Cryptozoology

I am completely enamored with Cryptozoology.  Not that I'm gonna go try to hunt down Bigfoot in person, but I like shows and books and just the possibilities of it I guess.  I think it's great to have a reminder that we don't know everything yet.  There's still stuff out there to find, to discover, to study.  Maybe things that will totally revolutionize some of the stuff we think we know now. 

Do I believe all of it?  No.  Do I believe even a quarter of it?  No.  But maybe one or two things could be true, and some of the others are good for a laugh, and laughs are much needed.  This morning on the radio it said that a boy shot what he and his family believe to be a Chupacabra.  They're currently doing tests on the dead animal to find out what it was.  I almost died laughing.  I don't mean to insult anyone who believes in the Chupacabra, but as far as I'm concerned this particular cryptid is about as unbelievable as they come. 

I really didn't know there were so many cryptids in the world until I started watching Destination Truth, which is cool and hilarious.  I believe Josh Gates' quote @ the start of the show goes: "In my travels I've seen some unexplainable things, and done some things I can't quite explain."  Great show. 

The problem is, other than the really famous cryptids (Bigfoot, Nessie, etc) there is not much info available for research.  There are encyclopedias of cryptids, which I have been horribly disappointed by, since they just name the creature and then provide 1 sentence to 1 paragraph on them.  And for many of them, this is ALL there is!  Unless you live in the area where the critter is and know the lore about it, apparently you're never gonna find out.  Although, having read the literature on (semi-) local cryptid, the Mothman, perhaps I know why this literature doesn't exist.  It's a lot of words without much actual info, and lots of personal accounts of encounters.  It's hard to read unless you're really interested. I was, and I did.  Do I believe in the Mothman?  No.  It's fun cuz it's close to me, but, yeah, ridiculous.

What cryptids do I tentatively believe could be real?  The Yeti in the Himalayas.  The Orang Pendek. Maltese Tiger.  Moa. 

What cryptids would a love to believe in but can't?  Mermaids.  Nari Pon (plant people of Thailand).  The Grassman of Ohio (our Bigfoot).