At the beginning of the 21st Century monsters still roam the remote, and sometimes not so remote, corners of our planet. It is our job to search for them. The Centre for Fortean Zoology [CFZ] is - we believe - the largest professional, scientific and full-time organisation in the world dedicated to cryptozoology - the study of unknown animals. Since 1992 the CFZ has carried out an unparalleled programme of research and investigation all over the world. Since 2009 we have been running the increasingly popular CFZ Blog Network, and although there has been an American branch of the CFZ for over ten years now, it is only now that it has a dedicated blog.

Thursday 6 March 2014

HODAG!

Hodag sculpture at Rhinelander (Wisconsin)
The hodag has a curious history.  In 1893, a practical joker named Shepard claimed he and a bunch of others killed a hodag in the vicinity of Rhinelander (Wisconsin).  Subsequently he claimed to have captured a live hodag (chloroform helped with this) and put it on display, jerking strings to make it move.  Eventually, it was admitted it was a hoax.

This has led to the hodag's being labeled a hoax in various cryptozoology works.  However, there is some evidence that the hodag is based on a genuine creature of legend, ranging in size from a collie to a bear.  It is said to eat rabbits.  Look for it in the swamps of Oneida and Vilas.

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