Hunting Monsters: Cryptozoology and the Reality Behind the Myths

by Darren Naish

have gone to the trouble of learning about them. The extraordinary popularity of these mystery creatures – often termed cryptids – is obvious from the huge number of books, magazine articles, TV shows and movies devoted to them. These superstar cryptids are so popular, so familiar, that a major portion of interest in world mysteries, in the paranormal and the unexplained is driven specifically by the curiosity that surrounds them. In other words, it’s partly thanks to an interest in the Loch Ness monster, bigfoot

supposedly have a clear idea as to which creatures are real and which are imaginary or mythical. This boundary was less obvious in the past. Animals like dragons were said or implied to be real, sometimes living in remote places or far-off lands. Relics of their existence were discussed and even displayed in collections of curiosities. People might have given up on the existence of dragons today, but uncertainty about the existence of monsters has never really gone away. As the centuries passed and knowledge improved, views changed as to which creatures most likely existed and which did not. During the 17th and 18th centuries, unicorns, mermaids and