Cryptozoology

Cryptozoology is a field of study that investigates animals whose existence is not yet proven by mainstream science or that are known only from myth and folklore. The term, from Greek kryptos hidden and logos study, was popularized by Belgian-French zoologist Bernard Heuvelmans in 1955 with his book On the Track of Unknown Animals, and later by Ivan T. Sanderson. The aim is to document claims, assess evidence, and distinguish likely misidentifications from credible discoveries, though most research remains controversial.

Common subjects include Bigfoot or Sasquatch, the Loch Ness Monster, the Yeti, and the Chupacabra, along with regional legends such as the Mokele-membe of the Congo or the Mongolian Death Worm. Proponents describe cryptozoological fieldwork that may involve interviews, expedition reports, footprint analysis, and the collection of photographs, audio, or biological samples; skeptics note that such evidence is frequently inconclusive or unverifiable.

Methods have included re-examination of eyewitness accounts, retrospective data, and, where available, genetic testing of hair, scat, or other samples. Yet many investigations yield results that align with known species, hoaxes, or misidentifications, and none have produced widely accepted, independently verifiable proof of a new species.

In the scientific community, cryptozoology is generally regarded as a pseudoscience because it often lacks testable hypotheses and replicable results. Some scholars study cryptozoological phenomena as folklore, cultural history, or speculative biology, recognizing its cultural relevance while maintaining rigorous standards for evidence.