cryptozoological
Cryptozoology is a pseudoscience and subculture that searches for and studies unknown, legendary, or extinct animals whose present existence is disputed or unsubstantiated, particularly those popular in folklore, such as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness M ...
book by the
Belgian
Belgian may refer to:
* Something of, or related to, Belgium
* Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent
* Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German
*Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...
-
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
zoologist
Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and d ...
Bernard Heuvelmans
Bernard Heuvelmans (10 October 1916 – 22 August 2001) was a Belgian-French scientist, explorer, researcher, and writer probably best known, along with Scottish-American biologist Ivan T. Sanderson, as a founding figure in the pseudoscienc ...
that was first published in 1955 under the title ''Sur la Piste des Bêtes Ignorées''. The English translation by Richard Garnett was published in 1958 with some updating by the author and with a foreword by
Gerald Durrell
Gerald Malcolm Durrell, (7 January 1925 – 30 January 1995) was a British naturalist, writer, zookeeper, conservationist, and television presenter. He founded the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Jersey Zoo on the Channel Island o ...
. A revised and abridged edition was published in 1965, and a further edition in 1995. It is credited with introducing the term
cryptozoology
Cryptozoology is a pseudoscience and subculture that searches for and studies unknown, legendary, or extinct animals whose present existence is disputed or unsubstantiated, particularly those popular in folklore, such as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness ...
George Gaylord Simpson, ''Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society'', Vol. 128, No. 1 (March 30, 1984), pp1-19 "Mammals and Cryptozoology" and established its author as the "Father of Cryptozoology."Peter Dendle ''Folklore'' Vol 117, No. 2 (2006), pp 190-206 "Cryptozoology in the Medieval and Modern Worlds"
Subject
As one reviewer explained, it is a book "about animals that ''might'' exist."D. Johnson ''Science New Series'', Vol. 130, No. 3384 (Nov. 6, 1959), pp. 1245-1246 (book review) ''On the Track of Unknown Animals'' cites animals that had only been discovered relatively recently, such as the pygmy chimpanzee,
coelacanth
The coelacanths ( ) are fish belonging to the order Actinistia that includes two extant species in the genus ''Latimeria'': the West Indian Ocean coelacanth (''Latimeria chalumnae''), primarily found near the Comoro Islands off the east coast ...
,
Komodo dragon
The Komodo dragon (''Varanus komodoensis''), also known as the Komodo monitor, is a member of the monitor lizard family Varanidae that is endemic to the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, and Gili Motang. It is the largest extant ...
and
giant panda
The giant panda (''Ailuropoda melanoleuca''), also known as the panda bear (or simply the panda), is a bear species endemic to China. It is characterised by its bold black-and-white coat and rotund body. The name "giant panda" is sometimes u ...
; and those that are believed to have become extinct relatively recently, such as the moa and
Tasmanian tiger
The thylacine ( , or , also ) (''Thylacinus cynocephalus'') is an extinct carnivorous marsupial that was native to the Australian mainland and the islands of Tasmania and New Guinea. The last known live animal was captured in 1930 in Tasma ...
. A major theme is that these animals were generally known to local peoples, but their stories were dismissed by visiting zoologists, particularly the
okapi
The okapi (; ''Okapia johnstoni''), also known as the forest giraffe, Congolese giraffe, or zebra giraffe, is an artiodactyl mammal that is endemic to the northeast Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa. It is the only species ...
.C. J. Reed ''American Scientist'' Vol. 47, No. 4, 1959, p 378A (book review)
The author then discusses evidence for mystery animals from all over the world including the
Mokele-mbembe
In cryptozoology, the Mokele-mbembe (also written as "Mokèlé-mbèmbé"), Lingala for "one who stops the flow of rivers", is a water-dwelling entity that supposedly lives in the Congo River Basin, sometimes described as a living creature, some ...
,
sea serpent
A sea serpent or sea dragon is a type of dragon sea monster described in various mythologies, most notably Mesopotamian ( Tiamat), Judaeo-Christian (Leviathan), Greek (Cetus, Echidna, Hydra, Scylla), and Norse ( Jörmungandr).
Mythology and f ...
Loch Ness Monster
The Loch Ness Monster ( gd, Uilebheist Loch Nis), affectionately known as Nessie, is a creature in Scottish folklore that is said to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is often described as large, long-necked, and with one or ...
... that no scientific commission has ever dared tackle the problem" and ends with the wish that any new species are not merely slaughtered for trophies: "Have pity on them all, for it is we who are the real monsters."
Reviewers praised the breadth of study, careful citation and the author's knowledge but it was criticized for being somewhat shallow and "overly long and rambling."
Contents
* Part 1: The Great Days of Zoology are Not Done
* Part 2: The Man-Faced Animals of South-East Asia
* Part 3: The Living Fossils of Oceania
* Part 4: Riddles of the Green Continent
* Part 5: The Giants of the Far North
* Part 6: The Lesson of the Malagasy Ghosts
Bibliography
*''Sur la Piste des Bêtes Ignorées'' by
Bernard Heuvelmans
Bernard Heuvelmans (10 October 1916 – 22 August 2001) was a Belgian-French scientist, explorer, researcher, and writer probably best known, along with Scottish-American biologist Ivan T. Sanderson, as a founding figure in the pseudoscienc ...
, Libraire Plon, 1955
*''On the Track of Unknown Animals'' by
Bernard Heuvelmans
Bernard Heuvelmans (10 October 1916 – 22 August 2001) was a Belgian-French scientist, explorer, researcher, and writer probably best known, along with Scottish-American biologist Ivan T. Sanderson, as a founding figure in the pseudoscienc ...
, trans Richard Garnett, Rupert Hart-Davis, 1958
*''On the Track of Unknown Animals'' by
Bernard Heuvelmans
Bernard Heuvelmans (10 October 1916 – 22 August 2001) was a Belgian-French scientist, explorer, researcher, and writer probably best known, along with Scottish-American biologist Ivan T. Sanderson, as a founding figure in the pseudoscienc ...
, Paperback – Abridged, MIT Press, 22 May 1972,
*''Sur la Piste des Bêtes Ignorées'' by
Bernard Heuvelmans
Bernard Heuvelmans (10 October 1916 – 22 August 2001) was a Belgian-French scientist, explorer, researcher, and writer probably best known, along with Scottish-American biologist Ivan T. Sanderson, as a founding figure in the pseudoscienc ...
, 2nd edition, 1982
*''On the Track of Unknown Animals'' by
Bernard Heuvelmans
Bernard Heuvelmans (10 October 1916 – 22 August 2001) was a Belgian-French scientist, explorer, researcher, and writer probably best known, along with Scottish-American biologist Ivan T. Sanderson, as a founding figure in the pseudoscienc ...
, Kegan Paul, 3rd revised edition, 1995
*''On the Track of Unknown Animals'' by
Bernard Heuvelmans
Bernard Heuvelmans (10 October 1916 – 22 August 2001) was a Belgian-French scientist, explorer, researcher, and writer probably best known, along with Scottish-American biologist Ivan T. Sanderson, as a founding figure in the pseudoscienc ...
, Routledge, 3rd edition, Kindle format, 10 July 2014