Cryptozoology. Please Help!

I really enjoy learning and reading about cryptozoology, and (I hope this does not sound extremely ignorant) but how do you go about studying it? Legitimately? I really cant find any information about this.

Go over to cryptomundo.com and sign up. Then email Loren Coleman and I'm sure he can give you all the info you need to steer your education in that direction as he did his own.

reply to post by jessbarabbit



Go to cryptozoology.com. There is a member named Scott Marlowe who teaches an on-line course. I don't have any details on it but I'm sure he would be happy to help you.

I used to work with the CFZ (Centre for Fortean Zoology) as their sort of web/IT guy a bit, and the guys that run it, two out of three are generally not degree'd professionals. I have a great respect for Jon and the team (I can no longer work with them from ill health rather than anything else) but I would suggest a firm grounding in anthropology if you intend to study apes would be sensible, or biology or more strictly, zoology for anything else (I think that is Richard's degree [Freeman] and he's the guy that has the final say in all matters at the CFZ). I would imagine a useful knowledge of the wild, tracking, animal sociology and so forth would also be useful (I used to advise people on careers as a teacher so...) But, science is the main background to anyone who is going to take it seriously as a career, and of course, money is the major factor, you'll either need a job thats tied in, like a museum/university post, or have some sort of indenture as a consultant to say a movie/TV studio so there's also the publicity/politics of the whole scene to consider too as you'll need to be able to speak to cameras and so forth so being shy might not cut it.

Loren himself doesn't strictly speaking have a degree in animal biology as far as I can remember (I think he's a psychologist and Jon was a mental health professional), and the only other full-time cryptozoologist I know of is Karl (Shuker) all of whom I spoke to and know through the CFZ. I sound like a salesman but you can join the CFZ and they offer for people to go along on sightings on many occasions, but they are UK based.

I would say biology as a base, maybe then choose a speciality or general zoology as a Masters. But you don't need a PhD to take it up strictly speaking, you need a good basic knowledge of biology, zoology, animal tracking and social gubbins, but its not strictly necessary to most, but the higher your level of education, the more serious people will take you.

Consider the CFZ have been doing this for years but Jon was seriously lambasted on the Penn & Teller episode he featured on and he's worked with the police and other serious institutions many times. I gather most of that episode was cut to appear to be like that, but you have to take yourself and it seriously more than anything.

HTH

reply to post by ejsaunders


Thank you so much, I really appreciate your help. I have been looking into those study options and (I am from South Africa) the stupidest thing is that at the institute I was looking at offers zoology and biology but if you are taking the one, you cant take the other. I am being serious here. I guess I will just have to look around. But thank you so much, you really have helped me to understand the different paths I can take in order to pursue this.