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.
LESSER KNOWN LAKE MONSTERS
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| Lake Khaiyr Monster |
Today I thought I'd look at some of the more obscure lake monsters. The one above is the monster of Lake Khaiyr, Siberia, which has an excellent claim to existence, as it was seen in 1964 by Russian biologist N, Gladkikh. He saw most of it above water near the shoreline and was consequently able to furnish a detailed description. It had a long neck topped by a small lizard-like head. It appeared to be reptilian and boasted four legs. A fin adorned its back. The color was blue-black. Because it was observed by a reputable scientist, there is clearer evidence for it than for many a monster.
The Lake Sonderdrach Dragon is supposedly found in Austria. If you try to measure the lake's depth, it will devour you. Another Austrian monster is that of Lake Toplitz. It is supposed to be 49 feet long and to weigh perhaps a ton. This beast has a reputation for intractability.
The Lake Kampeska Monster was seen in South Dakota in 1886. The term 'sea serpent' was used with reference to it, which may give us an idea of its shape.
Lake Clinch (Florida) is reputed to harbor a monster. In 1926 this did not bother Mr Mallet, who went for a swim in the lake. The discovery of his mangled remains led some to suspect he had encountered the monster.
The Dildo Pond Monster is one that turns up in lists from time to time, but I have never been able to discover anything further about it. Moreover, Michael Newton has pointed out that there are two Dildo Ponds on the island of Newfoundland and there is no clue to which one is supposedly tenanted by the Monster. The ponds both presumably take their name from the nearby town of Dildo. Nobody is quite sure how this town obtained its name, which was in use in the area from at least 1711. I understand that there has been some pressure on the townsfolk to change
the name, but they have declined to do so. If anyone reading this knows anything about the Monster, would he get in touch with us?
The Khaiyr story is officially classified as a recanted hoax. The other stories seem to be baseless allegations unsupported by any further reports later on. Just saying.
ReplyDeleteYou are quite right about Lake Khaiyr and I have put up a new post correcting this. With regard to the others, they may belong more in the sphere of folklore and rumor than zoology, but they are not uninteresting as they form pieces of the jigsaw of lake monster lore.
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