Cryptozoology is the science of “hidden animals” and includes not only animals that have not been discovered by science,
but also known animals in areas where they are not suppose to occur along with the possible survival to the present day of animals now thought to be extinct. These animals are called cryptids. This book is more of a compendium of the entire field of
cryptozoology than just a chronology of unknown animals. It includes not only the cryptids themselves but also its history and the lives and works of the cryptozoologists whose work has furthered our understanding of this field. Cryptozoology is not a main field in the biological sciences and it is easy to lampoon but it should be remembered that these people are doing serious work and some of them have dedicated their lives to the search. It is true that they haven’t proven their claims but it is also true that no one has disproved them.
The most popular of the cryptids, such as the Abominable Snowman, Bigfoot, Champ, the Loch Ness Monster, and the Yeti coupled with lesser known ones such as the Beast of Bodmin Moor, Buru, Manipogo, Mokele-mbembe, the Nandi Bear, the Orang Pendek, Sea Serpents, the Skunk Ape, Teh-Ima, and Winnipogo form a very complete list of these creatures as they are known today. Eyewitness accounts, personal encounters and legends are also included in an attempt to give an overview of the entire discipline. And like any good
encyclopedia it sticks to the facts and eschews speculation on cryptozoology’s great question . How is it possible that so many unknown animals, some of considerable size, can exist in a world as heavily populated as this one without being known to science? Leaving this out makes the book more factual but less fun. If this is a question that you find of interest you will have to do your own speculating.