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