By BRENT BATTEN
Posted June 13, 2011 at 4:14 p.m.
David Shealy’s been trekking through the Everglades for 35 years looking for the skunk ape.
This week, he’ll have company.
A film crew from California-based Authentic Entertainment, the production company behind reality TV shows Ace of Cakes (Food Network) and Flipping Out (Bravo) is in Ochopee to begin filming a pilot reality show intended for Discovery Channel in the fall.
Shealy, curator of the Skunk Ape Research Headquarters, has appeared on other shows about the legendary skunk ape, a yeti-like creature adapted to the wilds of South Florida, including "Unsolved Mysteries" and "The Daily Show."
He calls the Discovery Channel pilot the biggest project he’s worked on.
An Authentic Entertainment associate in Burbank confirmed that a film crew is in Florida on the project but the producers in the field declined to comment on the making of the show.
Shealy said they’ll employ a helicopter to get aerial shots and tour the 10,000 Islands by boat. Advanced technology, which he declined to describe, will be used as well, he said.
“The producers really want to put together a successful show,” he said.
Shealy knows not everyone buys the tale of the skunk ape, a 7-foot tall biped covered in hair and emitting a foul odor. The website for his Trail Lakes Campground on U.S. 41 in the Big Cypress Preserve, hosts an ongoing poll asking visitors if they believe in the creature’s existence. More than 25 percent of the 2,500 respondents either believe it to be a hoax or are skeptical.
But a majority either believe in the idea or find it plausible.
He says new information is surfacing all the time. “I’m hot on the trail,” he said, adding the fresh evidence points to the presence of a skunk ape around Sunniland. “New doors are opening. I look forward to bringing this to a close real soon.”
He hopes the Discovery cameras are on hand when he does. “We’re going to break new ground here.”
Saturday just after noon, to mark the occasion of the television production and as a way to thank his camp ground and Skunk Ape Research Headquarters patrons, he is hosting a fan appreciation day at the campground. There will be live music, food, soft drinks, Shealy said. He said he’s promoting a family event so alcohol won’t be sold, but he has a couple of cases of Swamp Ale, a specialty beer made in Florida that he may give out as prizes.
Local radio host Joe Whitehead is to serve as the master of ceremonies.
In the 1990s, Shealy gained notoriety when he tried to sell the county on the idea of using tourist tax revenue to fund an expedition leading the media in search of the skunk ape. The theory was that if the media could show the skunk ape to be real, tourists would flock here hoping to get a glimpse.
The idea actually won initial approval from the Tourist Development Council before being shot down by an unamused board of county commissioners.
In the intervening years, the explosion of reality TV means that an enthusiastic pitchman -- “I consider myself the top researcher in the country, possibly the world, on the skunk ape,” Shealy says -- can on his own get the media to come to the swamp in search of an elusive and possibly illusory creature.
Even if the cameras don’t capture a skunk ape, they’re sure to capture the beauty of the Everglades, all without taxpayers having to spend a dime.
If it ends up on a major cable network, that’s a win for Collier County either way.
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2011/jun/13/brent-batten-shealy-skunk-ape-discovery/
Showing posts with label Expeditions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Expeditions. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Bigfoot search planned in N.C.
 |
Credit: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Bigfoot is said to be a large, fur-covered creature that lives in forests and avoids human contact. |
Published: February 25, 2011
Rick Lunsford, a Wilkes County resident who says he saw Bigfoot more than 30 years ago, is planning an expedition to look for proof of the elusive creature.
"I'm really looking for evidence, and looking for people to go with me," Lunsford said Thursday.
Bigfoot is said to be a large, fur-covered creature that lives in forests and avoids human contact. Bigfoot sightings have been reported in every U.S. state except Hawaii, according to the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, a national group that investigates such reports. The evidence to date has consisted largely of witness reports, plaster casts of footprints, and fuzzy images.
Lunsford plans a March 5 expedition to search for evidence in the Roten Creek Road area in Wilbar. That is where he says he saw the creature back in late August or September 1978, when he was 20 years old.
Lunsford, now 52, came forward with his story last year.
He described Bigfoot as being somewhere between 6 and 8 feet tall and as broad as a refrigerator. Its arms were bowed out. It had dark hair, 3 or 4 inches long, on its arms. It gave off a terrible odor, he said.
But what he remembers most vividly, he said, were the creature's dark, round eyes and oval head.
Lunsford filed a report last year with the BFRO about his encounter. Counting Lunsford, the organization's website lists 64 Bigfoot sightings in North Carolina, most of them near the Tennessee border.
"People have lived up here all their lives and never knew it existed up here," Lunsford said. "I've heard some more stories since I came out with mine.
"I'm wanting to prove it so bad, I can see it."
He has already heard from about 50 people interested in joining the expedition, he said, and hopes to find more. He doesn't want anyone to bring guns or dogs, saying, "I don't want nobody getting hurt or nothing."
His expedition will gather at noon March 5 at the Food Lion parking lot on NC Highway 16 in Millers Creek, then travel about 12 to 13 miles up the mountain.
http://www2.journalnow.com/news/2011/feb/25/wsmain02-bigfoot-search-planned-in-nc-ar-811886/
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Scientific Search for Chinese Bigfoot Relaunched
October 10, 2010 8:54 a.m. EST
Lawrence Mijares - AHN News Contributor
Beijing, Beijing, China (AHN) - Though over 400 people claim to have sighted an elusive ape-like creature covered all over with red, gray or black hair, lurking in the mountainous region of Shennongjia Nature Reserve, Heibei China, it has never been found despite three expeditions launched since the 1980s. However, a new, inspired expedition is calling on for volunteers worldwide to join.
"Unlike expeditions three decades ago, the better technological support will help us get closer to solving the mystery," said Wang Wang Shancai, a 75-year-old expert with the Hubei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, who is also the vice president of the Hubei Wild Man Research Association -- organizer of the expedition.
Wang continued to elaborate that, "We are now working together with the China Three Gorges University to develop long-time energy-supply devices to support cameras that will be installed in the ape man's possible habitat."
Unlike past high-profile expeditions, the new search would also be more localized with teams focusing their search in certain caves located in the Shennongjia mountains believed to be the habitat of the ape-like creature who may not be living alone.
Past expeditions have only brought back hairs supposedly from the creature, which when analyzed were neither of human or any known animal species. If found, this “missing link” would help scientists learn how primates evolved from ape to human.
The worldwide recruitment call for the expedition invites all male and female 25 to 40 year olds who have basic knowledge of biology, know how to handle a camera, loves the outdoors and must be devoted as hard work would be involved.
Unfortunately, no specific timetable has yet been set for the expedition as the association is still negotiating for funding which will cost at least 10 million yuan ($1.5 million), according to Wang.
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7020168792?Scientific%20Search%20for%20Chinese%20Bigfoot%20Relaunched
(Via CFZ Australia)
Lawrence Mijares - AHN News Contributor
Beijing, Beijing, China (AHN) - Though over 400 people claim to have sighted an elusive ape-like creature covered all over with red, gray or black hair, lurking in the mountainous region of Shennongjia Nature Reserve, Heibei China, it has never been found despite three expeditions launched since the 1980s. However, a new, inspired expedition is calling on for volunteers worldwide to join.
"Unlike expeditions three decades ago, the better technological support will help us get closer to solving the mystery," said Wang Wang Shancai, a 75-year-old expert with the Hubei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, who is also the vice president of the Hubei Wild Man Research Association -- organizer of the expedition.
Wang continued to elaborate that, "We are now working together with the China Three Gorges University to develop long-time energy-supply devices to support cameras that will be installed in the ape man's possible habitat."
Unlike past high-profile expeditions, the new search would also be more localized with teams focusing their search in certain caves located in the Shennongjia mountains believed to be the habitat of the ape-like creature who may not be living alone.
Past expeditions have only brought back hairs supposedly from the creature, which when analyzed were neither of human or any known animal species. If found, this “missing link” would help scientists learn how primates evolved from ape to human.
The worldwide recruitment call for the expedition invites all male and female 25 to 40 year olds who have basic knowledge of biology, know how to handle a camera, loves the outdoors and must be devoted as hard work would be involved.
Unfortunately, no specific timetable has yet been set for the expedition as the association is still negotiating for funding which will cost at least 10 million yuan ($1.5 million), according to Wang.
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7020168792?Scientific%20Search%20for%20Chinese%20Bigfoot%20Relaunched
(Via CFZ Australia)
Scientific Search for Chinese Bigfoot Relaunched
October 10, 2010 8:54 a.m. EST
Lawrence Mijares - AHN News Contributor
Beijing, Beijing, China (AHN) - Though over 400 people claim to have sighted an elusive ape-like creature covered all over with red, gray or black hair, lurking in the mountainous region of Shennongjia Nature Reserve, Heibei China, it has never been found despite three expeditions launched since the 1980s. However, a new, inspired expedition is calling on for volunteers worldwide to join.
"Unlike expeditions three decades ago, the better technological support will help us get closer to solving the mystery," said Wang Wang Shancai, a 75-year-old expert with the Hubei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, who is also the vice president of the Hubei Wild Man Research Association -- organizer of the expedition.
Wang continued to elaborate that, "We are now working together with the China Three Gorges University to develop long-time energy-supply devices to support cameras that will be installed in the ape man's possible habitat."
Unlike past high-profile expeditions, the new search would also be more localized with teams focusing their search in certain caves located in the Shennongjia mountains believed to be the habitat of the ape-like creature who may not be living alone.
Past expeditions have only brought back hairs supposedly from the creature, which when analyzed were neither of human or any known animal species. If found, this “missing link” would help scientists learn how primates evolved from ape to human.
The worldwide recruitment call for the expedition invites all male and female 25 to 40 year olds who have basic knowledge of biology, know how to handle a camera, loves the outdoors and must be devoted as hard work would be involved.
Unfortunately, no specific timetable has yet been set for the expedition as the association is still negotiating for funding which will cost at least 10 million yuan ($1.5 million), according to Wang.
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7020168792?Scientific%20Search%20for%20Chinese%20Bigfoot%20Relaunched
(Via CFZ Australia)
Lawrence Mijares - AHN News Contributor
Beijing, Beijing, China (AHN) - Though over 400 people claim to have sighted an elusive ape-like creature covered all over with red, gray or black hair, lurking in the mountainous region of Shennongjia Nature Reserve, Heibei China, it has never been found despite three expeditions launched since the 1980s. However, a new, inspired expedition is calling on for volunteers worldwide to join.
"Unlike expeditions three decades ago, the better technological support will help us get closer to solving the mystery," said Wang Wang Shancai, a 75-year-old expert with the Hubei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, who is also the vice president of the Hubei Wild Man Research Association -- organizer of the expedition.
Wang continued to elaborate that, "We are now working together with the China Three Gorges University to develop long-time energy-supply devices to support cameras that will be installed in the ape man's possible habitat."
Unlike past high-profile expeditions, the new search would also be more localized with teams focusing their search in certain caves located in the Shennongjia mountains believed to be the habitat of the ape-like creature who may not be living alone.
Past expeditions have only brought back hairs supposedly from the creature, which when analyzed were neither of human or any known animal species. If found, this “missing link” would help scientists learn how primates evolved from ape to human.
The worldwide recruitment call for the expedition invites all male and female 25 to 40 year olds who have basic knowledge of biology, know how to handle a camera, loves the outdoors and must be devoted as hard work would be involved.
Unfortunately, no specific timetable has yet been set for the expedition as the association is still negotiating for funding which will cost at least 10 million yuan ($1.5 million), according to Wang.
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7020168792?Scientific%20Search%20for%20Chinese%20Bigfoot%20Relaunched
(Via CFZ Australia)
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Search for Bigfoot begins in Kemerovo Region
22.09.2010, 18.49
KEMEROVO, September 22 (Itar-Tass) -- A fourth science expedition has left for Mountain Shoria (a territory in Southern Siberia, east of the Altai Mountains) earlier on Wednesday in search of any traces of the abominable snowman. Taking part in the expedition will be the director of the International Center for Hominology, Igor Burtsev, deputy president of the public association Kosmopoisk, Vasily Dovgoshei, History Doctor Valery Kimeyev and other experts.
As Igor Burtsev, a participant in several previous expeditions, has told Itar-Tass, the search will last for about ten days. The experts are determined to find irrefutable evidence the Bigfoot (also known by the names of Sasquatch and Yeti) does exist.
“During the previous expedition a year ago I saw markers (half-broken branches) the creature uses to mark the controlled territory,” Burtsev said.
“Mountain Shoria is a perfect place for yetis. It is a sparsely populated, mountainous area, where there are many caves, it is relatively warm and there are sources of pure fresh water. In the mountain rivers fish is in abundance and hunting in the forests must be really good. I reckon the Bigfoot likes to go fowling. In the woods I have found several artifacts to confirm my theory of mine. This time I plan to find the Bigfoot’s shelter and even try to contact the creature."
The head of the Tashtagol District, Vladimir Makuta, says that the first mention of Bigfoot’s presence in Mountain Shoria dates back to 1980. The creatures seem to have gone especially active over the past three years.
http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=15519526
KEMEROVO, September 22 (Itar-Tass) -- A fourth science expedition has left for Mountain Shoria (a territory in Southern Siberia, east of the Altai Mountains) earlier on Wednesday in search of any traces of the abominable snowman. Taking part in the expedition will be the director of the International Center for Hominology, Igor Burtsev, deputy president of the public association Kosmopoisk, Vasily Dovgoshei, History Doctor Valery Kimeyev and other experts.
As Igor Burtsev, a participant in several previous expeditions, has told Itar-Tass, the search will last for about ten days. The experts are determined to find irrefutable evidence the Bigfoot (also known by the names of Sasquatch and Yeti) does exist.
“During the previous expedition a year ago I saw markers (half-broken branches) the creature uses to mark the controlled territory,” Burtsev said.
“Mountain Shoria is a perfect place for yetis. It is a sparsely populated, mountainous area, where there are many caves, it is relatively warm and there are sources of pure fresh water. In the mountain rivers fish is in abundance and hunting in the forests must be really good. I reckon the Bigfoot likes to go fowling. In the woods I have found several artifacts to confirm my theory of mine. This time I plan to find the Bigfoot’s shelter and even try to contact the creature."
The head of the Tashtagol District, Vladimir Makuta, says that the first mention of Bigfoot’s presence in Mountain Shoria dates back to 1980. The creatures seem to have gone especially active over the past three years.
http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=15519526
Search for Bigfoot begins in Kemerovo Region
22.09.2010, 18.49
KEMEROVO, September 22 (Itar-Tass) -- A fourth science expedition has left for Mountain Shoria (a territory in Southern Siberia, east of the Altai Mountains) earlier on Wednesday in search of any traces of the abominable snowman. Taking part in the expedition will be the director of the International Center for Hominology, Igor Burtsev, deputy president of the public association Kosmopoisk, Vasily Dovgoshei, History Doctor Valery Kimeyev and other experts.
As Igor Burtsev, a participant in several previous expeditions, has told Itar-Tass, the search will last for about ten days. The experts are determined to find irrefutable evidence the Bigfoot (also known by the names of Sasquatch and Yeti) does exist.
“During the previous expedition a year ago I saw markers (half-broken branches) the creature uses to mark the controlled territory,” Burtsev said.
“Mountain Shoria is a perfect place for yetis. It is a sparsely populated, mountainous area, where there are many caves, it is relatively warm and there are sources of pure fresh water. In the mountain rivers fish is in abundance and hunting in the forests must be really good. I reckon the Bigfoot likes to go fowling. In the woods I have found several artifacts to confirm my theory of mine. This time I plan to find the Bigfoot’s shelter and even try to contact the creature."
The head of the Tashtagol District, Vladimir Makuta, says that the first mention of Bigfoot’s presence in Mountain Shoria dates back to 1980. The creatures seem to have gone especially active over the past three years.
http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=15519526
KEMEROVO, September 22 (Itar-Tass) -- A fourth science expedition has left for Mountain Shoria (a territory in Southern Siberia, east of the Altai Mountains) earlier on Wednesday in search of any traces of the abominable snowman. Taking part in the expedition will be the director of the International Center for Hominology, Igor Burtsev, deputy president of the public association Kosmopoisk, Vasily Dovgoshei, History Doctor Valery Kimeyev and other experts.
As Igor Burtsev, a participant in several previous expeditions, has told Itar-Tass, the search will last for about ten days. The experts are determined to find irrefutable evidence the Bigfoot (also known by the names of Sasquatch and Yeti) does exist.
“During the previous expedition a year ago I saw markers (half-broken branches) the creature uses to mark the controlled territory,” Burtsev said.
“Mountain Shoria is a perfect place for yetis. It is a sparsely populated, mountainous area, where there are many caves, it is relatively warm and there are sources of pure fresh water. In the mountain rivers fish is in abundance and hunting in the forests must be really good. I reckon the Bigfoot likes to go fowling. In the woods I have found several artifacts to confirm my theory of mine. This time I plan to find the Bigfoot’s shelter and even try to contact the creature."
The head of the Tashtagol District, Vladimir Makuta, says that the first mention of Bigfoot’s presence in Mountain Shoria dates back to 1980. The creatures seem to have gone especially active over the past three years.
http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=15519526
England's own Loch Ness Monster?
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Catherine Deshayes
The legend of the Loch Ness Monster has proved to be a marketing boon for the Scottish Tourist Board and now the Lake District looks set to be the next hot destination for intrepid monster hunters...
Seven sightings of a long hump-backed animal swimming in Lake Windermere have been reported over the last four years.
The mysterious creature's fame has been slowly growing and she was recently given the nickname Bow-Nessie.
One local, Windermere hotel owner Thomas Noblett, claimed to have had a close encounter with something in the lake.
He told Sky News: ‘All of a sudden I felt something brush past my legs like a giant fish. And then I was lifted up by a three-foot wave. I've no idea what it was.'
A tourist claimed to have captured the Loch Ness Monster on camera in 1934
Now 21st century technology, including sonar equipment, is being deployed to try and track her down.
The lake is 11 miles long and up to 220-feet deep in some places so the team searching for the creature will have to cover some ground.
So far, nothing has been detected, aside from a reported 14-foot long disturbance in the water, and the sonar read-outs have been blank.
Hunt organiser, Dean Maynard, added: ‘We've had more creature sightings here than at Loch Ness in recent years so we think it's time that Bow-Nessie received more attention.'
A 20-metre long object was spotted below the surface of the lake last year by a local film crew but sceptics claims the footage shows a wave from an unseen boat.
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
http://www.themovechannel.com/news/bac3f06e-80e1/
Catherine Deshayes
The legend of the Loch Ness Monster has proved to be a marketing boon for the Scottish Tourist Board and now the Lake District looks set to be the next hot destination for intrepid monster hunters...
Seven sightings of a long hump-backed animal swimming in Lake Windermere have been reported over the last four years.
The mysterious creature's fame has been slowly growing and she was recently given the nickname Bow-Nessie.
One local, Windermere hotel owner Thomas Noblett, claimed to have had a close encounter with something in the lake.
He told Sky News: ‘All of a sudden I felt something brush past my legs like a giant fish. And then I was lifted up by a three-foot wave. I've no idea what it was.'
A tourist claimed to have captured the Loch Ness Monster on camera in 1934
Now 21st century technology, including sonar equipment, is being deployed to try and track her down.
The lake is 11 miles long and up to 220-feet deep in some places so the team searching for the creature will have to cover some ground.
So far, nothing has been detected, aside from a reported 14-foot long disturbance in the water, and the sonar read-outs have been blank.
Hunt organiser, Dean Maynard, added: ‘We've had more creature sightings here than at Loch Ness in recent years so we think it's time that Bow-Nessie received more attention.'
A 20-metre long object was spotted below the surface of the lake last year by a local film crew but sceptics claims the footage shows a wave from an unseen boat.
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
http://www.themovechannel.com/news/bac3f06e-80e1/
England's own Loch Ness Monster?
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Catherine Deshayes
The legend of the Loch Ness Monster has proved to be a marketing boon for the Scottish Tourist Board and now the Lake District looks set to be the next hot destination for intrepid monster hunters...
Seven sightings of a long hump-backed animal swimming in Lake Windermere have been reported over the last four years.
The mysterious creature's fame has been slowly growing and she was recently given the nickname Bow-Nessie.
One local, Windermere hotel owner Thomas Noblett, claimed to have had a close encounter with something in the lake.
He told Sky News: ‘All of a sudden I felt something brush past my legs like a giant fish. And then I was lifted up by a three-foot wave. I've no idea what it was.'
A tourist claimed to have captured the Loch Ness Monster on camera in 1934
Now 21st century technology, including sonar equipment, is being deployed to try and track her down.
The lake is 11 miles long and up to 220-feet deep in some places so the team searching for the creature will have to cover some ground.
So far, nothing has been detected, aside from a reported 14-foot long disturbance in the water, and the sonar read-outs have been blank.
Hunt organiser, Dean Maynard, added: ‘We've had more creature sightings here than at Loch Ness in recent years so we think it's time that Bow-Nessie received more attention.'
A 20-metre long object was spotted below the surface of the lake last year by a local film crew but sceptics claims the footage shows a wave from an unseen boat.
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
http://www.themovechannel.com/news/bac3f06e-80e1/
Catherine Deshayes
The legend of the Loch Ness Monster has proved to be a marketing boon for the Scottish Tourist Board and now the Lake District looks set to be the next hot destination for intrepid monster hunters...
Seven sightings of a long hump-backed animal swimming in Lake Windermere have been reported over the last four years.
The mysterious creature's fame has been slowly growing and she was recently given the nickname Bow-Nessie.
One local, Windermere hotel owner Thomas Noblett, claimed to have had a close encounter with something in the lake.
He told Sky News: ‘All of a sudden I felt something brush past my legs like a giant fish. And then I was lifted up by a three-foot wave. I've no idea what it was.'
A tourist claimed to have captured the Loch Ness Monster on camera in 1934
Now 21st century technology, including sonar equipment, is being deployed to try and track her down.
The lake is 11 miles long and up to 220-feet deep in some places so the team searching for the creature will have to cover some ground.
So far, nothing has been detected, aside from a reported 14-foot long disturbance in the water, and the sonar read-outs have been blank.
Hunt organiser, Dean Maynard, added: ‘We've had more creature sightings here than at Loch Ness in recent years so we think it's time that Bow-Nessie received more attention.'
A 20-metre long object was spotted below the surface of the lake last year by a local film crew but sceptics claims the footage shows a wave from an unseen boat.
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
http://www.themovechannel.com/news/bac3f06e-80e1/
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Reopen investigation into Chinese version of the Yeti
Beijing, Sep 7 (Prensa Latina) A new scientific expedition will seek evidence of so-called Wild Man of Hubei Chinese version of the famous Yeti, have given name to the legendary being of the natives of the Himalayan snows.
The investigation into the possible existence of this unknown bipedal species, tall and hairy, was resumed in Shennongjia nature reserve in the central province of Hubei, after its suspension 20 years ago, according to reports from local media.
With an area of 70 000 467 hectares, the protected site referred to is situated in a rich forest area of the same name that has the highest peak in central China, more than three thousand meters above sea level and inhabited by a surprising plant and animal biodiversity.
Rare specimens of flora and fauna as Davidia, gold and white monkeys, the bear of the latter color, water sources, and ethnic groups with typical customs make up the place, including by UNESCO in 1990 in the Network of protection of man and Biosphere.
Since ancient reference books beings Shennongjia wild. During inspections of the region after 70 years, Chinese experts collected samples of hair and plaster models of traces of between 21 and 48 inches, however, consider that this evidence need evidence.
The question on which the ape-man described as accelerated in July, after area residents sent to the Institute for Scientific Research of the strange signs that stock animal hair found 18 kilometers northwest of Songbai, head of that forest land in a mountainous strip of two thousand meters above sea level.
In order to achieve a more comprehensive study of the phenomenon, the Society of Research of the Wild Man of Hubei, in conjunction with the editorial "Chinese National Geography", work on a new "scientific expedition" launched last month, for the a preliminary analysis of those areas where the species supposedly was seen.
http://www.prensa-latina.cu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=218449&Itemid=1 via Google Translate
The investigation into the possible existence of this unknown bipedal species, tall and hairy, was resumed in Shennongjia nature reserve in the central province of Hubei, after its suspension 20 years ago, according to reports from local media.
With an area of 70 000 467 hectares, the protected site referred to is situated in a rich forest area of the same name that has the highest peak in central China, more than three thousand meters above sea level and inhabited by a surprising plant and animal biodiversity.
Rare specimens of flora and fauna as Davidia, gold and white monkeys, the bear of the latter color, water sources, and ethnic groups with typical customs make up the place, including by UNESCO in 1990 in the Network of protection of man and Biosphere.
Since ancient reference books beings Shennongjia wild. During inspections of the region after 70 years, Chinese experts collected samples of hair and plaster models of traces of between 21 and 48 inches, however, consider that this evidence need evidence.
The question on which the ape-man described as accelerated in July, after area residents sent to the Institute for Scientific Research of the strange signs that stock animal hair found 18 kilometers northwest of Songbai, head of that forest land in a mountainous strip of two thousand meters above sea level.
In order to achieve a more comprehensive study of the phenomenon, the Society of Research of the Wild Man of Hubei, in conjunction with the editorial "Chinese National Geography", work on a new "scientific expedition" launched last month, for the a preliminary analysis of those areas where the species supposedly was seen.
http://www.prensa-latina.cu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=218449&Itemid=1 via Google Translate
Reopen investigation into Chinese version of the Yeti
Beijing, Sep 7 (Prensa Latina) A new scientific expedition will seek evidence of so-called Wild Man of Hubei Chinese version of the famous Yeti, have given name to the legendary being of the natives of the Himalayan snows.
The investigation into the possible existence of this unknown bipedal species, tall and hairy, was resumed in Shennongjia nature reserve in the central province of Hubei, after its suspension 20 years ago, according to reports from local media.
With an area of 70 000 467 hectares, the protected site referred to is situated in a rich forest area of the same name that has the highest peak in central China, more than three thousand meters above sea level and inhabited by a surprising plant and animal biodiversity.
Rare specimens of flora and fauna as Davidia, gold and white monkeys, the bear of the latter color, water sources, and ethnic groups with typical customs make up the place, including by UNESCO in 1990 in the Network of protection of man and Biosphere.
Since ancient reference books beings Shennongjia wild. During inspections of the region after 70 years, Chinese experts collected samples of hair and plaster models of traces of between 21 and 48 inches, however, consider that this evidence need evidence.
The question on which the ape-man described as accelerated in July, after area residents sent to the Institute for Scientific Research of the strange signs that stock animal hair found 18 kilometers northwest of Songbai, head of that forest land in a mountainous strip of two thousand meters above sea level.
In order to achieve a more comprehensive study of the phenomenon, the Society of Research of the Wild Man of Hubei, in conjunction with the editorial "Chinese National Geography", work on a new "scientific expedition" launched last month, for the a preliminary analysis of those areas where the species supposedly was seen.
http://www.prensa-latina.cu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=218449&Itemid=1 via Google Translate
The investigation into the possible existence of this unknown bipedal species, tall and hairy, was resumed in Shennongjia nature reserve in the central province of Hubei, after its suspension 20 years ago, according to reports from local media.
With an area of 70 000 467 hectares, the protected site referred to is situated in a rich forest area of the same name that has the highest peak in central China, more than three thousand meters above sea level and inhabited by a surprising plant and animal biodiversity.
Rare specimens of flora and fauna as Davidia, gold and white monkeys, the bear of the latter color, water sources, and ethnic groups with typical customs make up the place, including by UNESCO in 1990 in the Network of protection of man and Biosphere.
Since ancient reference books beings Shennongjia wild. During inspections of the region after 70 years, Chinese experts collected samples of hair and plaster models of traces of between 21 and 48 inches, however, consider that this evidence need evidence.
The question on which the ape-man described as accelerated in July, after area residents sent to the Institute for Scientific Research of the strange signs that stock animal hair found 18 kilometers northwest of Songbai, head of that forest land in a mountainous strip of two thousand meters above sea level.
In order to achieve a more comprehensive study of the phenomenon, the Society of Research of the Wild Man of Hubei, in conjunction with the editorial "Chinese National Geography", work on a new "scientific expedition" launched last month, for the a preliminary analysis of those areas where the species supposedly was seen.
http://www.prensa-latina.cu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=218449&Itemid=1 via Google Translate
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Snakes alive - Bewdley park animal keeper on a mission
11:10am Saturday 13th March 2010By Cadisha Brown
AN animal keeper at West Midland Safari Park has jetted off to Papua New Guinea (PNG) to find the third most venomous snake in the world.
Steve Slater has packed his bags and made the 35-hour journey from his home in Kingswinford to the PNG capital, Port Moresby.
The 45-year-old will be joining up with the park’s consultant reptile curator and herpetologist, Dr Mark O’Shea, on a 20-day field expedition.
He will be working with Dr O’Shea to locate, catch and milk the venom from wild Papuan Taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus canni), the third most venomous snake in the world, for the Australian Venom Research Unit Snakebite Project.
Papuan Taipan is responsible for up to 400 deaths a year in PNG alone. The park currently houses two young Papuan Taipan in their collection, but this will be Mr Slater’s first real taste of catching snakes in the wild.
He will be fully equipped with heavy duty tactical kit designed for tough situations Describing the experience, Mr Slater said: “Staff progression is high on the agenda at West Midland Safari Park and when this fantastic opportunity presented itself, the park went out of its way to support me. It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I am really looking forward to the challenge.”
Mr Slater, a senior keeper in the discovery trail, has been working at the Bewdley-based safari park for more than three years, following a zoological profession spanning more than 30 years.
He has had vast experience working with a variety of animals from birds to elephants, although his main interest has always been reptiles.
People can catch up on Mr Slater’s adventures by visiting the park’s website, wmsp.co.uk, when he returns in time for the Easter bank holiday weekend.
http://www.kidderminstershuttle.co.uk/news/local/5055656.Snakes_alive___Bewdley_park_animal_keeper_on_a_mission/?ref=rss
Friday, October 2, 2009
Jungle ape man spotted by Brits
By LEON WATSONPublished: 30 Sep 2009
BRIT explorers claim they have spotted a legendary ape man believed to inhabit an island jungle — and snapped its footprints.
The four-strong team and their Indonesian guide were tracking through dense jungle in Sumatra when two of them caught a glimpse of the famous Orang Pendek — or short man.
The group brought back a hair sample and a piece of chewed palm from the island's Kerinci National Park they hope will provide DNA evidence of the beast.
They also snapped a strange footprint thought to belong to the creature.
Sightings of the hairy human-like monster have been made in the area since colonial times — and it is alleged to be immensely powerful.
The explorers hope the sample of rattan palm, which is thought to have been munched on by the Orang Pendek, will contain some of its cells. The palm and hair sample have been sent for testing.
Elusive
Witnesses have described the beast as being about 5ft tall and say that it walks on two legs.
It is thought to be extremely powerful — with reports of onlookers seeing it ripping apart logs.
After a spate of sightings around Lake Gunung Tuju, in the Kerinci national park, a team from the Devon based Centre for Fortean Zoology — which investigates unknown species of animals — embarked on a two-week mission to the region to see if they could obtain evidence of the creature.The elusive Orang Pendek shares its habitat with the Sumatran Tiger, pythons, and Saltwater crocodiles.
Richard Freeman, the expedition zoologist and zoological director at the Centre for Fortean Zoology, said he believes the creature is an unidentified species of ape.
"We are not talking about a unicorn or a griffin, we are talking about an ape that's unknown to science," he said.
"It's name means 'short man' in Indonesian.
"It's supposed to be a powerfully built upright walking ape.
"It walks on two legs rather than four - like a man, about five foot tall with dark fur - immensely strong.
"It's been seen since colonial times.
"It's quite possible that in some museum there are skull and bones of the Orang Pendek that have been labelled orangutan."
The team, who have just returned from their two-week expedition, hailed it a success and are awaiting the results of the DNA tests.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/weird/2661919/Jungle-ape-man-spotted-by-Brits.html
Jungle ape man spotted by Brits
By LEON WATSONPublished: 30 Sep 2009
BRIT explorers claim they have spotted a legendary ape man believed to inhabit an island jungle — and snapped its footprints.
The four-strong team and their Indonesian guide were tracking through dense jungle in Sumatra when two of them caught a glimpse of the famous Orang Pendek — or short man.
The group brought back a hair sample and a piece of chewed palm from the island's Kerinci National Park they hope will provide DNA evidence of the beast.
They also snapped a strange footprint thought to belong to the creature.
Sightings of the hairy human-like monster have been made in the area since colonial times — and it is alleged to be immensely powerful.
The explorers hope the sample of rattan palm, which is thought to have been munched on by the Orang Pendek, will contain some of its cells. The palm and hair sample have been sent for testing.
Elusive
Witnesses have described the beast as being about 5ft tall and say that it walks on two legs.
It is thought to be extremely powerful — with reports of onlookers seeing it ripping apart logs.
After a spate of sightings around Lake Gunung Tuju, in the Kerinci national park, a team from the Devon based Centre for Fortean Zoology — which investigates unknown species of animals — embarked on a two-week mission to the region to see if they could obtain evidence of the creature.The elusive Orang Pendek shares its habitat with the Sumatran Tiger, pythons, and Saltwater crocodiles.
Richard Freeman, the expedition zoologist and zoological director at the Centre for Fortean Zoology, said he believes the creature is an unidentified species of ape.
"We are not talking about a unicorn or a griffin, we are talking about an ape that's unknown to science," he said.
"It's name means 'short man' in Indonesian.
"It's supposed to be a powerfully built upright walking ape.
"It walks on two legs rather than four - like a man, about five foot tall with dark fur - immensely strong.
"It's been seen since colonial times.
"It's quite possible that in some museum there are skull and bones of the Orang Pendek that have been labelled orangutan."
The team, who have just returned from their two-week expedition, hailed it a success and are awaiting the results of the DNA tests.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/weird/2661919/Jungle-ape-man-spotted-by-Brits.html
Ape Man? Researchers Spot Legendary Orang Pendek in Sumatra
Written by Jace Shoemaker-Galloway
Published on October 1st, 2009
Posted in About Animals
Legend has it, an ape-like man has been roaming the forests of Sumatra for years. For two weeks, a team of British explorers from the Centre for Fortean Zoology (CFZ), along with an Indonesian guide, tracked the creature deep within the Kerinci National Park to find evidence of the ape-like man known as Orang Pendek, or short man.
Two of the explorers caught a brief glimpse of the hairy creature. The two described the creature as a broad-shouldered, large-headed creature with black skin and dark brown hair about the size of an adult chimpanzee.
The creature was seen chewing on a piece of vine, which was collected and preserved in ethanol. Hair samples were also collected for analysis. Although the witnesses were unable to get a photograph of the creature as it squatted in a tree, photographs were taken of the creature’s footprints, which were about six to seven inches long. The guide, completely overwhelmed by the rare sighting, reportedly burst into tears and had to be comforted by team members.
CFZ’s Zoological Director Richard Freeman said, “We are not talking about a unicorn or griffin, we are talking about an ape that’s unknown to science.” CFZ investigates unknown species of animals.
Orang Pendek Project
Debbie Martyr, from the Orang Pendek Project, is also hot on the trail of the elusive creature. Martyr originally went to Sumatra to help save the island’s dwindling rainforest. She did not believe the creature existed until she saw the creature with her own eyes. On a mission, the former reporter hopes to provide the first real photographic proof the primate actually exists.
The Legend of Orang Pendek
There have been many accounts of the elusive hairy creature over the years. Often described as a powerful, ape-like creature about three to five feet tall, its body is covered in hair. The creature walks in an upright position on its two legs.
Hobbits
In 2003, remains of a Homo floresiensis, nicknamed Hobbit, were discovered on the Indonesian island of Flores. Some wonder if this early bipedal man with a grapefruit-sized skull may be related to the Orang Pendek? The Hobbits lived on the island as recently as 12,000 to 18,000 years ago, had very small brains and small bodies.
Fact or fiction, legend or myth - is the Orang Pendek an ape, small man or just ancient folklore?
http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/01/ape-man-researchers-spot-legendary-orang-pendek-in-sumatra/
Ape Man? Researchers Spot Legendary Orang Pendek in Sumatra
Written by Jace Shoemaker-Galloway
Published on October 1st, 2009
Posted in About Animals
Legend has it, an ape-like man has been roaming the forests of Sumatra for years. For two weeks, a team of British explorers from the Centre for Fortean Zoology (CFZ), along with an Indonesian guide, tracked the creature deep within the Kerinci National Park to find evidence of the ape-like man known as Orang Pendek, or short man.
Two of the explorers caught a brief glimpse of the hairy creature. The two described the creature as a broad-shouldered, large-headed creature with black skin and dark brown hair about the size of an adult chimpanzee.
The creature was seen chewing on a piece of vine, which was collected and preserved in ethanol. Hair samples were also collected for analysis. Although the witnesses were unable to get a photograph of the creature as it squatted in a tree, photographs were taken of the creature’s footprints, which were about six to seven inches long. The guide, completely overwhelmed by the rare sighting, reportedly burst into tears and had to be comforted by team members.
CFZ’s Zoological Director Richard Freeman said, “We are not talking about a unicorn or griffin, we are talking about an ape that’s unknown to science.” CFZ investigates unknown species of animals.
Orang Pendek Project
Debbie Martyr, from the Orang Pendek Project, is also hot on the trail of the elusive creature. Martyr originally went to Sumatra to help save the island’s dwindling rainforest. She did not believe the creature existed until she saw the creature with her own eyes. On a mission, the former reporter hopes to provide the first real photographic proof the primate actually exists.
The Legend of Orang Pendek
There have been many accounts of the elusive hairy creature over the years. Often described as a powerful, ape-like creature about three to five feet tall, its body is covered in hair. The creature walks in an upright position on its two legs.
Hobbits
In 2003, remains of a Homo floresiensis, nicknamed Hobbit, were discovered on the Indonesian island of Flores. Some wonder if this early bipedal man with a grapefruit-sized skull may be related to the Orang Pendek? The Hobbits lived on the island as recently as 12,000 to 18,000 years ago, had very small brains and small bodies.
Fact or fiction, legend or myth - is the Orang Pendek an ape, small man or just ancient folklore?
http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/01/ape-man-researchers-spot-legendary-orang-pendek-in-sumatra/
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Explorers hope Sumatran ape will yield clues on human development
dave.tanner@archant.co.uk
15 September 2009
AN unknown species of Indonesian ape could shed light on how our human ancestors began to walk erect.
The orang-pendek of Sumatra is said to be a powerfully built ape that walks on two legs like a man. Both native people and western explorers, including two noted scientists, have reported the creature from the deep jungle.
This week four English scientists and explorers will brave the rainforest in search of the orang-pendek.
The team from the Woolsery-based Centre for Fortean Zoology, will spend two weeks in Sumatra working with the Kubu people, the island's original inhabitants, who will help them track the mysterious ape.
The expedition comes shortly after the announcement of the discovery of a fossil hominid in Georgia. The Dmansis hominids lived 1.8 million years ago and had legs like modern humans, but primitive arms. Their early occurrence has made scientists rethink how hominids moved out of Africa to colonise the rest of the world.
Richard Freeman, the team's zoologist, said: "It was once thought that our ancestors became bipedal when they descended from the trees and moved onto the grass lands of East Africa in order to exploit new food sources. However, now it seems that many apes and hominids were moving 'bipedally' while they were still rainforest dwellers.
"As well as being a major zoological discovery, the orang-pendek could give us some clues on how bipedalism developed."
The group's trip will be recorded on the Centre for Fortean Zoology's website at http://www.cfz.org.uk/
http://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/northdevongazette/news/story.aspx?brand=NDGOnline&category=news&tBrand=devon24&tCategory=newsndga&itemid=DEED15%20Sep%202009%2005%3A45%3A09%3A257
15 September 2009
AN unknown species of Indonesian ape could shed light on how our human ancestors began to walk erect.
The orang-pendek of Sumatra is said to be a powerfully built ape that walks on two legs like a man. Both native people and western explorers, including two noted scientists, have reported the creature from the deep jungle.
This week four English scientists and explorers will brave the rainforest in search of the orang-pendek.
The team from the Woolsery-based Centre for Fortean Zoology, will spend two weeks in Sumatra working with the Kubu people, the island's original inhabitants, who will help them track the mysterious ape.
The expedition comes shortly after the announcement of the discovery of a fossil hominid in Georgia. The Dmansis hominids lived 1.8 million years ago and had legs like modern humans, but primitive arms. Their early occurrence has made scientists rethink how hominids moved out of Africa to colonise the rest of the world.
Richard Freeman, the team's zoologist, said: "It was once thought that our ancestors became bipedal when they descended from the trees and moved onto the grass lands of East Africa in order to exploit new food sources. However, now it seems that many apes and hominids were moving 'bipedally' while they were still rainforest dwellers.
"As well as being a major zoological discovery, the orang-pendek could give us some clues on how bipedalism developed."
The group's trip will be recorded on the Centre for Fortean Zoology's website at http://www.cfz.org.uk/
http://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/northdevongazette/news/story.aspx?brand=NDGOnline&category=news&tBrand=devon24&tCategory=newsndga&itemid=DEED15%20Sep%202009%2005%3A45%3A09%3A257
Explorers hope Sumatran ape will yield clues on human development
dave.tanner@archant.co.uk
15 September 2009
AN unknown species of Indonesian ape could shed light on how our human ancestors began to walk erect.
The orang-pendek of Sumatra is said to be a powerfully built ape that walks on two legs like a man. Both native people and western explorers, including two noted scientists, have reported the creature from the deep jungle.
This week four English scientists and explorers will brave the rainforest in search of the orang-pendek.
The team from the Woolsery-based Centre for Fortean Zoology, will spend two weeks in Sumatra working with the Kubu people, the island's original inhabitants, who will help them track the mysterious ape.
The expedition comes shortly after the announcement of the discovery of a fossil hominid in Georgia. The Dmansis hominids lived 1.8 million years ago and had legs like modern humans, but primitive arms. Their early occurrence has made scientists rethink how hominids moved out of Africa to colonise the rest of the world.
Richard Freeman, the team's zoologist, said: "It was once thought that our ancestors became bipedal when they descended from the trees and moved onto the grass lands of East Africa in order to exploit new food sources. However, now it seems that many apes and hominids were moving 'bipedally' while they were still rainforest dwellers.
"As well as being a major zoological discovery, the orang-pendek could give us some clues on how bipedalism developed."
The group's trip will be recorded on the Centre for Fortean Zoology's website at http://www.cfz.org.uk/
http://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/northdevongazette/news/story.aspx?brand=NDGOnline&category=news&tBrand=devon24&tCategory=newsndga&itemid=DEED15%20Sep%202009%2005%3A45%3A09%3A257
15 September 2009
AN unknown species of Indonesian ape could shed light on how our human ancestors began to walk erect.
The orang-pendek of Sumatra is said to be a powerfully built ape that walks on two legs like a man. Both native people and western explorers, including two noted scientists, have reported the creature from the deep jungle.
This week four English scientists and explorers will brave the rainforest in search of the orang-pendek.
The team from the Woolsery-based Centre for Fortean Zoology, will spend two weeks in Sumatra working with the Kubu people, the island's original inhabitants, who will help them track the mysterious ape.
The expedition comes shortly after the announcement of the discovery of a fossil hominid in Georgia. The Dmansis hominids lived 1.8 million years ago and had legs like modern humans, but primitive arms. Their early occurrence has made scientists rethink how hominids moved out of Africa to colonise the rest of the world.
Richard Freeman, the team's zoologist, said: "It was once thought that our ancestors became bipedal when they descended from the trees and moved onto the grass lands of East Africa in order to exploit new food sources. However, now it seems that many apes and hominids were moving 'bipedally' while they were still rainforest dwellers.
"As well as being a major zoological discovery, the orang-pendek could give us some clues on how bipedalism developed."
The group's trip will be recorded on the Centre for Fortean Zoology's website at http://www.cfz.org.uk/
http://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/northdevongazette/news/story.aspx?brand=NDGOnline&category=news&tBrand=devon24&tCategory=newsndga&itemid=DEED15%20Sep%202009%2005%3A45%3A09%3A257
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Local explorer returns to Papua New Guinea
John Lane hopes to discover more new species
By Meredith J. Cooper
John Lane doesn’t take trips, he plans expeditions. His latest obsession: the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea. He’s been there four times since 2006, the last one just six months ago, with his wife. This time she’ll stay behind with the kids while Lane ventures once again to the remote island, with the company of a few people from Chico State and a geologist friend from Colorado.
“John puts together some great expeditions, partly because of the unique ability that he has to be able to deal with adversity,” said Jim Reed, by phone from his home in Golden, Colo. “At the last minute there’s always some real big showstopper. But he’ll just jump right over them.”
Lane, principal scientist at Chico Environmental Science & Planning, is a little more modest, but it’s clear from the direct tone of his voice and the passion in his eyes that this is more than just a hobby—it’s a way of life. During this newest trip, which leaves June 29 and will last three weeks, Lane’s biggest goal is to find and trap a tree kangaroo. Sounds a little silly, but it could have a huge payoff.
Back in 2007, when he led a six-week expedition in the area, the team noted the existence of tree kangaroos on the island, along with new species of butterfly, frog, snake and fish. All their findings were compiled into a report submitted to the Nature Conservancy, among other groups. Recently, Lane said, he was told that not only was that tree kangaroo a surprising find, despite the island’s proximity to Australia, but it was likely a new species.
“Finding a new species of mammal—that’s where the publicity comes from,” Lane said. “And it makes you wonder—what else could we find out here? We could even make first contact with other people in those forests.”
If his team is able to capture a tree kangaroo and gather DNA, his project to help preserve the area from loggers and palm-oil encroachment could reach epic proportions. His previous ventures, to Borneo and Sumatra, have yielded everything from getting the areas preserved to creating national-park status. He works primarily with the Nature Conservancy and the United Nations Development Programme.
He’s received some grants, including one from the International Foundation, but has also gotten funding locally from Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and Fred Hargesheimer of Nevada City, the man who sparked Lane’s interest in the area back in 2006.
Hargesheimer’s plane had gone down on New Britain decades before and he hoped to locate it. The region Lane and his crew have studied—including a lake and a volcano crater—have been named “Hargy” after the man who lived with the indigenous people until he was well enough to return home.
Beyond finding a tree kangaroo, Lane has two other objectives for this short trip: to discover more species of butterflies, as “butterflies really indicate the health and diversity of an ecosystem,” he said; and to delve deeper into the untouched wilderness and explore more caves—one of his main passions.
Reed explained exploring New Britain as an opportunity to “go back in time.” He related it to the city of Guilin, China, with its unique mountains jutting from the landscape, as both cities are built on a bed of limestone. New Britain also has countless volcanoes, which have formed coral beds surrounding their mouths.
“This is Guilin 2 to 10 million years ago,” Reed said.
Lane suggested that local myths pointed to the possibility of modern-day pterodactyls living in the rainforests. While he’s not optimistic, he’s not quick to rule the possibility out. These regions have never been studied before.
One of the touchy subjects Lane and his cohorts—among his companions Chico State professors Don Miller, a butterfly specialist, and Randy Senock, who will study forest density—are faced with is the implications of their findings. On the one hand, exploring this area will likely lead to future expeditions by other groups. The tradeoff, Reed said, is the preservation of the area from logging and other ecological hazards.
In January, Lane described for the CN&R what it’s like to go where no man has gone before: “People say it’s like walking on the moon—but people have done that. So, it’s not like walking on the moon.”
Reed, whose main objective on this trip is to figure out the geology of the island—how it came to be and what it will become—described the feeling similarly.
“In 2007, we hiked up to a volcano and we got up to the rim,” described Reed. “We were standing there with one of the tribal chiefs and I asked him, ‘Did you ever hear any stories from your grandfather of anyone ever going into this caldera [volcano cave]?’ He said, ‘No.’ How many places can you say that about on this planet?
“Of course there’s the whole Star Trek thing. But until you’re actually there, realizing that you are the first person to ever be in this place—I was surprised at my emotional response. I thought: This is worth dying for.”
http://www.newsreview.com/chico/content?oid=1004993
By Meredith J. Cooper
John Lane doesn’t take trips, he plans expeditions. His latest obsession: the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea. He’s been there four times since 2006, the last one just six months ago, with his wife. This time she’ll stay behind with the kids while Lane ventures once again to the remote island, with the company of a few people from Chico State and a geologist friend from Colorado.
“John puts together some great expeditions, partly because of the unique ability that he has to be able to deal with adversity,” said Jim Reed, by phone from his home in Golden, Colo. “At the last minute there’s always some real big showstopper. But he’ll just jump right over them.”
Lane, principal scientist at Chico Environmental Science & Planning, is a little more modest, but it’s clear from the direct tone of his voice and the passion in his eyes that this is more than just a hobby—it’s a way of life. During this newest trip, which leaves June 29 and will last three weeks, Lane’s biggest goal is to find and trap a tree kangaroo. Sounds a little silly, but it could have a huge payoff.
Back in 2007, when he led a six-week expedition in the area, the team noted the existence of tree kangaroos on the island, along with new species of butterfly, frog, snake and fish. All their findings were compiled into a report submitted to the Nature Conservancy, among other groups. Recently, Lane said, he was told that not only was that tree kangaroo a surprising find, despite the island’s proximity to Australia, but it was likely a new species.
“Finding a new species of mammal—that’s where the publicity comes from,” Lane said. “And it makes you wonder—what else could we find out here? We could even make first contact with other people in those forests.”
If his team is able to capture a tree kangaroo and gather DNA, his project to help preserve the area from loggers and palm-oil encroachment could reach epic proportions. His previous ventures, to Borneo and Sumatra, have yielded everything from getting the areas preserved to creating national-park status. He works primarily with the Nature Conservancy and the United Nations Development Programme.
He’s received some grants, including one from the International Foundation, but has also gotten funding locally from Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and Fred Hargesheimer of Nevada City, the man who sparked Lane’s interest in the area back in 2006.
Hargesheimer’s plane had gone down on New Britain decades before and he hoped to locate it. The region Lane and his crew have studied—including a lake and a volcano crater—have been named “Hargy” after the man who lived with the indigenous people until he was well enough to return home.
Beyond finding a tree kangaroo, Lane has two other objectives for this short trip: to discover more species of butterflies, as “butterflies really indicate the health and diversity of an ecosystem,” he said; and to delve deeper into the untouched wilderness and explore more caves—one of his main passions.
Reed explained exploring New Britain as an opportunity to “go back in time.” He related it to the city of Guilin, China, with its unique mountains jutting from the landscape, as both cities are built on a bed of limestone. New Britain also has countless volcanoes, which have formed coral beds surrounding their mouths.
“This is Guilin 2 to 10 million years ago,” Reed said.
Lane suggested that local myths pointed to the possibility of modern-day pterodactyls living in the rainforests. While he’s not optimistic, he’s not quick to rule the possibility out. These regions have never been studied before.
One of the touchy subjects Lane and his cohorts—among his companions Chico State professors Don Miller, a butterfly specialist, and Randy Senock, who will study forest density—are faced with is the implications of their findings. On the one hand, exploring this area will likely lead to future expeditions by other groups. The tradeoff, Reed said, is the preservation of the area from logging and other ecological hazards.
In January, Lane described for the CN&R what it’s like to go where no man has gone before: “People say it’s like walking on the moon—but people have done that. So, it’s not like walking on the moon.”
Reed, whose main objective on this trip is to figure out the geology of the island—how it came to be and what it will become—described the feeling similarly.
“In 2007, we hiked up to a volcano and we got up to the rim,” described Reed. “We were standing there with one of the tribal chiefs and I asked him, ‘Did you ever hear any stories from your grandfather of anyone ever going into this caldera [volcano cave]?’ He said, ‘No.’ How many places can you say that about on this planet?
“Of course there’s the whole Star Trek thing. But until you’re actually there, realizing that you are the first person to ever be in this place—I was surprised at my emotional response. I thought: This is worth dying for.”
http://www.newsreview.com/chico/content?oid=1004993
Monday, April 6, 2009
Russian scientists use Google maps to find yeti
The authorities of the Russian town of Kemerovo arranged a special expedition to find the yeti habitat which was discovered by Google maps.Recently there have been more than 20 claims from the local hunters who said they had seen strange creatures in the forests. These creatures resembled yeti. After the claims from the local hunters Kemerovo authorities decided to create the team of scientists for yeti searches.
The expedition turned to be successful. Scientists managed to find ‘fresh’ yeti footprints in the Azassky cave.
Scientists found two identical yeti footprints. One of them was left on the rock and it dates back 5,000 years ago, and the other footprint which was left not long ago was found at the bottom of the cave.
“They are absolutely identical. Five thousand years ago yetis settled down in this cave and now their descendants are still living here. The conditions in the cave are suitable for yeti. The cave defends them from rains, snow and wind. There is also a lake in the middle of the cave where yetis can find clean water,” say the scientists.
Unfortunately, the scientists did not manage to see yetis that time. They say their snowmobiles were too noisy and yetis had to hide somewhere in the forests. However, the scientists say they managed to reach their main goal – they got the proof that yetis are living there. A new expedition to the site will be arranged this summer.
Click here to find photos from the expedition.
Pravda.Ru previously published the story about yeti from Russia's Vyatka
Moscow explorers discovered a wigwam of a creature unknown to science in the snow-covered forest.
Members of the Kosmopoisk association have returned from an expedition to Russia's Kirov Region where they searched for a bigfoot that allegedly lived in that region. Kosmopoisk leader Vadim Chernobrov says the expedition has discovered a den occupied by a mysterious giant and an underground passage dug obviously not by a human.
Ivan Konovalov has been working as a forest warden for 30 years in the Kirov Region. At first, the man did not plan to stay in that region for long, however he had an important meeting in November 1985 and changed his mind. Ivan Konovalov tells about that meeting: "It was snowing on the day when I was walking along the fir wood and suddenly heard snap of twigs. I turned around and saw an awesome creature covered with dark hair that was much taller than me. It smelt strongly. The beast leant against a pine tree and started bending it down to the ground.
The tree was rather thick, but it cracked under the creature's burden. Then the creature started breaking the tree against the knee. Its hands were as thick and long as its legs. Quite of a sudden, the creature felt something and turned its "face" to me. I saw two black eyes and the impression at the bottom of the eyes deeply impressed me. I still remember the look of the eyes. Then the creature flung the tree and quickly left. But I stood thunderstruck and could not move a finger."
After that awesome meeting the forest warden was anticipating another meeting with the bigfoot. However, the man did not doubt that it was a snowman. Ivan Konovalov thinks the creature unknown to science has some mysterious capabilities resembling hypnosis.
It was only twice that he managed to come across the creature face to face. Another time Ivan Konovalov met with a she-yeti and a baby. They noticed the forest warden and ran deep into the forest emitting sounds resembling dog's barking.
Read also the full story: Yeti from Russia's Vyatka
http://newsfromrussia.com/society/anomal/25-03-2009/107296-Google_yeti-0
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Russia: Search for Yeti finds nothing … yet
03 April 2009
The much anticipated search for the legendary Snowmen that have recently been sighted by hunters in the vast wilderness in the vicinity of the city of Kemerovo in Russia has failed to find anything. Researchers remain hopeful however and plan to return for another more thorough expedition.
Stories of ‘Yeti’ style creatures described as human-like with black/brown hair have circulated in this region of Siberia for centuries and with recent reports of hunters witnessing the creatures in an area known as the Azasskoy caves it was decided that a proper academic search should take place.
The search party was led by Russian academic Igor Burtsev and local regional administrative head Vladimir Makutu.
The researchers noted that the Azasskoy caves go to a depth of several kilometres and only the very entrance of the cave was searched. A more thorough expedition is planned for summer and the world’s ‘cryptozoology’ enthusiasts will be watching eagerly. Apparently Google Maps are being extensively used to aid the research party in their endeavours.
http://www.allnewsweb.com/page6686683.php
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)