The Weird, Wild, Wacky World Of Cryptozoology.

On the morning of December 23, 1938, Captain Hendrick Goosen of the fishing trawler The Nerien made a discovery that would single handedly turn the science of paleontology on it’s ear and give it a swift kick right in the old keester. As Captain Goosen and and his men were fishing off the coast of Madagascar they pulled their first nets of the day in to check out on what they caught. When the nets were brought on board the Captain discovered a strange large fish that looked like nothing he had ever seen before flipping and flopping around in the net with the other more familiar fish. Believing that he had found something truly phenomenal the good Captain took the fish ashore and called a good friend who was a professor at the local college and asked him if he could find just what the hell this thing was.

When news got out of this wonder fish discovered in the waters of western Africa every academic from various scientific disciplines rushed to Africa to take a look at the fish that had been caught by a simple fisherman. At first, many researchers said no way this fish, which had been identified as a Coelacanth, could not possibly be it had died out when the dinosaurs went to meet their maker. However, despite the fact that this fish was supposed to be extinct, laid on a table looking up at them with it’s cold fishy eyes and posthumously laughing, “Suckers, if I made many more did.”

Cryptozoology or the study of previously unknown species of animal, has always been my second great love in the research of the strange and unusual. Although I will admit I have never had the pleasure of coming face to face with the likes of a Bigfoot or a Nessie, I still feel if the Coelacanth can beat all the odds and swim it’s way into the twentieth century and beyond, it is still a possibility that other extinct or unknown animals may still call our little blue green sphere home. Mainstream science would have us believe that every animal known to man has been discovered, catalogued and put on display for the entire world to see. These researchers have forgotten why they got into the biz, science’s chief mission is to explore, discover and most importantly to learn.

On our world there are still remote and isolated places that mankind hasn’t even begun to explore, locations where something truly amazing may still and thrive well hidden away from the prying eyes of mankind. Throughout the centuries strange tales have been told of amazing creatures that we are told just should not be. Do these tales constitute hardcore objective evidence for the existence of bizarre creatures? No, of course not, however it does provide a springboard for serious scientific enquiry on the subject. Of course errors are made and folks do make misidentifications of known animals under strange circumstances, however when hundreds reports seeing a long snake like neck stick out the water or a large bipedal manthing running naked through the woods then you can truly say, “Yep, something strange is afoot.”

In this series we are going to stay away from the, “Rock Stars” of the cryptozoo and explore other creatures that are far stranger and far more fantastic than a giant swimming lizard and the long haired hippy-thing that haunts America’s forests. Some of these animals will be familiar some not so familiar but many have reported seeing them and survive to tell the tale.

The Mongolian Death Worm.

In his 1926 book, “On The Trail of Ancient Man”, Paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews (The inspiration for the nazi ass kicker, Indiana Jones) wrote of a strange story that he heard from the Nomadic tribes of the Gobi desert in Mongolia. The Nomads described an animal, a worm to be exact, that was two to five feet long and thick as a man’s arm. The nomads told the researcher that to hunt this worm was unwise because this worm had the ability to spit a corrosive liquid from it’s mouth and emitt a strong electrical current that could kill something as large as a horse from a distance. Naturally Andrews, was intrigued by the stories of an undiscovered species living in the sparsely populated desert and went out to see if he could capture this death worm and bring it back to the west for scientific study. Unfortunately, when Andrews and his reluctant guides ventured into the desert to search for the Death Worm they returned with zip, zero, zilch. Nothing.

The Death Worm has been witnessed for countless generations by the nomadic tribesman who call the Gobi home and they greatly fear this creature. The creature has been known to melt the face off anyone who dares to get to close with it’s acidic saliva or give them a shock they will soon not forget. Luckily for the tribesmen and whoever else would dare to search for this creature, the death worm is known to be active in the months of June and July and pretty much hibernates the rest of the year. I would imagine the tribesmen pretty much don’t do shit during those two months in the fear that they might disturb the deadly worm.

As with most denizens of the cryptozoo a specimen of the Death Worm has never been captured for scientific study, however a former Premier of Mongolia, came upon a death worm as he traveled the rough terrain of the Gobi and said the creature was, “The most horrific thing he had ever seen.” If we are to believe the leader of the Mongolian nation perhaps we can believe the reports of animals that have been discovered dead in the desert their carcasses looking as if someone had spilled sulfuric acid on them or the occassional human corpse that is found fried up like a crispy critter. If these humans and animals were not victim’s of the Death Worm why did they die in a manner consistent with the stories? Perhaps the Death Worm really does exist.

Over the years mainstream researchers have offered a few theories on what the Death Worm might be. The main suspect is a rare snake related to the cobra that is highly elusive and highly deadly but is known to science. The snake is known to kill it’s pray with a poison spat from it’s mouth that can reach up to ten feet. If the stories of the Death Worm are true than it is impossible that this cobra is a suspect, a snake’s venom paralyzes it’s prey it does not melt away the flesh. The second suspect is an eletric eel. An electric eel does match the length and width of the creature that is said to burrow under the sands of the Gobi, however electric eels live underwater and do not melt it’s victims with a corrosive substence neither are their electrical charges strong enough to kill a man. Another theory draws on the magical superstitions of Mongolia. Some believe the Death Worm may be a thoughtform conjured up by magic and are the protectors of a lost kingdom or treasure.

When you take into consideration that the Gobi desert is a vast wasteland of rock and sand not to mention that the temperature at night can dip well below zero and the stories of countless generations of tthe tribesmen who call this unforgiving land, home it is possible that such a creature could exist. Visiting the Gobi desert is an unwise option that many have not considered, if you get lost out here, well basically you are screwed. If the desert doesn’t kill you maybe the Death Worm will. No baiting your hook with this bad boy.

Rick E. Hale

t_seeker@hotmail.com