Scientists 'had close encounter with wildman'

Scientists 'had close encounter with wildman'

A North Devon team of scientists has returned from a three-week expedition to the Caucasus Mountains in Russia with what may be evidence of a creature closely related to man.

The five-man team from the Woolsery-based Centre for Fortean Zoology, teamed up with Russian and Ukrainian scientists to hunt the almasty, a huge, hairy wildman said to inhabit parts of Russia and the former USSR.

Cryptozoologist Richard Freeman said: "We found hair, dung and skull shards that may be from an almasty. These are going to be analysed by geneticists in order to establish if the DNA points to an unknown species."

Freeman, who claims he nearly died no fewer than four times on the mountain adventure, says he and his colleague, the explorer Adam Davis, may have come within 12 feet of an almasty while staking out an abandoned farm at 2.30 in the morning.

"We were in a room in the farmhouse with a door facing out on to the veranda," he said. "The 7ft high door was open a couple of inches and starlight was flooding through. We heard a deep, guttural vocalisation. A few seconds later something passed by the door blocking out the starlight to a height of at least 7ft. We grabbed our cameras and rushed out into the night, but whatever it was had vanished."

Richard and his team will be revealing their findings at the Centre for Fortean Zoology's annual conference, the Weird Weekend. Among the other firsts at the conference will be a new book launched by world renowned zoologist Dr Karl Shuker. Dr Shuker's Casebook examines a whole menagerie of bizarre and mysterious beasts from all over the planet.

The Weird Weekend is held in Woolsery, North Devon, from August 15-17. More information can be gained on the Weird Weekend website at www.weirdweekend.org

SOURCE

What do you think to this? They say they are going to to tests of the pieces found, but could it just be promotion and advertising for their 'Weird Weekend'? Not too sure tbh, but the promotion of that event at the end of the article has thrown me.

Any opinions?

I have always wondered what we havent discovered yet. Since there are still people in the Amazon who we have never had any contact with. I'm sure that also could be case in Russia. since a lot of Russia has never been explored. I think it would be awesome. And if i read the article right it didnt say that they all died right. There maybe still be some of them left. I would love to talk to them about thier religion and see what they believe in. Could this be the missing link that all the scientist are looking for.

Sure sounds like an almasty to me! Or maybe a Sasquatch on vacation from the U.S.?

It's always the same old story, though. Hair and feces samples are found and analyzed. Often they are found to be from a known animal. Even when they get a finding like "unknown primate" the world of science still takes no interest.

Anyway, I will be looking forward to hearing the results of this.

smells fishy to me. when i saw "scientists" i was thinking guys from a respected university or research group had encountered wildmen. but it turns out it was an expedition of forteans.

it's a cute story and i'd like it to be true, but it's always weird when the only people who encounter cryptids are people in the cryptid business, and then despite all their preparation and experience proof still always narrow eludes them.

Originally posted by Slothrop

it's always weird when the only people who encounter cryptids are people in the cryptid business, and then despite all their preparation and experience proof still always narrow eludes them.

Yeah, thats how it is every time on any t.v. show or article or anything that has to do with cryptids for that matter. 'tis dissapointing.