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.

Friday, 2 May 2014

ATTACK BY HUGE BIRD

No, this is no recent attack, we must go back to 1889 when a young sailor fell overboard from the ship Talisman in the Pacific, not far from the coast of Chile.  A huge bird appeared and flew off with him.  This gargantuan fowl was joined by another bird of similar proportions.  It attacked a sailor who had jumped into the water to rescue the teenager overboard.  At that moment the gallant Captain Putt opened fire.  He hit the first bird, which dropped the youngster.  A boat was lowered, which the second bird attacked, but it was at last driven off.  Everyone in the water was saved.

The first of the birds was captured with a lariat, but died.  It was supposedly left in Valparaiso for stuffing, but I have not traced its progress since then.

This puts us in mind of the North American thunderbird and its South American counterpart the xexeu, in which the Cashmawa Indians believe.  Is it possible that birds of such proportions can become airborne and what laws of physics allow them to do so.
Haida carving: thunderbird

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