Rukatunturi, Finland 28th December 2021
Year: 2021
Top 50 Mysterious Creatures
This list is compiled by Loren Coleman who is one of the world’s leading cryptid researchers. Cryptids are the yet-to-be discovered animals or recovered supposedly extinct zoological species that are being sought by cryptozoologists, zoologists, anthropologists, and other researchers through fieldwork in the wild, re-examinations of specimens in zoological collections, and searches of archival materials. For me, it all started with the Abominable Snowman (Yeti) in 1960, and then moved quickly to an awareness of a world filled with cryptids.
In my book, Cryptozoology A to Z, I detailed several of the well-known and lesser-known but technically unknown alleged animals from around the world that are of interest to cryptozoologists. From that 1999 work, my earlier lists, and later research and fieldwork, here’s my list of the top fifty picks of these hopefully soon-to-be-found animals, which are actively being pursued today.
1. Ahool Giant: unknown bats are reported to reside in a region of western Java, plus similar reports under different names from Vietnam and the Philippines; possibly known as Orang-bati in Seram, Indonesia.
2. Almas: Huge hairy Neanderthaloid or Homo erectus-like hominids sighted in various parts of Euroasia.
3. Agogwe: The Agogwe are little, human-like, hairy, bipeds reported consistently from the forests of Eastern Africa.
4. Andean Wolf: These unrecognized mountain dogs are seen in South America.
5. Arabhar: These unconfirmed flying snakes are located in the Arabian Sea region.
6. Barmanu: Reportedly strong, muscular, and hairy humanoids reported from the Shishi-kuh valley in Pakistan.
7. Beast of Bodmin (or Bodmin Moor): Locally named mystery felids found in the United Kingdom.
8. Bergman’s Bear: Possible unknown species of giant bear once roamed Eastern Asia, and still may.
9. Bigfoot: The classic Sasquatch of the Pacific Northwest is well-grounded in hundreds of years of sightings, encounters, folklore, traditions, hair samples, and footprint evidence, for starters. The Patterson-Gimlin footage captured images in 1967 of what appears to be a good type specimen of this animal.
10. Birds-of-Paradise: Six species from New Guinea and surrounding islands, and a distinctive Long-Tailed Black Bird-of-Paradise from Goodenough Island are of interest to cryptozoology. (Ivory-billed woodpeckers in America have moved from “cryptid” to “rediscovered species,” in terms of the way zoology views them today.)
11. Black Panthers and Maned Mystery Cats: Sightings of large Black Panthers and seemingly “African Lions” with manes in the Midwest USA have law enforcement officials on the alert.
12. Blue Mountain panthers: These unknown cats reportedly live in the Blue Mountains of the east coast of Australia in the state of New South Wales.
13. Blue Tiger: These mystery felids are spotted in the Fujian Province, China, and are also filed under the name Black Tiger.
14. Bobo Sea monsters of the North Pacific Ocean are frequently reported off Monterey Bay since the 1940s, and have been given this local name.
15. Buffalo Lion: East African maneless lions are said to be man-eaters, and may reflect some new genetic alignments, akin to the King Cheetah discoveries among cheetahs.
16. Buru: Fifteen foot long bluish-black giant lizards were seen often in the swamps, lakes and foothills of the Himalayas, up through the 1940s, although they may be extinct now. More new monitors will be found, however.
17. Caddy: These unknown Sea Serpents (perhaps Mystery Cetaceans?) living off the coast of British Columbia are a popular figure in Canadian cryptozoology.
18. Champ: Giant prehistoric-looking creatures supposedly lurk in Lake Champlain, a 109 mile lake that borders New York, Vermont, and Ontario.
19. Chupacabras: Also called “Goatsuckers,” these bizarre Caribbean and South American cryptids are five feet tall biped creatures with short grey hair that have spiked hair and reportedly drain the blood through throat punctures of the livestock they kill.
20. Ebu Gogo: Three feet tall, hairy little people with pot bellies and long arms sighted on the island of Flores, Indonesia. Tiny females are said to have long, pendulous breasts.
21. Giant Anaconda: Reports have been made of 100 feet long snakes on the Rio Negro of the Amazon River basin.
22. Giant Octopus: The Blue Holes of Bimini offer many sightings of these unknown huge, many-tentacled animals.
23. Giant Sloth: Weighing up to three tons, these supposedly extinct animals have been reported in South America in contemporary times. These do notappear to be the Mapinguary/Mapinguari, which seem to be bipedal primates.
24. Globsters: Strange looking giant creatures (also called blobs) wash up on the beaches of the world, get the media and scientists excited, and sometimes turn out to be “unknowns.”
25. Hantu Jarang Gigi: Also called the Orang Dalam, Mawas, and Johor Bigfoot, these hominoids reported from Malaysia may indicate large unknown primates are still to be discovered from this corner of the world.
26. Jersey Devil: This regionalized name hides these perhaps a variety of creatures that have been haunting the New Jersey Pineland forest for over 260 years.
27. Kongamato: The natives of the Jiundu region of Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) have firsthand encounters with these strange flying bat-like creatures.
28. Lake Storsjon Monster: Lake Sorsjön in northern Sweden appears to be inhabited by a Lake Monster, and has a relative in Lake Seljord in the Telemark region of Norway, which has its own Lake Monster swimming the waters there for centuries.
29. Lau Are specific African lakes the home to 40 feet long unknown catfishes or lungfishes?
30. Loch Ness Monster: Nessie is the most famous Lake Monster in the world; they are said to inhabit this loch, an extremely deep Scottish lake.
31. MacFarlane’s Bear: The carcass is at the Smithsonian, believed to be a possible hybrid between a grizzly and polar bear. Or an new unknown species?
32. Mngwa: The Mngwa are mystery cats described as being as large as donkeys, with marks like a tabby and living in Africa – but not a known species.
33. Mokele-Mbembe: For over two hundred years there have been reports of living Sauropods (dinosaur) in the remote Congo area of Africa. They may be confused with accounts of other local cryptids, including aquatic rhinos and monitors.
34. Mongolian Death Worm: Locals in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia talk of these giant snakes, worms, or long thin lizards (also called Olgoi-khorkhoi or Allghoi-khorkhoi) as killing livestock and people with their breath or strayed venom.
35. Mothman: A local name for giant owls (also called Bighoot) which have been sighted for over 100 years in the West Virginia-Ohio area, and elsewhere in North America.
36. Ogopogo: This is Canada’s most famous type of water monster, the specific inhabitants of Lake Okanagan in the south central interior of British Columbia.
37. Orang-Pendak: These reportedly small biped apes (also called Sedapa) live in the jungles of Sumatra and Borneo.
38. Peruvian Mystery Jaguar: Unknown large cats with white background covered in solid irregular spots are seen in the rainforests of Peru.
39. Skunk Ape: Also known by the label Myakka “ape” and other local names (Booger, Swamp Ape), these chimpanzee- or orangutan-like primates have been sighted throughout central and south Florida, and are a local version of the North American Ape. They are entirely different than the classic PNW Bigfoot.
40. Steller’s Sea Cow: A once thought extinct species, could these totally marine animals, looking like huge, wrinkled manatees, continue to exist? They are contemporarily sighted by Russian fisherman and others.
41. Tasmanian Tiger or Thylacine: Thought extinct, these wolf-like marsupials are still sighted on a regular basis in Western Australia, and perhaps New Guinea too.
42. Tatzelwürm: Classic small log-shaped reptilian cryptids from the European Alps are enigmatic animals, but have they gone extinct in historical times?
43. Thunderbird: Large condor-like birds, perhaps Teratorns, appear to still roam the skies of North America, along regular migration routes.
44. Tzuchinoko: Unknown species of snake sighted in the upper elevations of Korea and Japan.
45. Ucu: The South American Bigfoot live mainly in the Andean foothills.
46. Waitoreke: These strange unknown otter-like beasts are seen in New Zealand, and as yet undiscovered.
47. Xing-Xing: This is a specific regional name, from southern China, for small unknown apes, perhaps a new subspecies of orangutan.
48. Yeren: The Chinese Wildmen are reddish, semi-bipedal, and often encountered by locals and government officials along rural roads.
49. Yeti: perhaps unknown rock apes, are creatures reported as crossing the Himalayan plateaus and living in the valley forests. There is not just “one” Abominable Snowman, and they are not “white.”
50. Yowie: These tall hairy unknown hominoids are sighted throughout several remote eastern coastal areas of Australia.
Some former members of this list do occassionaly have to be deleted. For example, the Bili Ape (allegedly giant chimpanzees reported to live in remote east Africa) have lost status as cryptids, as they are said today to merely be a subspecies of chimpanzee. Never mind, there will be new discoveries and new additions in the coming years.
Essex photographer paints Christmas scenes in light
Festive decorations and Christmas cheer has been painted across sites in Essex – but visitors will only be able to discover them in a photograph.
Snowmen, Christmas trees, blue-hue pathways and baubles have all been created by light painter Kevin Jay and enjoyed by thousands across social media, with the images shared on Instagram.
Kevin Jay, 50, of Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, uses a light source to “paint” the images and capture the work on his camera using a slow shutter speed.
“It’s an ideal form of photography at this time of year as there’s not much to shoot at night – you’re literally creating the image as there’s nothing there to start with apart from perhaps a local landmark,” he said.
Mr Jay started light painting about four years ago when he wanted to do something with his photography skills after dark.
“As we shoot at night it’s rare people see what we’re doing but it’s really rewarding just to know people appreciate the final image,” said Mr Jay.
“The big Christmas tree on the beach was challenging as it involved three of us doing multiple things – I did the baubles and they each took about 30 seconds. It’s why the final image is made up of a number of shots as we just couldn’t run around quickly enough to do it all in one go.”
Although the images are planned, Mr Jay admits they can sometimes be more organic.
“It’s probably about a 50/50 mix,” he said. “There’s a plan, I’ve often got a rough sketch of my idea but then it goes in another direction during the creative process.”
BBC
Hallgrímskirkja Church
Hallgrímskirkja is a Lutheran (Church of Iceland) parish church in Reykjavík, Iceland. At 74.5 metres (244 ft) tall, it is the largest church in Iceland and among the tallest structures in the country. The church is named after the Icelandic poet and clergyman Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614–1674), author of the Passion Hymns.
Situated on a hilltop near the centre of Reykjavík, the church is one of the city’s best-known landmarks and is visible throughout the city. State Architect Guðjón Samúelsson’s design of the church was commissioned in 1937. He is said to have designed it to resemble the trap rocks, mountains and glaciers of Iceland’s landscape. The design is similar in style to the expressionist architecture of Grundtvig’s Church of Copenhagen, Denmark, completed in 1940.
It took 41 years to build the church: construction started in 1945 and ended in 1986, but the landmark tower was completed long before the whole church was finished. The crypt beneath the choir was consecrated in 1948, the steeple and wings were completed in 1974, and the nave was consecrated in 1986. At the time of construction, the building was criticized as too old-fashioned and as a blend of different architectural styles. The church was originally intended to be less tall, but the leaders of the Church of Iceland wanted a large spire so as to outshine Landakotskirkja (Landakot’s Church), which was the cathedral of the Catholic Church in Iceland.
The church houses a large pipe organ by the German organ builder Johannes Klais of Bonn. It has electronic action; the pipes are remote from the four manuals and pedal console. There are 102 ranks, 72 stops and 5275 pipes. It is 15 metres (49 ft) tall and weighs 25 metric tons (25 long tons; 28 short tons). Its construction was finished in December 1992. It has been recorded by Christopher Herrick in his Organ Fireworks VII CD and by Mattias Wager on his CD Live at Vatnajökull.
The church is also used as an observation tower. An observer can take a lift up to the viewing deck and view Reykjavík and the surrounding mountains. The church is still used today for modern services and weddings.
The statue of explorer Leif Erikson (c.970 – c.1020) by Alexander Stirling Calder in front of the church predates its construction. It was a gift from the United States in honor of the 1930 Althing Millennial Festival, commemorating the 1000th anniversary of the convening of Iceland’s parliament at Þingvellir in 930 AD.
Bugs Bunny and the Big Orange Hairy Monster
Gossamer is an animated character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons. He is a large, hairy, orange monster. His body is perched on two giant tennis shoes, and his heart-shaped face is composed of only two oval eyes and a wide mouth, with two hulking arms ending in dirty, clawed fingers. The monster’s main trait is his uncombed, orange hair.
World’s Largest Snow Maze in Poland
Create an art piece? Build a snowball fortress? You can do all of this in the coolness of snow. But, how about creating a massive labyrinth? Poland’s popular Snowlandia Zakopane Park just constructed something out of snow that would have the seven-year-old version of you wreathing in excitement, a massive labyrinth.
Rudolph Decoration Attacked by Real Deer
In the battle of deer vs. decoration deer, we have a winner. In British Columbia, the Chmelyk family has set out their “Rudolph the Red Nosed White-Tail” decoration for the last five holiday seasons. But “every year a buck in the area attacks him or hits and knocks him over and breaks him,” Arlene Chmelyk told CBC News. This year the battle royale was caught on video.
Glen Campbell Try A Little Kindness
If you see your brother standing by the road
With a heavy load from the seeds he sowed
And if you see your sister falling by the way
Just stop and say, “You’re going the wrong way
“You’ve got to try a little kindness
Yes, show a little kindness
Just shine your light for everyone to see
And if you try a little kindness
Then you’ll overlook the blindness
Of narrow-minded people on the narrow-minded streets
Don’t walk around the down and out
Lend a helping hand instead of doubt
And the kindness that you show every day
Will help someone along their way
You got to try a little kindness
Yes, show a little kindness
Just shine your light for everyone to see
And if you try a little kindness
Then you’ll overlook the blindness
Of narrow-minded people on the narrow-minded streets
You got to try a little kindness
Yes, show a little kindness
Just shine your light for everyone to see
And if you try a little kindness
Then you’ll overlook the blindness
Of narrow-minded people on the narrow-minded streets
The longest speeches ever at the United Nations
The document “List of Speeches and Visits Made by Heads of State and Dignitaries” gives the length of speech or speech times for many statements made from 1945-1976.
The longest timed speech listed in the above document was made by Fidel Castro of Cuba at the 872nd plenary meeting of the General Assembly on 26 September 1960. The time listed is 269 minutes.
Other long speeches:
- 10 Oct. 1960 – H.E. Mr. Sékou Touré – Guinea – President – 896th Plenary – 144 minutes
- 23 Sep. 1960 – H.E. Mr. Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev – USSR – Chairman of the Council of Ministers – 869th Plenary – 140 minutes
- 30 Sep. 1960 – H.E. Dr. Soekarno – Indonesia – President – 880th Plenary – 121 minutes
In addition, we have this note:
- 23 Sep. 2009 – H.E. Colonel Muammar Al-Qadhafi – Libyan Arab Jamahiriya – Leader of the Revolution – 96 minutes – (according to the website of the 64th session General Assembly General Debate)
On 23 January 1957 V. K. Krishna Menon delivered an unprecedented eight-hour speech defending India’s stand on Kashmir. To date, the speech is the longest ever delivered in the United Nations Security Council, covering five hours of the 762nd meeting on 23 January, and two hours and forty-eight minutes on the 24th, reportedly concluding with Menon’s collapse on the Security Council floor. During the filibuster, Nehru moved swiftly and successfully to consolidate Indian power in Kashmir. Menon’s passionate defence of Indian sovereignty in Kashmir enlarged his base of support in India, and led to the Indian press temporarily dubbing him the “Hero of Kashmir”.
Famous Hugo Chavez speech
Speaking one day after Bush addressed the same session of the General Assembly, Chávez announced, “The devil came here yesterday, and it smells of sulfur still today, this table that I am now standing in front of.” At that point, Chávez made the sign of the cross, positioned his hands as if praying, and looked briefly upwards as if invocation of God. He continued “Yesterday, ladies and gentlemen, from this rostrum, the President of the United States, the gentleman to whom I refer as the devil, came here, talking as if he owned the world.” Chávez also said that President Bush “…came [to the General Assembly] to share his nostrums to try to preserve the current pattern of domination, exploitation and pillage of the peoples of the world.” Chávez began his talk by recommending Noam Chomsky’s Hegemony or Survival: “It’s an excellent book to help us understand what has been happening in the world throughout the 20th century, and what’s happening now, and the greatest threat looming over our planet.” Citing Chomsky’s book, Chávez explained, “…the American empire is doing all it can to consolidate its system of domination. And we cannot allow them to do that. We cannot allow world dictatorship to be consolidated.”
The MarkoZen Blog 