Bilk - no 086 - 1998 11

Magazine Overview

BILK Nr. 86, published bi-monthly by Ulrich Magin in Rastatt, Germany, for November 1998. The subscription cost is 15 DM for Europe and 20 DM for the rest of the world. The magazine covers a wide range of unusual topics, including cryptozoology, UFOs, and unexplained phenomena.

BEHEMOTH

Loch Ness

A videotape purportedly showing the Loch Ness Monster, Nessie, was recorded on September 5, 1998. The 10-second tape, shot by Craig Mitcheson from the boat "Nessie Hunter," allegedly shows Nessie's hump or head "moving very slowly through the water, then submerging quickly." While Mitcheson is convinced it's a monster, skeptics suggest it could be a seal. A more detailed report is promised in the next issue of Fortean Times.

Bibliography: Monster Lakes Expedition

The widely reported expedition to Sweden's monster lakes has reportedly ended unfavorably, with accusations and counter-accusations. Further details are available in Fortean Times 116, p. 61. The issue also references a mysterious alligator found in a gravel pit at Massa Maritima, Italy, as reported in the Rheinpfalz on August 13, 1998, and the Süddeutsche Zeitung on August 25, 1998.

KRAKEN

Octopus Behavior

An interesting article on octopus behavior appeared in the "International Herald Tribune" on August 17, 1998. Roland Anderson, a biologist at Seattle Aquarium, is quoted as saying that octopuses are "the most intelligent invertebrate in the world." The article also mentions a report of a "cyclopean octopoid of presumably extradimensional origin" in Malaysia in 1969, referencing Fortean Times 116, p. 51. A separate account from "Cryptozoology Review" (vol. 3, no. 1) by Richard Ellis details a US marine's sighting of a giant squid over 100ft long off Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, in 1969.

USO (Unidentified Submerged Object)

Norway Incident

Jan Pettersen, a Norwegian fisherman, recounted an experience from several years prior where a submarine allegedly towed his trawler to the ocean's floor. He had to escape quickly, leaving his cigarettes on the trawler. While in the escape boat, he read instructions to "Smoke a cigarette and relax," which he found infuriating. This incident was reported in the Süddeutsche Zeitung on September 26, 1998.

Lago di Cote UFO-photo and Hoaxes

The famous Lago di Cote UFO-photo, also associated with USO reports, was tentatively identified as a drop of developer by the CENAP Report 7/98. An anonymous photographer allegedly snapped several pictures of a UFO over New York after it emerged from the East River on April 12, 1993. These photos were later revealed to be hoaxes designed to test the gullibility of UFO researchers, though they were initially accepted as genuine, according to Antonio Huneeus in CENAP Report 7/98. The issue also notes that between 1955 and 1956, the British Navy used spy balloons from Evanton near Inverness, which were mistaken for UFOs by local residents. The author checked personal files and found UFO reports from Inverness in 1953 and 1957, but none corresponding to the 1993 incident.

MARINE LIFE

Shark Attack Scare in Senigallia, Italy

On August 27, 1998, off the coast of Senigallia, Italy, a hobby angler and his son encountered a 6-metre white shark that allegedly "mutilated a fish caught by the angler" and then circled their 10-metre boat. The angler, Stefano Catalani, documented the event on video. Despite the angler's assertion that it was not a dangerous encounter and that the Mediterranean likely houses basking sharks rather than great whites, the newspaper reported it as a "shark attack." This led to a significant coast guard response, with patrol ships controlling the sea and beaches being closed.

Whale Stranding in Tasmania

The right whale population of southern Argentina is reportedly recovering. However, around 120 pilot whales stranded on the coast of Tasmania, south of Melbourne, at the end of October. Despite efforts to tow them back into deep water, they returned to their doom, with 30 dead within a few days.

THE KANGAROOS OF GERMANY

This section details a summer marked by numerous kangaroo sightings across Germany. The story continues from a previous issue of BILK. Reports include a motorist seeing a kangaroo named Manni near the A33 motorway in Paderborn, Germany, after it escaped from a private zoo. Manni was also spotted in Aerzen and near Hamburg. A woman claimed to have seen Manni near the A2 motorway with a flock of roe. Manni was later seen near Bad Pyrmont, where it was observed on a mountain road with a fox. A cab driver in Chemnitz recognized Manni by its "long tail." Further sightings occurred near Bad Pyrmont and in Erkelenz, near the Dutch border. In Erkelenz, police and firefighters spent a day hunting a kangaroo, which was cornered in a cornfield. Despite attempts to tranquilize it, the animal escaped, and it was speculated that the darts had failed. The kangaroo was still hiding in a cornfield at Kuckum, and attempts to flush it out with an ultra-light plane were unsuccessful.

Reports also emerged of a kangaroo sighting in Norway, presumed to have crossed from Sweden. The news magazine "Spiegel" suggested the affair was largely "mass hysteria." However, subsequent events proved this wrong. On September 8, the Erkelenz kangaroo was caught with a tranquilizer gun but sadly died of exhaustion. On the same day, Manni was seen near Hanover. On September 17, the body of Manni was found near the railway station of Bad Pyrmont, likely having been wounded by a train. Another kangaroo sighting occurred on October 21, 1998, in Finsterwalde, where a newspaper delivery man found one in front of a supermarket door; it was returned to a zoo.

In total, at least seven kangaroos were reported in Germany, with three confirmed as real, four doubtful, and others sighted in Europe. The author muses that common animals like cats, foxes, dogs, and roe are more likely to be mistaken for other creatures than, for example, elephants.

The summer also brought reports of snapper turtles, crocodiles, penguins, an ostrich that escaped from a farm in Alzenau and was shot, and a boar spotted and hunted in Rome.

ONZA

Clarification of Terminology

A correction to a previous BILK issue clarifies that the Spanish word "onza" does not signify puma but panther. Zoologically, the "onza" or "onca" refers to a melanistic jaguar (Panthera onca). In Mexico and Brazil, "onza/onca" is often used synonymously with black puma. Marcel Homet, an explorer, frequently used "onca" in his books to refer to the panther in Portuguese.

Black Panther Sighting in Thuringia

Valerie Wagner, a hobby hunter, reported a surprise encounter near Gotha, Germany, on the evening of September 5, 1998. She described seeing a large, jet-black cat, over a metre in length and 50 cm tall with a long tail, hiss at her from a distance of 20 metres. She described it as a "black panther." The forestry commission investigated local zoos and a circus but found no missing panthers, suggesting it might have been a privately owned pet that was released.

YETIS

Yeti as Myth

Reinhold Messner's book on the Yeti, published in October 1998, is discussed. The book includes photos of stuffed Yeti specimens and concludes that the Yeti is a myth, primarily based on sightings of the Tibetan brown bear. The author notes that this conclusion is not new and has been suggested elsewhere. Some reviewers were disappointed that Messner did not produce evidence of an "ape man," but the author agrees that most Yeti sightings likely refer to bears. The article lists several publications that featured Messner's book and photos.

Swiss Cairn Initiative

Stefan Gemmet, a hotel owner in Switzerland, leads an initiative against mountain summit cairns, claiming they spoil the landscape. His wife once mistook a cairn in the dark for a Yeti.

CRYPTOZOOLOGY/NEW DISCOVERIES

New Monitor Lizard Species

Biologists from Bonn discovered a new species of monitor lizard in a Düsseldorf pet shop, caught by professional hunters on Obi in Indonesia. Wolfgang Böhme of the Zoological Institution named the lizards "Varanus melinus" after their yellow color. The article expresses concern about the import of exotic animals, suggesting it is often done by "criminal idiots" to enhance prestige, leading to rare species being sold to individuals.

Critique of Cryptozoology and Ancient Astronaut Theories

The author critiques ufology and ancient astronaut theories, labeling them as "imperialist systems" that integrate other forteana. A critique is made of M. Baigent's book, which allegedly uses research by Heuvelmans, LeBlond, and the ISC as proof against the conventional concept of evolution. Hans-Joachim Zillmer's book, "Darwins Irrtum," is also criticized for using Paluxy tracks and a 1977 New Zealand carcass (identified as a basking shark) to argue that humans and dinosaurs co-existed, thus disproving Darwin, evolution, and God, and suggesting extraterrestrial creation. The author expresses frustration with individuals who claim to have proven things without proper research, comparing this behavior to 99% of ufology and 100% of "ancient high-tech cultures/ancient astronauts."

GODZILLA

Film Review

A review of Roland Emmerich's "Godzilla" describes the film as "boring, stupid and uninteresting," lacking the fascination of trash culture. The review warns readers not to waste time and money on the film, calling it a "desaster that is both dull and illogical."

DINOSAURS

Bird-Dinosaur Relationship

New evidence from Madagascar suggests a close relationship between dinosaurs and birds. Two 70-million-year-old, raven-sized fossils exhibit features of both dinosaurs and birds, leading scientists to assume that bird evolution was multi-branched. Additionally, a turkey-sized bird, "Shuvuuia deserti," discovered in the Gobi desert, is described as being more like modern birds than Archaeopteryx, though presumably older. The source is the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" citing "Nature" vol. 392. The author wonders if dinosaurs, like tyrannosaurus rex, might have behaved like birds, moving their heads abruptly like budgies.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of BILK include cryptozoology (Loch Ness Monster, Yeti, Yetis, Onza, Krakens, marine life), unexplained aerial and submerged phenomena (UFOs, USOs), and unusual animal sightings (kangaroos, sharks, black panthers). The editorial stance appears to be one of critical inquiry, presenting reports but also offering skepticism and alternative explanations, as seen in the analysis of the Lago di Cote UFO-photo hoax and the conclusion that Yeti sightings are likely misidentifications of bears. The magazine also critiques pseudoscience and poor research practices within fields like ufology and ancient astronaut theories.