Cryptozoology Week is a tradition that I began to commemorate the day that Sir Harry Johnston wrote to a Dr. Sclater of his success in the discovery of footprints and skin that belonged to an animal known as the okapi. This day was August 21, 1900. Cryptozoology week is the week of August 21. This year, August 21 happened to be a Sunday, and seeing as that is today, I would like to spend a brief moment to describe the importance of today.
August 21, 2011 marks the 111th anniversary of the recognition of the okapi. The okapi has become symbolical of what is left to be discovered in the remotest corners of the Earth. For a long time, it served as the International Society of Cryptozoology’s “mascot” so to speak. It’s story perpetually inspires cryptozoologists to continue the search for the cryptids that we so passionately hunt for. It is for this reason that I have chosen to celebrate cryptozoology week this year.
I apologize for my period of dormancy in operating this blog. I have two reasons for that. (1) I have focused much of my time into the preparation for cryptozoology week and (2) because I have funneled much of my more recent research into a manuscript regarding the exact topic that I blog about; cryptozoology. Hopefully, this new ground-breaking compilation will be published in the next few years, but, until then, we can only wait.
I placed a single question at the top of my blog that read “do you believe that there is room for discovery in the field of zoology?” I could not have asked for a more positive response. 100% of those who answered responded to “Yes” rather than “No” or “Indifferent”. As I thought about this, I began to wonder whether “No” or “Indifferent” is a more frustrating response. My first thought was something to the effect of “’No’ is obviously the more negative response,” but as I thought about it, I realized that those in the world who might answer “Indifferent” are those who don’t care. Those who refuse to consider the possibility that there are animals that are extremely endangered, but no one is aware of their existence. It is fairly difficult to protect species when their existence is not known. Those that would answer “Indifferent” are those that condemn all cryptids to extinction.
I would invite those of you who are or know of someone that has seen an animal who’s existence is not sure, to place a comment in the comment box including a detailed description of the creature in subject. In the long run, it could end up saving a whole species. With this as a conclusion I would now like to thank you for your participation and wish you a great Cryptozoology Week. I will be posting a single post every day this week in addition to an introduction and conclusion on, respectively, Monday and Sunday. Thank You.
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