of an ill-fitting substitute being used to describe that, for which we have no applicable comparative reference in nature. This 'Hairy Man' of the forest, originally known to the Mpongwe people as the shy, yet ferocious 'Enge-ena', may in fact stand as a template for the modern day Bigfoot (Sasquatch, Wodewose, Yeren, Almas or Yeti) in that its folkloric reputation and characteristic ape-like features and behaviour, mimics those reputed to belong to our mysterious wood apes. Even the name Gorilla, meaning "tribe of hairy women" in ancient Greek, was reputed to have been given to a savage tribe, who confronted the Carthaginian, Hanno The Explorer, when he travelled to what is now Sierra Leone in 500 BC.</b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Day after day I am pleased to receive correspondence from researchers and interested parties alike who are in the field, so to speak, searching for proof of our current cryptozoological Elvis, that has these last few years superseded 'Nessie' to become the number one most sought-after and philosophised cryptid in our world. Starting with popular TV shows like Finding Bigfoot and its many comical spin-offs (Killing Bigfoot) and then spreading out to various social media sole practitioners; The 'Squatch' truly has become a western hemispheric phenomenon! This in itself has brought to the field of 'Bigfootery' a rather divergent and loosely connected crowd, simultaneously incorporating many faiths, that includes anything from the underwhelmingly mystical to the overtly scientific and more besides, each in turn staking a claim to owning superior theory, but being just as reliant as the others on faithful disposition to prove their conclusions. I have, for example, lost count of just how many red circled blurry bushes I have had to stare at, out of politeness, whilst being fed some unlikely tale of a trusted daily communion with the alleged creature/s that somehow fails to yield any clear pictures! Or conversely, how many pseudo-empirical brush offs of corroborative physical and photographic evidence do we have to endure, to offer up a pleasing and scientific atonement, to prove the existence of what appears to be a very shy and intelligent animal? Finally, the financial reward of chasing the beast that is Bigfoot seems to be too lucrative to dissuade the entrepreneurial kind from plundering the pockets of the naive or even just the nostalgic pilgrims of the paranormal, to whom the possibility of the unknown overrules the probable and paves the way to poorer probity.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Again, the absence of corporate religion and the search for spiritual importance in our modern age has led to all types of paranormal pursuits that feel as though they have been forced upon cryptozoology like an ill-fitting shoe. We hear much about Bigfoot 'cloaking', much like the creature, the Predator in the 1980's action movie turned franchise; and immediately have to wonder if indeed life apes film, or is it more likely to be vice versa; that our mentally ingested creatures of the stage and screen are brought forth in unusual and stressful circumstances, in which we find ourselves lacking a descriptive reference to provide an easy in an out explanation for what we have just experienced? Many animals that change their colour, camouflage or 'cloak', like the Octopus or Cuttlefish, are well within the boundaries of natural science, but may not have been perceived as such, by those uninitiated natives who first beheld their magical abilities centuries ago! </b></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b>So what can we conclude? Simply that anecdote is more oft than not an accurate portrayal of the experience of the witness, but fallible due to its subjectivity to the comparative mental library stored within the witness's own mind and of course their ability to respond and function in highly stressful and confusing situations. This is the reason that even witnesses of the same phenomena are treated piecemeal and preferably separated one from the other in order to gain an uncontaminated rendering of their experience. There are of course several threats to genuine reporting in the current climate of commercial cryptozoology, which undoubtedly pose a threat to unimpeded scientific study. Albeit, there is much that needs to be done to restore the credibility of the much-maligned witness. I personally feel that a wholesale rejection of 'draw a circle around it' evidence and the fanciful fantasies of 'the monster whisperers'; who seem to be able to simply assert that they are chosen and perceptive and communicating on a higher plane, as proof beyond doubt that their blurry bush buddies are ultimately deserving of a red circle and a whole host of happy devotees, is at least a start on the road to real discovery. Regardless of whether those discoveries be of the conventional persuasion or the paranormal kind.</b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Written by Andrew McGrath</b></span><br />
<span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /><br /></b></span><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;">For more on Beasts of Britain, check out:</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://geni.us/BeastsofBritain" target="_blank">books </a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://youtu.be/NFnqr8CLK4Y">TeaserTrailer</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Facebook</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain?lang=en">Twitter</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastsof/">Instagram</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://www.beastsofbritain.com/">Website</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/beastsofbritain/">Pinterest</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><u><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/beastsofbritain/works/36509629-beasts-of-britain-map">Beasts of Britain Map</a> </u></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thebeastsofbritain">Tumblr</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://a.co/d/0igdz53">Merch </a><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/"> </a></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/">Beastly Theories Podcast</a></span></span></b></div>
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Beasts Of...http://www.blogger.com/profile/12286209031109996628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3172956793054929160.post-81494194657552066622017-11-29T17:35:00.003+00:002021-10-20T23:08:05.945+01:00BRITAIN'S CASUAL BIG CATS <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This week I received a report from an incredulous witness who observed a Big Cat at around 9:30pm, on Monday 27th November. The witness and her friend, who wish to remain anonymous, had just collected a hay order for their horses, from a supplier in Rusper, West Sussex; and were leaving the property, when she briefly jumped out of her car to close the farm. As she made her way back to her vehicle, both she and her friend clearly saw, illuminated by their headlights, an enormous jet black cat walking towards them and looking at them. When the animal was about a 'bus length away'(45 feet) it stopped and licked its nose, before casually disappearing into a hedgerow. Our witness, amazed by the sight of this creature, says that there can be no mistaking what she saw and said of the animal:<br />
<i><br /></i> <i>"It was huge and it's big eyes were shining back at us. It was unnerving, to say the least. It didn't seem bothered by us at all. I had no idea at all that we had big cats in this country!!" </i>She further described the creature saying: <i>"It was about the size of a Great Dane, but much, much heavier built and definitely male. When it turned I could see its body was around 4ft long, and its tail was around 3ft long, the tail wasn't straight and almost touched the ground even though it curved at the end. The thickness of its tail was approximately as thick around as my wrist and its legs were, well, stocky, thick or 'good boned' as we would say in horse terms; sturdy looking legs with a slinky walk for its size, moving effortlessly. Its ears were also strange, they were not pointed but round?! "</i><br />
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An interesting aspect of this case is that the witness said that she and her friend were late to collect their hay and would usually have arrived at the location earlier, which could indicate that the animal often frequents the area after hours and may not have expected a human presence to be there at that particular moment. The witness also said that the animal was staring right at her and seemed bold and unperturbed by her presence. As it sauntered towards her, its eyes, which were large and far apart, reflected yellow in the headlights of her Landrover Defender. As one might expect, she beat a hasty retreat back to her vehicle, before observing the animal disappear into a hedgerow; after which, herself and her friend sat motionlessly and stunned for 5 minutes, trying to figure out what it was they had seen.</div>
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It would appear that our witness did, in fact, have quite a close encounter with one of Britain's mysterious Big Cats, an experience that seems to be quite common these days. Our witness like many other people in the UK, who experience a sighting of one of these creatures, wanted to know how these out of place animals came to be roaming our countryside and was surprised to learn of the sheer scale and frequency of Big Cat sightings in Britain. For those readers unaware of this phenomenon, it is important to give a brief background of the possible cause of this unofficial population of predatory cats roaming our countryside. Probably the most popular theory and I think the most plausible, is that they were released by private owners after the introduction of the <i>'<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dangerous_Wild_Animals_Act_1976">Dangerous </a>Wild Animals Act' </i>in<i> </i>1976<i> </i>when people no longer felt they could afford to financially maintain them or were perhaps just unhappy with the restrictions placed upon them as owners. Since then it would seem that these creatures, or more properly their descendants, have thrived in relative isolation due to their nocturnal habits.</div>
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Photo by Magnus <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/By%20LaggedOnUser%20-%20Black%20pantherUploaded%20by%20Magnus%20Manske,%20CC%20BY-SA%202.0,%20https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21107708">Manske </a>(Wikimedia Commons)</td></tr>
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The reality of the Big Cat phenomenon is incrementally becoming one of unconscious acceptance amongst the British public. Sightings are so common and reports reach us so regularly through the press and social media, that your average Brit, in possession of even a modicum of mindful intelligence, can see quite clearly that we are looking at a widespread population of an indeterminate number of large, non indigenous predatory cats, that have managed to propagate successfully in the British countryside. The number of reports is seemingly growing, not declining, and interactions with people and proximity to human habitation are becoming more and more commonplace.</div>
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Written by<i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Andrew </a><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain">McGrath</a>, </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div>
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<br /><div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;">For more on Beasts of Britain, check out:</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://geni.us/BeastsofBritain" target="_blank">books </a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://youtu.be/NFnqr8CLK4Y">TeaserTrailer</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Facebook</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain?lang=en">Twitter</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastsof/">Instagram</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://www.beastsofbritain.com/">Website</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/beastsofbritain/">Pinterest</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><u><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/beastsofbritain/works/36509629-beasts-of-britain-map">Beasts of Britain Map</a> </u></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thebeastsofbritain">Tumblr</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://a.co/d/0igdz53">Merch </a><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/"> </a></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/">Beastly Theories Podcast</a></span></span></b></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><br /></span></b></div>
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Beasts Of...http://www.blogger.com/profile/12286209031109996628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3172956793054929160.post-3810867882290970972017-11-14T13:19:00.003+00:002021-10-20T23:08:43.892+01:00BEASTS IN OUR BACKYARD<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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There are many species that have arrived and thrived in the UK. Becoming commonly sighted in many parts of the country and starting cautiously, in most cases, down the well travelled road of the Eastern Grey <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_gray_squirrel">Squirrel</a>, <i>(the most common species of Squirrel in Britain, out-competing and almost extinguishing our native species, The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_squirrel">Red </a>Squirrel, which now only exists in protected pockets of land around the country.)</i> These soon to become residents, are not yet citizens at this point in their dispersion throughout our green land of grey skies and tree-ringed parks; but certainly have been granted<i> 'permanent leave to remain',</i> application for citizenship pending.<br />
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Many of these invasive species probably started with a few specimens which had escaped from local zoos and wildlife parks or in some cases were intentionally released into the wild by private owners. As a rule of settlement, if you have enough individuals released into an area in which the habitat is suitable or survivable, then a breeding population is possible. In myriad cases, this seems to be what has been taking place and the '<i>alleged' </i>warmer climate has made the proliferation of these infiltrators possible.<br />
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The following list is not meant to be exhaustive but seeks only to demonstrate some notable examples of <i>'naturalised' </i>exotic animals that are currently flourishing in our wild places:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.express.co.uk/news/nature/784878/Wild-wallaby-spotted-marsupial-garden-animal">Wallaby </a>spotted by mother and son, Lucy and Josh Austin<br />
In Bethersden, Kent. March 2017 </td></tr>
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<b>Wallaby</b></div>
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There is a healthy wallaby population living in Staffordshire that originated from five individuals that escaped from a private zoo during World War II. Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire The Peak District, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire, Lancashire, Cambridge and Cornwall also have sustainable numbers of wallabies, some of which are thought to date back to the 1900s. There are long established populations in Scotland dating back to the 1970s and also a group on the Isle of Man that are descended from 1 pair that escaped from a wildlife park. Wallabies co-exist well with other native species and would definitely fit neatly into the category of becoming a native species within the next 50 years.<br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14.6667px;"><b><a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/archives/news/565730/beast-britain/">Coypu </a></b></span><br />
The Coypu or “swamp beaver” is a very adaptable species of rodent from South America. Farmed in Britain for fur, escapees or 'fur trade survivors', adapted to our riverbank and streams with ease. The animal was officially eradicated in 1987 but it is believed that there is a small and growing population still extant in Norfolk.<br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><b>Beaver</b>: Quite recently a dog walker in Devon spotted the first wild beaver that has lived in England for over 800 years. While Scotland saw a successful reintroduction in 2009 via a five-year ecological trial, which to my knowledge is still going strong, with reported sightings and beaver sign being seen as far south as Manchester. Beavers were hunted to extinction in Britain in the 13th Century, being prized for their fur and scent glands.<br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #232327; font-family: "roboto";"><br /></span></span><b>Wild Boar</b> - Wild Boar seem to be spreading across the country rapidly, two hundred wild boars can be found inhabiting Kent, and East Sussex. A further fifteen hundred in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire and 100 animals in Dartmoor, Devon as well as 50 individuals in West Dorset. The male of the species can exceed 20 stone when fully grown, is aggressive if cornered or approached and is not afraid of humans. Their reestablishment, albeit in small pockets of the countryside embodies a most unwelcome return of a rather unpleasant and dangerous animal.<br />
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<b><a href="file:///C:/Users/nily.SAMEDAYDOCTOR/Downloads/ID_Eriocheir_sinensis_(Chinese_Mitten_Crab).pdf">Chinese</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_mitten_crab">Mitten </a>Crab</b><br />
The Chinese Mitten Crab or Moon Crab inhabits tidal streams, rivers and estuaries. First recorded in the River Thames in 1935, it is now endemic in the rivers Thames, Humber, Medway, Tyne, Wharfe and Ouse. Adults migrate down rivers in the autumn to gather in estuaries to breed and can also cross dry land. Some specimens have even been found in in freshwater ponds, far from the sea. The ability of this species to travel large distances up river systems makes the threat of its nationwide spread, significant.<br />
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<b>American <a href="file:///C:/Users/nily.SAMEDAYDOCTOR/Downloads/ID_Mustela_vison_(American_mink).pdf">Mink </a></b><br />
Native to North America this animal has had one of the most significant impacts on British Wildlife, especially vulnerable to this species are water voles, seabirds, domestic fowl and fish. Mostly nocturnal, it is usually found near rivers and lakes and occasionally in a coastal setting. The species was introduced in the 1920s for fur farming and quickly became established following numerous escapes. It is also suspected that there may have been several deliberate introductions of the species into the wild in order to establish a natural population from which to obtain our products. it is currently an offence to release or allow the escape of these animals into the British countryside.<br />
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<b><a href="file:///C:/Users/nily.SAMEDAYDOCTOR/Downloads/ID_Branta_canadensis_(Canada_goose).pdf">Canada </a>Goose </b><br />
This next animal on this list is one I was surprised to find to be non-indigenous to the UK. First introduced from North America as an ornamental bird in the 17th century the Canada Goose, like the Eastern (Grey) Squirrel, is a species so established in Britain, that it has become a natural part of the local fauna and no more out of place in our rivers, lakes and ponds than a swan or mallard. The flocking and feeding habits of this bird are damaging to crops and grasslands and they are known to have a detrimental effect on riverbanks and on the nests of native species.<br />
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<b>Racoon</b><br />
It is currently believed that there are just a few of these North American mammals roaming wild here. The animals have been spotted in Hampshire, Leicestershire, County Durham and West Berkshire. Although cute and 'cuddly' as babies, racoons become very aggressive upon reaching sexual maturity, which often results in them being dumped by their owners. Although they are not thought to be an established species in the UK at present, it is admitted and feared that a few breeding pairs could lead to a population outbreak in a matter of years. Voracious predators and scavengers, they are considered to be a pest, Their colonisation of Britain would have severe ramifications for many native species. It has been illegal to keep a racoon without a licence, since 2007.<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 10px;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">By <a href="about:invalid#zClosurez">Brocken </a>Inaglory</td></tr>
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<b><a href="file:///C:/Users/nily.SAMEDAYDOCTOR/Downloads/ID_Bubo_bubo_(Eurasian_Eagle_Owl).pdf">Eagle </a>Owl </b><br />
A large and intimidating owl, with dark orange eyes, long ear tufts and brown plumage. Standing at 70 cm with a wingspan of 2 metres it is an impressive creature and not one likely to be easily mistaken for another. Kept in captivity since the 18th century, the species has regularly escaped in the UK, but at present, there are only a few breeding pairs, most of which mainly inhabit northern England. If eagle owls were to spread in the UK, then some native species of birds of prey would suffer due to increased competition for food. The eagle owl is also very aggressive to humans and dogs near its nesting site and could inflict serious injury on pets and children.<br />
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<b><a href="file:///C:/Users/nily.SAMEDAYDOCTOR/Downloads/ID_Xenopus_laevis_(African_Clawed_Toad).pdf">Xenopus </a>Toad </b><br />
The Xenopus Toad or African Clawed Toad is found in lowland ponds in Sub Saharan Africa. They have brown-grey mottled bodies with white undersides, powerful hind legs with webbed clawed feet, small front legs with splayed long fingers and small eyes. They are primarily aquatic although they can move across land to colonise other ponds. Their diet consists of water-fleas and terrestrial invertebrates. Populations have been found in Kent, the Isle of Wight and South Wales. As a child growing up in South Wales, I had two Xenopus toads as pets for several years and could not have imagined then that there may have been, homegrown members of this species, existing naturally in the wild, in ponds and rivers somewhere nearby. The species can live up to 14 years in the wild. Populations may have been introduced as pets released into the wild or escaped from laboratories.<br />
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<b>Rose Ringed Parakeet</b><br />
If you live in or have ever visited some of the lovely towns and villages in Surrey, you will be familiar with this noisy, yet pretty bird. First introduced in the 19th century, but not firmly established until the early 70's it is a large all-green parakeet with a bright red bill and long tapering tail. There are estimated to be 50,000 Rose Ringed Parakeets in Greater London and Surrey, thousands of which reside in the capital.<br />
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<b><a href="file:///C:/Users/nily.SAMEDAYDOCTOR/Downloads/ID_Cervus_nippon_(Sika_Deer).pdf">Sika</a> Deer</b><br />
Sika deer were first introduced into Britain in 1860, later, several escapes from wildlife parks and private holdings led to them becoming established in many areas in the UK. The main populations are located in Scotland, Devon, Lancashire and Cumbria. Because Sika deer can hybridise with red deer, they pose an emerging conservation threat to native red deer which could incrementally be bred out of existence over time. An example of this can be found in Scotland where most of the Sika deer population are hybrids. The most common type of Sika deer in the UK is the Japanese subspecies which is significantly smaller than the Manchurian subspecies. a high population of Sika can have a detrimental impact on woodland vegetation and ground flora and poses a threat to road users through collision.<br />
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<b>Western <a href="file:///C:/Users/nily.SAMEDAYDOCTOR/Downloads/ID_Lacerta_bilineata_(Western_Green_Lizard).pdf">Green </a>Lizard</b><br />
There have been countless introductions of this lizard in the UK since the late 1800s, with populations existing in North Wales, Devon, Kent, Surrey, Bournemouth and Dorset. This lizard is much larger than native species and non-native lizards found in the UK and can reach 30-40 cm in length. It is green with a white or pale yellow underside and may pose a hazard to native lizards upon which it feeds along with invertebrates.<br />
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<b>Terrapins </b><br />
Most adults of my generation can remember having one of these cute creatures as a pet sometime during their childhood, or if not so lucky as to have owned one, would surely have known a friend who did. Many Terrapins were bought at the height of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles craze in the late 80s, and later dumped in our ponds, lakes and reservoirs when they grew too large. Many Individuals can be seen basking on lake islands in both Cardiff and London lakes. Terrapins can live for up to 40 years and happily adapt to our climate. There have been several campaigns over the years to capture red-eared terrapins from our waterways, but the creatures seem to be present in sufficient numbers to absorb a dip in their population. conservationists fear the reptiles, which eat a varied diet of insects, fish, amphibians and even small waterfowl, could have a lasting effect on local ecosystems. it is not known whether the creatures are successfully breeding or whether we are seeing a surviving relict population from the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film in the '80s. Of course with the recent remake of the film in 2014, we could be seeing further releases of new terrapins for years to come!<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/archives/news/214656/cannibal-scorpions-spreading-across-uk/">Scorpions:</a></b><br />
There are thought to be around 10,000 yellow-tailed scorpions living in the walls of Sheerness Docks, Kent. These venomous creatures have been residing in Sheerness docks for over 200 years, since first arriving in Britain in the early 1800s. Although the yellow-tailed scorpion has a sting, similarly to bee stings, it can only kill a human if they happen to be allergic. These fearsome looking arachnids are insectivorous and feed on woodlice and other insects and are known to be cannibalistic when living in large colonies. There are reported to be other colonies of these scorpions living in Harwich docks, Pinner, Tilbury docks, Portsmouth docks and Southampton docks. It is not thought that they have the potential to spread throughout the country and throughout their 200-year history in Britain, they have rarely been seen away from their dockland enclaves.</div>
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">Licensed to Kill</b></div>
There are of also many exotic and dangerous wild animals kept by private owners under the 'Dangerous Wild Animals <i style="background-color: transparent;"><a href="https://www.animallaw.info/statute/uk-dangerous-dangerous-wild-animals-act-1976-dwaa" style="background-color: transparent; color: #232327; font-family: roboto;">Act</a><span style="color: #232327; font-family: "roboto";">' </span></i>residing behind closed doors and reinforced steel cages here in the UK. But, these beasts are known, at least to the local authorities and as can be seen from the recent numbers below, accessed from a freedom of information act, put forward by a national newspaper to ascertain their whereabouts; and in the meanwhile putting both the owners and their animals at risk of poachers and thieves; the interest and passion for keeping and caring for exotic animals in Britain is still going strong!</div>
What the future of these animals holds in regards to the fidelity of their housing is concerned, no-one can know. What is clear, is that the bulk of invasive species in the UK and those random exotic individuals that are occasionally sighted are former captives, beloved pets or wildlife attractions that slipped away one day or were set free, never to be seen again by their owners and free to thrive or survive in an ever-dwindling land.<br />
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These deadly menageries can be found in several major cities, including London, Swansea, Stoke, Sheffield, Hull, Portsmouth and Cornwall. Dangerous Wild Animal licences, which allow people to keep these deadly creatures as pets (as long as they have safety measures in place and pay a fee), have been issued for 3 <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3603977/The-eight-leopards-seven-cheetahs-13-tigers-lurking-British-homes-Animals-thousands-dangerous-species-kept-private-properties.html">tigers</a>, 9 pumas, 8 leopards, 7 cheetahs, 7 lynx, 3 caiman, 2 alligators, 13 crocodiles, 2 lions, 145 ostriches, 115 lemurs, 412 bison, 6 wolves, 300 boar, and 300 venomous snakes to be kept as private pets.<br />
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Who knows how many of these beautiful, but deadly creatures will find their way out into the wilderness in years to come. Some of which, over time, may become just another regular, beast from abroad; roaming the wilds of our beautiful land.<br />
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Written by<i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Andrew </a><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain">McGrath</a> </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i>
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Beasts Of...http://www.blogger.com/profile/12286209031109996628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3172956793054929160.post-81577022415035210972017-10-31T14:34:00.002+00:002021-10-20T23:09:32.274+01:00WHATEVER HAPPENED TO NICK TAYLOR?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">'Croc Lomond?' an alleged photo of a crocodile-like Lake Monster</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">taken by Nick Taylor in 1997</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Definitive Evidence?</span></b><br />
In 1997 Edinburgh photojournalist Nick Taylor was featured on an episode of the now-defunct U.S. paranormal series, 'Strange Universe', where he claimed to have photographed and filmed not one, but two British Lake Monsters, in Loch Lomond, Scotland and Llyn Aled, Wales. Both pieces of footage were quite remarkable in their professional clarity and for the natural and animal-like movements of the creatures captured both photographically and on film.</div>
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I remember seeing the episode when it first aired and again years later on youtube, and thinking that it was possibly the most palpable, clear and convincing evidence of plesiosaurid animals in British waters.</div>
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Here was evidence that could be studied, and used as a valid research tool for learning about the behavioural habits and the habitation of these animals in our waterlogged isles. However, much to my consternation and dismay, not only were the photographs and film footage never released for academic study, but they also disappeared from youtube and other paranormal websites altogether.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">Definitely Missing</span></b></div>
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What could be the reason for such a wholesale withdrawal of such illuminating evidence? I have since searched tirelessly for any online evidence of the original footage and photos and now can only source 2 grainy photos, one of each 'monster' in Llyn Aled and Loch Lomond respectively. The removal of this evidence from the internet, nearly in its entirety does not seem to offer any financial incentive, and withholding such astonishing evidence for 20 years is tantamount to hiding or destroying, through absence, an important body of 'assumed' zoological evidence.</div>
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So, I began my search to find the missing footage of these plesiosaur-like creatures with the realisation that I must first find the man if I am to have any hope of obtaining what could be a decisive win in the fight against the prehistoric extinction camp!</div>
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Nick Taylor was an Edinburgh freelance journalist, but where he was born and raised or any other detail of his life seems to be unobtainable or at least inaccessible from the current information that is known about him. Indeed, he strangely seems only to have been known for his discovery of these 2 elusive and previously unrecorded or at least photographically undocumented denizens of our inland waters.</div>
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In searching for a sign of his career I have corresponded with the N.U.J. <i>(National Union of Journalists)</i> and Reysher Entertainment who own the rights to ‘Strange Universe’ among others but have observed a true absence of Nick and his monsters in every source and lead that I pursued. With footage of this kind, it is important to note that dispersion via social media, like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter etc. would make deletion of this material from the internet nearly impossible, but as this footage was aired on a short-lived American Paranormal show in the late '90s, the online sources available at that time for dispersion of this film and its photographic evidence were in short supply. </div>
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In my search for evidence of this vanished capturer of Celtic Cryptids I have knocked on many digital doors, those of my peers, cryptozoology writers and researchers alike, who have served many real years in this arena, to ask them to empty out their memories and let me see if my quarry may lie somewhere inside. </div>
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I have badgered cryptozoologists like Loren Coleman, Richard Freeman and also Dr Karl Shuker to seek confirmation of this missing journalist and his extraordinary footage. Yet, even among these noteworthy and experienced persons, the material itself and the journalist were barely known, now only residing somewhere on the outer edge of the collective memory, perhaps? Symbolic of a time when content was transitory in nature, recorded in the memory (or on VHS) and shelved in a format that was unlikely to be viewed by anyone other than those known personally to oneself, and almost certainly in a format that would not be dispersed and shared around the world, in the way that it is now so readily available to anyone with access to a smartphone or computer.</div>
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Nonetheless, this only gives us the story of the missing man; and the man without ‘the evidence’ we seek is, unfortunately, just another man. No more useful to my endeavours than any other stranger on the street. So, I went back to the web, to snoop and sneak and find the Nick I seek! But alas, either he is no more or his footage is lost forever, for I could not find a trace of either.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Disturbing Disappearance</span></b></div>
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Nick lamentably is not alone but joins a respectable list of people with convincing or at least <i>'worthy'</i> video and photographic evidence, who have somehow disappeared from public view. This strange disappearance of compelling evidence or even a witness or two is not unusual in cryptozoology and Nick Taylor is just another crypto-witness who has disappeared off the face of the earth, so to speak, along with his <i>'conclusive'</i> evidence.</div>
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Below is the account of the Loch Lomond <a href="http://cryptozoo-oscity.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/loch-lomond-monster.html">Sighting</a></div>
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<i><b>10th April 1997 - </b><b>A mystery monster has been seen gobbling ducks in Loch Lomond. The 12ft long beast, now captured on video, has left scientists baffled. One even said it looked like a giant crocodile? <span style="color: red;">SSPCA</span><span style="color: red;"> </span>chiefs yesterday confirmed they had received several reports about the new Nessie. A five-minute film of the beast has been shot by pals making a pop video on the banks of </b></i><br />
<b><i>Loch Lomond, near Rowardennan. Edinburgh freelance journalist Nick Taylor, who owns the film, said: "When the group were packing up they discovered this creature swimming in the water. The thing was gliding through the water slowly, but it often picked up speed and swam against the tide. They got quite a shock, especially when it started to swim towards them at one point. They thought it looked like some giant crocodile or alligator. They had never seen anything like it before.</i></b><br />
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<b><i>The film was shown to Dr Andrew Kitchener, of the Royal Museum of Scotland. After viewing the tape he admitted that the creature it showed did appear to be a crocodile; however, he made it clear that a crocodile would be unable to survive in Loch Lomond. Dr Kitchener was able to rule out a mink or an otter as the creature in the videos.</i></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Croc Lomond of Loch Lomond<br />
or the Denbigh Dinosaur of Llyn Aled?<br />
There is now some confusion over the location in<br />
which each 'monster' photo was taken.</td></tr>
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After reading the account of the sighting at Loch Lomond, I suddenly read the name of a person that I recognised, who could hopefully be contacted. Thus, In a last-ditch attempt to trace someone who may be a viable witness to this evidence I contacted Dr Andrew Kitchener, The Curator of Vertebrates, at the Royal Museum of Scotland, the only traceable person to have both seen and scientifically examined this footage. Dr Kitchener was kind enough to respond that he had seen the footage and remembered it well, and may still have a copy somewhere, but that it was on an unlabelled VHS (videotape) somewhere and that he did not have the means to check which tape it was on (i.e. -he did not have a VHS player!).<br />
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So started my attempt to obtain this footage by any means possible. It started with my request to receive the suspected VHS tapes on which the footage might be stored in order to view them on the appropriate equipment (a VHS tape player!) and have them professionally transferred onto a modern format and returned to the owner with the original.<br />
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I did, of course, besiege the good doctor for any information about the missing man himself, or any guidance that may lead to a direct contact but his contact with Mr Taylor had been limited and the journalist was not personally known to him. 1 week later I decided to harass the good doctor further with a phone call and was fortunate enough to speak to him. Dr Kitchener confirmed some rather important details about the footage he had seen and also cleared up some details that were misrepresented in his original analysis of the animal in the film. Dr Kitchener stated that he was approached by a band and Mr Taylor, who were making a music video when they claimed to have captured the beast on camera. However, rather than confirm that it was a crocodile as was claimed in the later newspaper article, he instead told them it appeared to be a dead sheep with the spinal column showing above the water.<br />
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Additionally, Dr Kitchener informed me, that although the creature appeared to swim from left to right several times in the original footage, He perceived a fishing line which could be clearly seen, pulling the object. He was kind enough to inform the group and Nick at that time that there was no way the animal was a crocodile or lake monster, only to be told by them, that they intended to report just the opposite to the papers anyway.<br />
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Needless to say, the sheep became a crocodile which then became a lake monster. Adding together these rather damning bits of testimony, the mysterious disappearance of the monster film/s becomes ever more telling, in that a dead sheep being pulled by a fishing line is unlikely to maintain its mystery in an age of digital analysis technology at the fingertips of every internet debunker. Dr Kitchener remains committed to finding the original footage if he indeed has it, and has promised me a copy in any eventuality, which I will undoubtedly and happily share with believers and sceptics alike.<br />
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One thing that does trouble me about his analysis is that in the photo still, taken from the 5 minute footage now thought to be that of the alleged 'Croc Lomond' and not 'The Denbigh Dinosaur', the creature does not appear to be skeletal at all, and if anything it has a reptilian head, with a large rounded bumpy hump protruding from the water, which is much too far away from its head to anatomically be that of a sheep, (unless 2 animals were used at the same time to give the effect of a long-necked lake monster.)<br />
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That does nothing to explain the other lake monster photo, purportedly taken at Loch Lomond as well, which quite clearly shows the crocodilian back and part of the tail of an unknown animal. Clearly, in cases such as this, where the credibility of the progenitor of such controversial footage is in question and the footage unofficially missing, we are left with only our gut feeling to guide our conviction and conclusion.<br />
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Again, the answer to most fakes and hoaxes is usually a simple one and the more complicated the 'alleged' hoax is purported to be, the less likely a hoax it becomes! This mystery was one that I believed would endure for some time to come, but thanks to the people at Lake <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Lake-Monsters-537100722991730/">Monsters</a>, the original footage has at least been found. <span data-offset-key="cp8c-1-0"><span data-text="true">We can now see that the animal/object in the footage of the Llyn Aled (Denbigh <a href="https://www.facebook.com/teo2323/videos/10155120692700522/">Dinosaur</a>) footage is not a dead sheep at all, but something quite unusual! This goes some way at least to exonerate the man himself, although the means of his journalistic demise are no clearer!</span></span><br />
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Written by<i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Andrew </a><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain">McGrath</a>, </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div>
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<div><div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;">For more on Beasts of Britain, check out:</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://geni.us/BeastsofBritain" target="_blank">books </a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://youtu.be/NFnqr8CLK4Y">TeaserTrailer</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Facebook</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain?lang=en">Twitter</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastsof/">Instagram</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://www.beastsofbritain.com/">Website</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/beastsofbritain/">Pinterest</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><u><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/beastsofbritain/works/36509629-beasts-of-britain-map">Beasts of Britain Map</a> </u></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thebeastsofbritain">Tumblr</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://a.co/d/0igdz53">Merch </a><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/"> </a></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/">Beastly Theories Podcast</a></span></span></b></div>
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Beasts Of...http://www.blogger.com/profile/12286209031109996628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3172956793054929160.post-4740372406784541052017-05-14T23:26:00.001+01:002021-10-20T23:10:31.133+01:00A MAN IN A MONKEY...ISH SUIT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">During The Christmas Season in most western and predominantly Christian countries, many large stores and companies make an extra special effort to come up with the most original and exciting adverts they can for their products and services. What has this got to do with Bigfoot you say? well in late 2016, <a href="https://youtu.be/RxJQt_1Bq5I">Argos</a>, a large British store chain, released its Christmas <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advertising">Ad </a>offering in the form of a group of brightly coloured ice skating Yetis racing through a snow-covered town, collecting and using the season's store featured products. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The costumes and animatronic faces were created by the special effects team from the James <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/argos-deliver-bizarre-christmas-advert-9194575">Bond </a>movies at a cost of £30k per Yeti. The expressive faces and movements of the actors wearing the costumes were wonderfully convincing and really brought the Yeti to life in a comical and entertaining way. There was however something very wrong with this expensive and awesomely original Yeti creation and that was its fur.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The <a href="https://youtu.be/Us6jo8bl2lk">Patterson</a>/Gimlin film shot in 1967, almost 50 years prior to this recent professional Hollywood quality production, shows perfect musculature and movement, the hair is realistic and seems to be part of the body and attached to the skin; and the creature itself, whilst standing around 7 ft tall, has been proven to move in a way that no human can emulate. In reality, it is large scale professional productions such as these that show the utter implausibility of amateur filmmakers or even professional ones producing a convincing fake Bigfoot suit, let alone the unlikely prospect of them convincing the general public with it. You can make the face and the hands as perfectly convincing as you want, but the fur will always let you down. Even for large-scale CGI projects, when dealing with animal fur they only ever animate a small portion of it, preferring to keep most of the animal out of focus due to the complexity and difficulty of producing a convincing example of animal fur/hair. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">£30k Yeti suits created for popular British Christmas ad.<br />(notice the undefined figures beneath the fur,<br />not even the slightest hint of shape or musculature.)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">It is this very obvious difficulty that really adds credibility and weight to the Patterson/Gimlin footage and others like the <a href="https://youtu.be/TAUMTY1q0po">California </a>Redwoods Bigfoot. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">First and foremost it is not possible to animate both naturally moving hair of </span><span style="font-size: 18px;">varying</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> lengths and to show musculature moving beneath it, or create a suit that shows both naturally flowing hair of varying lengths and muscle movement, as can be seen from this ad. Secondly, it is an expensive hoax to perpetrate, even if you do pull it off, and the financial return is unlikely to cover the cost of the Hollywood special effects team you had to hire to produce it. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">In conclusion, people who capture </span><span style="font-size: 18px;">these</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> creatures on photo or film, spend most of the rest of their lives being hounded and mocked for their often '</span><span style="font-size: 18px;"><i>unintended</i>' discovery and those who try to fake their footage, at close quarters at least, often do not produce anything even close to our colourful yet unconvincing ice skating Yetis', in this now beloved Ad of Christmas past.</span><br />
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Written by<i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Andrew </a><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain">McGrath</a>, </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i>
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<div><div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;">For more on Beasts of Britain, check out:</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://geni.us/BeastsofBritain" target="_blank">books </a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://youtu.be/NFnqr8CLK4Y">TeaserTrailer</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Facebook</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain?lang=en">Twitter</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastsof/">Instagram</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://www.beastsofbritain.com/">Website</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/beastsofbritain/">Pinterest</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><u><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/beastsofbritain/works/36509629-beasts-of-britain-map">Beasts of Britain Map</a> </u></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thebeastsofbritain">Tumblr</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://a.co/d/0igdz53">Merch </a><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/"> </a></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/">Beastly Theories Podcast</a></span></span></b></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><br /></span></b></div>
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Beasts Of...http://www.blogger.com/profile/12286209031109996628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3172956793054929160.post-22415581920575018252017-04-25T10:08:00.002+01:002021-10-20T23:11:29.091+01:00LIGHTS OUT AT THE LOCH<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Loch Ness at Night</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Andy McGrath, 2012</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14.6667px;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">In 2012, I visited Loch Ness with my wife as part of our belated honeymoon for a cryptozoology trip of a lifetime. As you might have detected from the context of the trip and my relationship to my travelling companion, I do indeed have a very understanding wife, a must have for any cryptozoologist. </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14.6667px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14.6667px;">We stayed for 1 week at the Loch Ness Lodge near Drumnadrochit, for what was to be a very 5 star Nessie expedition with all the comforts and trimmings tacked on for good measure. Searching for Nessie by day, and indulging in spa treatments and tourist trips to the towns by night.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Brackla Harbour<br />Photo by Andy McGrath, 2012</span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14.6667px;">We thoroughly explored the towns surrounding Loch Ness and were impressed by their beauty and friendly welcome. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14.6667px;">What did surprise us however about this popular tourist destination was brought home to me when travelling around The Loch at night and that was the utter blackness in the area after dark. Without a good full moon and a cloudless sky (not a common occurrence in Scotland) you literally were looking out onto complete darkness when trying to see the water at night. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PLaHYcMAjjY/WPnhPn76KnI/AAAAAAAABrY/P_YNaU6rWSsR3t0eHhAPpviW9Ur_96MbgCPcB/s1600/075.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PLaHYcMAjjY/WPnhPn76KnI/AAAAAAAABrY/P_YNaU6rWSsR3t0eHhAPpviW9Ur_96MbgCPcB/s320/075.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo of the Jacobite Cruiser at Bracla Harbour</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> by Andy McGrath, 2012</span></td></tr>
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14.6667px;">In fact, we remarked upon the beautiful starlit skies (when visible) and how there was no light pollution of any kind. It truly is lights out at The Loch after dark and it came to me very quickly that even a large creature such as Nessie is purported to be, would be able to move around in near anonymity on the waters and in the woods and hills without ever being seen in this rural darkness that covered everything as far as the eye could see (which was not very far). It seemed very plausible that i</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14.6667px;">f this creature was a temporary resident, moving between Ness and its other connecting lochs, rivers and the sea at night, the local population and even researchers would be none the wiser. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14.6667px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14.6667px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14.6667px;">As I stood and gazed out into the darkness at Brackla Harbour I suddenly became keenly aware that a submerged animal would be able to come very close to me without my seeing it, I became so nervous in fact that I briskly walked back to my hotel for a better and more comfortable (safer) look from my hotel window.</span></span></span><br />
<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.6667px;">People unfamiliar with rural Britain do not realize just how underpopulated and dimly illuminated the countryside really is and that one could easily pass within feet of a Bigfoot or a Brachiosaur, without seeing either.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The very first 'Beasts of Britain' expedition to Loch Ness,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Nily Ron, 2012</span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14.6667px;"><br />To this end, an all-night vision expedition, a sedentary sit in on a stationary boat on any of the lochs, would be advantageous and for the creatures, perhaps even a little curiosity provoking. A silent crew sitting in the dark on a calm summer night in the centre of the loch may even tempt 'a creature' long enough to pop its head up for a look at the silent sailors, sitting in their cabin with cameras in hand and sporting a pair of 'see in the dark specs' per person, to see this famous starlet in its watery surroundings.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14.6667px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14.6667px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14.6667px;">If we are fortunate enough to capture Nessie or any of her friends on camera, we'll become stars overnight, famous and celebrated and shortly afterwards discredited and vilified, within days of our 'Reveal'. Another notch on the belt of the hide and seek champion of the world herself -Nessiteras Rhombopteryx, The Loch Ness Monster, LNM or as she's best known to her friends and fans... Nessie!</span></span><br />
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Written by<i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Andrew </a><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain">McGrath</a>, </i></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i><br /></i></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i><br /></i></div>
<div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;">For more on Beasts of Britain, check out:</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://geni.us/BeastsofBritain" target="_blank">books </a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://youtu.be/NFnqr8CLK4Y">TeaserTrailer</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://beastsofbritain.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeastsOf/">Facebook</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://twitter.com/BeastsOfBritain?lang=en">Twitter</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastsof/">Instagram</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://www.beastsofbritain.com/">Website</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/beastsofbritain/">Pinterest</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><u><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/beastsofbritain/works/36509629-beasts-of-britain-map">Beasts of Britain Map</a> </u></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thebeastsofbritain">Tumblr</a> </span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://a.co/d/0igdz53">Merch </a><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/"> </a></span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://beastlytheories.podbean.com/">Beastly Theories Podcast</a></span></span></b></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 19.3333px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span><br /></span></b></div>
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