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Searching for Hidden Animals: An Inquiry into Zoological Mysteries
Unsubstantiated sightings and encounters with unusual animals and creatures thought to be extinct are explored and evaluated in the light of present knowledge
- GenresCryptozoologyNonfiction
294 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1980
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August 7, 2020
I read this book numerous times as a child in primary school. I did not like it as much as On the Track of Unknown Animals, but it was close. (Our public library only held so many cryptozoology books).
Coming back to as an adult, I feel the chapters fall in two categories. One, chapters that are based on some sort of eye witness accounts, and two, wishful thinking chapters that I think were subjects of interest to the author.
Sea Apes and Northern Sea Cows is an example of a zoological mystery: What was Stellar's sea ape? An unknown pinniped? A joke about Captain Bering? The modern reports of animals similar to Stellar's Sea Cows still living is also interesting.
The Monstrous Plants is a chapter that should be boring but I found to be an interesting read. It is a narrative of the author researching and finding old magazine and journal articles to create a chronological publication history of the man eating plant of Madagascar. In the end, there are no man eating plants, but the history of the story is almost as intriguing.
"Alice in Wonderland" Birds and Living Trilobites? felt like the wishful thinking chapters. More along the lines of, wouldn't it be cool if dodos and moas were still alive? While I agree it would be cool, his evidence is a little sparse.
I have ordered The Spotted Lion and The Hunt for the Buru as they are primary sources that are referenced in SfHA and they look interesting.
Coming back to as an adult, I feel the chapters fall in two categories. One, chapters that are based on some sort of eye witness accounts, and two, wishful thinking chapters that I think were subjects of interest to the author.
Sea Apes and Northern Sea Cows is an example of a zoological mystery: What was Stellar's sea ape? An unknown pinniped? A joke about Captain Bering? The modern reports of animals similar to Stellar's Sea Cows still living is also interesting.
The Monstrous Plants is a chapter that should be boring but I found to be an interesting read. It is a narrative of the author researching and finding old magazine and journal articles to create a chronological publication history of the man eating plant of Madagascar. In the end, there are no man eating plants, but the history of the story is almost as intriguing.
"Alice in Wonderland" Birds and Living Trilobites? felt like the wishful thinking chapters. More along the lines of, wouldn't it be cool if dodos and moas were still alive? While I agree it would be cool, his evidence is a little sparse.
I have ordered The Spotted Lion and The Hunt for the Buru as they are primary sources that are referenced in SfHA and they look interesting.
Displaying 1 of 1 review