Dial M for Monster

The Accrington Toadman

2009-06-01T18:31:00.001+01:00

Check out my post aon this strange case at the CFZ blog here:
http://forteanzoology.blogspot.com/2009/05/gwilym-games-strange-case-of-mutant.html

Police hunt weirdness with Helicopters

2009-05-22T10:51:00.005+01:00

Police Helicopters are busy in Wales and the marches. While one was used to hunt the Ammanford Wolfman recently and of course there was the massive Cardiff UFO - helicopter chase last year. The latest report from the Marcher county of Gloucestershire is that the Police are using them to hunt a "Lion".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/8061265.stm

Clearly I should have tried to get a police helicopter to hunt the Swansea Crocodile last year :)

Link courtsey of the CFZ blog where Tim Mathews notes the similarities between Big Cat hunts and Ufology. Which I guess is true enough regarding enthusiasts though the authorities too seem to take Big Cat reports far more seriously than they do UFOs nowadays.

TIM MATTHEWS: Are big cat hunters the new UFOlogists?

Big Cats in Wales - Academics support

2009-05-21T16:37:00.004+01:00

Another report on Welsh big cats. It is good to see that academic examination of Big cats is still ongoing in Wales and Swansea University is at the forefront. This is a more than usually interesting article on Big Cats.

MAUL OF THE WILD

Daily Star - ‎May 16, 2009‎
By Rick Lyons
BIG cats are on the prowl in Britain – and today we reveal West Wales is their favourite hunting ground.
Shocking figures leaked to us show sleepy Aberystwyth has seen more attacks by the beasts than anywhere else.

Black panthers, pumas and lynx are all thought to be roaming free – and breeding – in remote rural locations.

And 34 of 39 suspected big cat kills probed by the Government in the last ten years were in the Aberystwyth area.

Just last month the Veterinary Laboratories Agency – responsible for post-mortems on big cat kills – said a calf attacked there in March had its ribs splintered by a large mammal.

Since 1998 the agency has also studied the carcasses of 15 lambs, 19 sheep, a dog and a fox – all thought to have fallen prey to foreign big cats.

Most sightings in Wales are attributed to panthers, which are capable of killing animals as big as a horse.

Experts think they were released in the 1970s and have now formed breeding populations in sparsely populated areas like rural Wales.

Dr Dan Forman, a carnivore biologist from Swansea University, said he had “relatively conclusive”
evidence big cats were out there.

And he said they were being helped by the climate and rugged terrain round Aberystwyth.

Dan told us: “It’s milder – you don’t get hard frost.

“There’s also a lot of food around here and a lot of caves which are in remote locations near abandoned copper mines, gold mines and things like that. They are fantastic refuges for these animals.

“There are feral populations of racoons in the United Kingdom, there are feral populations of
wallabies. People don’t believe it but it’s true.

“There’s no reason why other predators couldn’t exist in an environment where there’s lots of food, lots of cover and where people don’t normally go – like West Wales.”

The introduction of the 1976 Dangerous Wild Animals Act is being blamed for the rise of the big cats.

It required the owners of exotic cats to have licences – prompting many to dump their pets.

It is now thought they are all over the United Kingdom and may even have inter-bred, creating new species.

Numbers are unknown but there are an average of between three and four sightings every day.

The National Farmers Union of Wales admits big cats are “a serious issue” for its members, and Danny Bamping, of the British Big Cat Society, said: “People need to realise that these cats are out there.

“They’re real and they are not in the same category as the Loch Ness Monster.”

While Swansea Uni’s Dan Forman added: “Three hundred years from now we might have pumas walking around the countryside and people simply accepting it.

“These animals integrate themselves into our animal assemblage and they become part of it.”

So the cats are living in abandoned mines no wonder there are so many in Wales.

Wolfman - The Origin

2009-05-02T16:20:00.001+01:00

I have located earlier reports on the "Wolfman" from the South Wales Guardian which are more down to earth than later reports.

Police’s ‘Wolfman’ vigilante warning 7:00am Wednesday 18 March 2009

Guardian Opinion
6:30am Wednesday 18 March 2009

Police vow on ‘Wolfman’
6:50am Wednesday 25 March 2009

Wolfman - media hype?

2009-04-30T15:13:00.004+01:00

It seems much of the Wolfman story is the result of media exaggeration. When I am back in Wales properly I will have to investigate I think. One aspect of the case which is intriguing is the use of a Police helicopter... it seems like a big waste of resources for the actual basis of what the case involved.

Police dismiss 'wolfman hunted' reports

WalesOnline - ‎Apr 30, 2009‎

Police dismissed reports today that they were hunting a “wolfman” vagrant over a mini-crimewave as just another “shaggy dog story.”

Sightings of a wildman living rough in woodland near Ammanford, were no more than “rumour”, an officer said. Police knowledge of the apparently elusive individual does not even extend to confirmation that he has a beard.

Initial reports of the “wolfman” first appeared in the Ammanford-based South Wales Guardian weekly newspaper last month.

It pinpointed woodland near the hamlet of Pantyffynnon as the area where a vagrant, dubbed the “wolfman” by local children, was living rough.

Residents were also reported as holding him responsible for a spate of doorstep milk disappearances and thefts from cars. The paper has carried several interviews with local officer Sergeant Charles Gabe who confirmed the police did want to speak to him.

“We think he catches rabbits and eats berries or whatever else he can get his hands on,” he told the newspaper.

He also said the Dyfed Powys Police helicopter, using heat-seeking equipment, had been used to locate him without success on one occasion.

He told the newspaper: “But we’re not talking a one-man crimewave here. While I don’t wish to minimise what’s been happening there are more serious things happening in and around Ammanford.”

That viewpoint was echoed today by a colleague after the story of a “wolfman” hunt was picked up by at least one national newspaper.

“There is no on-going police operation to search for someone that local children have apparently dubbed the ’wolfman,”’ an Ammanford officer said today.

“We have had a couple of incidents, going back 12 months, where someone’s fridge freezer was opened and food taken out. Whether it was this person or kids has never been proven. If he is ever found he will be spoken with in connection with this incident but there is certainly no crime wave.”

He added: “There is a rumour of a tramp or vagrant living somewhere in the community, and a den he apparently lived in has been found with some remains of food.

“Situations like this with people living on the periphery of a community do occur from time to time.

“He may or may not have a beard but as for being a wolfman, that’s just a shaggy dog story.

Interesting

Wolfman in Ammanford

2009-04-30T01:07:00.004+01:00

A few people have sent me links on this rumour

Local beat Sergeant Charles Gabe said the wolfman has been living in the wild between the villages of Pantyffynnon and Penybanc for up for FOUR years — but only turned to crime in the last couple.
He said he appeared to live largely off the land in makeshift hides and added: "He appears to be quite self-sufficient. He is very rarely seen.

The best account is from the bastion of weirdness:

Wolfman lives off the land The Sun

The Telegraph also weighs in:

'Wolfman' survives wild in woods for two years Telegraph.co.uk

Wolfman behind mini crimewave who lives on rabbits and berries in woods

Daily Mail - ‎Apr 29, 2009‎

It adds the info that he lives semi- underground.

"Some locals believe 'The Wolfman' - said to be in his 30s and to look 'dishevelled' - also hides in holes in the ground."
'The Wolfman' lives in the woodland on an area of reclaimed coal slagheaps known locally as 'The Tips'.

It seems to me what we have here is a local hermit or tramp transformed by media magic into the Lon Chaney jnr style Wolfman. Of course film buffs will remember that the original 1941 Universal Wolfman seen below was Welsh, specifically the American hero named Talbot returns to his roots in Cardiff where he encounters a werewolf, a gypsy Werewolf to be precise.
The Wolf Man (1941 film)
Sadly the upcoming remake is no longer set in Wales though it does feature Anthony Hopkins.

The Wolfman aspect of the story is presuambly just local folklore what is more interesting though is the comparison to old tales of Celtic hermits and the Wildman of medieval times. The Amman valley area is rather interesting so I think a look round at some point would be good though I don't think I need bother with silver bullets.

Gwiber - Flying Vipers

2009-04-14T17:18:00.003+01:00

Oll Lewsis from the CFZ is a font of information on Welsh cryptozoology. He did an excellent blog post a while back on one of the weirdest of all Welsh cryptids the Gwiber, specifically a sub species the flying snakes or dragonets of South Glamorgan. Gwibers are reported all over Wales in folklore but it was in Penllyn they are reported more recently in Marie Trevelyn's ‘Folklore and Folkstories of Wales’ from 1909:

“The woods around Penllyne Castle, Glamorgan, had the reputation of being frequented by winged serpents, and these were the terror of old and young alike. An aged inhabitant of Penllyne, who died a few years ago, said that in his boyhood the winged serpents were described as very beautiful. They were coiled when in repose, and "looked as though they were covered with jewels of all sorts. Some of them had crests sparkling with all the colours of the rainbow." When disturbed, they glided swiftly, "sparkling all over," to their hiding places. When angry, they "flew over people's heads, with outspread wings bright and sometimes with eyes, too, like the feathers in a peacock's tail." He said it was "no old story," invented to "frighten children," but a real fact. His father and uncles had killed some of them, for they were "as bad as foxes for poultry." This old man attributed the extinction of winged serpents to the fact that they were "terrors in the farmyards and coverts.”

I once went for a look round the area but found no sign of the elusive beasts. The description if them sounded very much like the fire lizards in Anne Macffrey's Dragon rider books I have always thought.

Oll goes into some depth on the mystery in his post and he did attempt some interviews. His conclusion the creatures as reported are unlikely to exist.

OLL LEWIS: Penllyn Is In My Ears And In My Eyes

Meat Eating Squirrels in Wales?

2009-04-04T17:13:00.000+01:00

Fascinating blog post from a while back from Richard Holland which features a Welsh wild cat and more strangely a carnivorous squirrel.

Squirrel

Giant Eels?

2009-04-02T14:43:00.001+01:00

I did a guest blog at the CFZ's excellent online blog. It is on mysterious eels:

Giant Eels

Big Cats in Wales - More sightings

2009-01-10T16:48:00.003Z

There have always been stacks of Big cat reports in Wales. They are definitely out there as this summary of reports from the Wales on Sunday show.

WalesOnline - News - Wales News - Shock number of big cat sightings4 Jan 2009 ... BIG cats are clawing their way into the limelight as Welsh sightings of the “

purranormal” creatures rocket, Wales on Sunday can reveal.

Soon after this there was a shocking report of a mass sheep killing in Camarthenshire.

Big cats in Britain - Welsh NewsBig cats in Britain provide a good summary of Big cats repoorts in Wales at their site.

Welsh Cryptid Comic

2008-11-22T23:35:00.000Z

Unbelievable Signing - Insomnia Captures The Beast of Bryn Boncath

A new neighbour has moved in. A man long thought dead has returned. Livestock are missing. There are noises in the night. People are afraid to go into out after dark and sightings of a giant hound, or maybe a big cat are on the increase once again.

Suddenly it seems to Ben that what he took to be the tall tales of his grandfather may be more than just stories. It seems that something is stirring in the forests and the mountains around Bryn Boncath. It seems that ancient history is repeating and this time round Ben has an important part to play.

Unbelievable is a dark masterpiece that weaves strands of Welsh legend, modern murder mystery and horror with a dash of crytozoology that wonders: What if seeing isn’t always believing, but believing will allow you to see?

Manatee hunt cancelled

2008-11-02T14:49:00.000Z

Stuff has got in the way of going on a Manatee hunt. The witness has disappeared into the ether I think she has realised she actually saw a seal!

Manatees - Coming to Western Britain!

2008-08-21T09:23:00.007+01:00

One thing I have discovered is that whatever the Beast seen in Pembroke Dock is Manatees will be returning to the UK soon.

The National Wildlife Conservation Park is to be built on the outskirts of Bristol on a 136 acre site and is scheduled to open in 2012. It will feature a total of 12 exhibit areas, some of them inside or under cover, one reportd exhibit is "the Central American Swamp where visitors will walk through lush vegetation and around pools to catch a glimpse of the manatee, a spectacular aquatic mammal never before seen in a UK zoo." Other areas include Congo Tropical Forest, Sumatra Rainforest, and Indian Ocean Coral Reef and it hoped to have bonobos, okapis, Sumatran tigers, giraffes, zebra, orang-utans, Livingstone's fruit bats, gibbons, bears, wolves, cheetahs, black rhino and black tip reef sharks amongst other exotic animals. "In the Sumatra Rainforest exhibit (open in 2012) visitors will be able to step across a chasm caused by a seismic shift, listen to a troop of gibbons calling to each other as they swing through the trees, get close to Sumatran tigers via a transparent tiger tunnel and visit the exhibit's ranger station, built in the style of a Sumatran stilted longhouse, to find out about the Park's conservation project in Sumatra via video links." Another of these areas is British Ancient Woodland which will recreate a lost habitat of ancient Britain boasting once-native species such as brown bears, lynxes and wolves. "This exhibit is set within the Park's existing ancient woodland - home to native trees such as oak, birch, ash and beech as well as flowering plants such as bluebells, snowdrops, orchids, wild garlic, foxgloves and ferns. Visitors will be able to walk along a screened boardwalk in the woods to see these woodland animals at close quarters. At a later phase lynx and wolverine will be added to the exhibit."That sounds of interest.

[Note - looking more closely at the website although news reports in March 2008 mentioned a Manatee exhibit there is nothing on the site. Have the manatee been cancelled?]

Besides this I am increasingly inclined to think the Pembroke beast can hardly be a Manatee as I indicated before and is more likely to be a seal. Besides the fact it is too far to swim and too cold for Manatees in British waters there is another point as the reported creature is amphibious it can hardly be a manatee they spend their lives in the water.

Milford Monster - Hunted by Sonar

2008-08-18T10:15:00.000+01:00

It seems that famed Fortean Lionel Fanthorpe personally investigated the Milford Monster in 2003 when it was sighted and talked to 4 witnesses for the BBC and is convinced of their veracity. Fanthorpe said:

In 2003, my wife Patricia and I participated in a BBC TV documentary after something large and mysterious appeared in the sea near Pembroke Dock in Wales. We interviewed several reliable eyewitnesses, and then went looking for the beast with skipper Alun Lewis aboard his Cleddau King – an ideal boat for the job, equipped with the latest electronic gear. But whatever had been seen in the dock had fled before we got there.

A search was undertaken using a fishing vessel equipped with high tech radar and sonar capability but no trace of the monster was found.

Fanthorpe raises an intriguing point given the naval activity in the area it could be some kind of bizarre secret sub.

Full details in his book Unsolved Mysteries of the Sea By Lionel Fanthorpe, Patricia Fanthorpe (2004) 47-51. Apparently Richard Freeman the CFZ's zoologist and monster hunter extraordinary also went to look for the beast as well. I am waiting to get more details from him. This makes the case all the more interesting!

The Expedition Map is now online

2008-08-16T11:40:00.002+01:00

I have now plotted all the sightings and the mystery deepens. See how close the Manatee is to where the 2003 Monster was seen.

It is about 500m from Connaught Way to Hobbs Point.

If you scroll the map to the SW you will also see the aprox location of 1782 "merman" sighting.

View Larger Map

Welsh Manatee Expedition 2008

2008-08-16T08:36:00.007+01:00

Later this week I am heading to Pembroke Dock on a Manatee Hunt. Plus I will discover more about the mysterious Milford Monster - a sea serpent seen in 2003. And will see if any more info on the bizarre beast - the 1782 Castlemartin "merman" can be found. Keep watching this blog for updates.

I have talked to Debbie James the reporter who broke the story and she said the story has aroused a lot of interest and they are doing a follow up and the woman who saw the manatee, Carol Morgan, is convinced of her identification. This sounds definitely worth investigating.

A Pembrokeshire Merman in 1782 and the 2008 "Manatee"?

2008-08-14T11:29:00.021+01:00

Building on our earlier post Manatee maids in Wales looks like there is a history of strange sightings going on the area. In Mrs. Morgan's Tour to Milford Haven in the Year 1791, there is a detailed account of a "merman" observed by Henry Reynolds in 1782 in this area. This sighting was outside Milford Haven on the southern promontory which creates it somewhere near Linney Head, only 7 miles away from the 2008 Manatee sighting in Pembroke Dock . The original report read as follows and makes fascinating reading:

A Tour to Milford Haven, in the Year 1791
By Mary Morgan (London, 1795) pages 302-6

Letter 43
Mrs Morgan To Mrs. G .
Haverfordwest, Sept. 22. 1791

IF you delight in the marvellous, I shall now present you with a tale that is truly so; and yet, from the simple and circumstantial manner in which it was told by the person who believed he saw what is here related, one would almost be tempted to think there was something more than imagination in it. However, I will make no comments upon the matter, but give it you, exactly as I copied it from a paper lent me by a young lady, who was educated under the celebrated Mrs, Moore,[Hannah Moore] and who has acquired a taste for productions of the pen, and likewife for whatever may be deemed curious. Mr. M[organ] enquired of the gentleman who took down the relation from the man's own mouth, a physician of the first respectability, what credit might be given to it. He said, the man was of that integrity of character, and of such simplicity also, that it seemed difficult to believe he should be either able or willing to fabricate this wonderful tale. Farther the doctor was silent, and so am I.

Henry Reynolds, of Pennyhold [Pen-y-hold], in the parish of Castlemartin, in the county of Pembroke, a simple farmer, and esteemed by all who knew him to be a truth-telling man, declares the following most extraordinary story to be an abfolute fact, and is willing, in order to satisfy such as will not take his bare word for it, to swear to the truth of the same. He says, he went one morning to the cliffs, that bound his own lands, and form a bay near Linny-stack. From the eastern end of the same, he saw, as he thought, a person bathing very near the western end, but appearing from almost the middle up, above water. He, knowing the water to be deep in that place, was much surprized at it, and went along the cliffs, quite to the western end, to see what it was. As he got towards it, it appeared to him like a person sitting in a tub. At last he got within ten or twelve yards of it, and found it then to be a creature much resembling a youth of sixteen or eighteen years of age, with a very white skin, sitting in an erect posture, having, from somewhat about the middle, its body quite above the water; and directly under the water there was a large brown substance, on which it seemed to float. The wind being perfectly calm, and the water quite clear, he could see distinctly, when the creature moved, that this- substance was part of it. From the bottom there went down a tail much resembling that of a large conger eel. Its tail in deep water was straight downwards, but in shallow water it would turn it on one side. The tail was continually moving in a circular manner. The form of its body and arms was entirely human, but its arms and hands seemed rather short and thick in proportion to its body. The form of the head, and all the features of the face, were human also ; but the nose rose high between its eyes, was pretty long, and seemed to terminate very sharp. Its head was white like its body, without hair ; but from its forehead there arose a brownish substance of three or four fingers breadth, which turned up over its head, and went down over its back, and reached quite into the water. This substance did not at all resemble hair, but was thin, flat, and compact, not much unlike a ribbon. It did not adhere to the back part of its head, or neck, or back ; for the creature lifted it up from its neck, and washed under it. It washed frequently under its arms, and about its body.

It swam about the bay, and particularly round a little rock, which Reynolds was within ten or twelve yards of. He said about an hour looking at it. It was so near him that he could perceive its motion through the water was very rapid; and that, when it turned, it put one hand into the water, and moved itself round very quickly. It never dipped under the water all the time he was looking at it. It looked attentively at him, and the cliffs and seemed to take great notice of the birds flying over its head. Its looks were wild and fierce ; but it made no noise, nor did it grin, or any way distort its face. When he left it, it was above an hundred yards from him; and when he returned with some others to look at it, it was gone. This account was taken down by Doctor George P - - - at Prickers-ton, from the man's own mouth, in presence of many people, about the latter end of December 1782.

Chambers Book of Days 1869 repeats this account in its entry for November 24th while discussing Mermaids in the UK and suggests:

We hear nothing further of this merman or merboy; but on looking at the roundabout evidence of the story, we find it to he thus A paper containing the account was lent to Mrs. Morgan; the paper had been written by a young lady, pupil of Mrs. Moore, from an oral account given to her by that lady; Mrs. Moore had heard it from Dr. George Phillips; and he had heard it from Henry Reynolds himself from all of which statements we may infer that there were abundant means for converting some peculiar kind of fish into a merman without imputing intentional dishonesty to any one.

The account is far more reliable than suggested here as Mr Morgan checked back with the Doctor. The account written by Mrs Morgan is an exact copy of what Renyolds said. It looks like Renyolds saw something odd and whatever it was or one of its relatives came back over 200 years later.

The description sounds much like a manatee to some degree with its light grey colour and snub nose. But what about the weird sounding stuff going down its back from near its nose?? At first I thought perhaps this is a description of a bearded seal, an Arctic species which can have white fur. More likely to be this than a Manatee perhaps considering the climate, as Manatees a very sensitive to cold, and that such seals are regularly seen in the UK today. As it seems he sighted the beast in December that rules out a Manatee save for the mysterious Steller's Sea Cow
which was found in the far north Berring sea thousands of miles away from the UK. It was already probably extinct at this point thanks to sailors.

British Marine Life Study Society - "Bearded Seals are a non-migratory Arctic species that feed on molluscs including clams. There has now been at least a dozen records from the Shetland Isles and one record of this seal off Ireland and one off Hartlepool in north-east England"

Bearded Seal seen in Scotland

In fact the society report one this year:

3 March - May 2008 onwards

A Bearded Seal, Erignathus barbatus, was spotted at Loch na Keal on the Isle of Mull, a large island in the Inner Hebrides, western Scotland. The healthy seal had hauled itself up on to some dry rocks when it was first seen. Subsequently, it has been unpredictable in its movements. The Bearded Seal was first seen by David Woodhouse (Mull Wildlife Expeditions) on 3 March 2008.

But there is another possibility. The hooded seal another Arctic species in which males have a bizarre inflatable 'hood' on their heads, close to the nose. Reynolds says of the thing on the seal's head "but from its forehead there arose a brownish substance of three or four fingers breadth, which turned up over its head, and went down over its back, and reached quite into the water. This substance did not at all resemble hair, but was thin, flat, and compact, not much unlike a ribbon."

Could this be a description of a hooded seal?? It certainly sounds very odd indeed. Unlss it was bits of seaweed.

Once again the British Marine Life Study Society reveals an interesting fact:

29 July 2001
A Hooded Seal, Cystophora cristata, was washed on a Little Haven beach, Pembrokeshire, south west Wales and found a home at the Seal Hospital at Milford Haven. The seal was healthy apart from a small cut on one flipper. The Hooded Seal is an Arctic species and even discoveries off the coast of Scotland, including the Orkney and Shetland Isles are rare. It moults around Greenland and the Denmark Strait (between Iceland and Greenland).
Report by Tony Pearce (via UK Wildlife)"

Seeing they have been in seen in Pembrokeshire before could the 2008 report by Carol Morgan be of a hooded seal rather than a Manatee? It seems more likely.

Interesting to note that a Walrus is not impossible in the southern British Isles as well. British Marine Life Study Society again:

April 1999 - A Walrus, Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus was seen hauled out on rocks in County Mayo, Ireland for six hours. Lying within 100 metres of the busy coastal road and spotted as a "rock that moved", the resting walrus finally disappeared at dusk. There have been several walrus sightings at sea off County Donegal in recent winters, and a couple of walruses were reported to have been seen by surfers in Killala Bay in December. A dead walrus was found in County Kerry in January 1995.
The Walrus is an Arctic species and is rarely seen even off Scotland and the Shetland Isles.

Talking of old mermaid sightings if we look at the logbook of Henry Hudson on 15 June, 1608 near the Novaya Zemlya islands we can make a interesting comparison to the Welsh reports.

This morning one of our companie looking over boord saw a mermaid, and called up some of the companie to see her, one come up, and by that time shee was close to the ship’s side, looking earnestly upon the men: a little after, a Sea came and overturned her: From Navill upwards, her back and breasts were like a woman’s her body as big as one of us; her skin very white; and long haire hanging downe they saw her tayle, which was like the tayle of a porposse and speckled like a Macrel.

The Novaya Zemlya islands are off the north coast of Russia in the Arctic ocean, too cold for a sea cow. So could this sighting be a Walrus or Bearded seal then? Note its colour as well.

One noted mermaid was seen a number of times in Newark Bay in Deerness, Orkney in the 1890s. One account said:

It is about six to seven feet in length, has a little black head, with neck, a snow-white body and two arms, and in swimming it just appears like a human being. At times it will appear to be siding on a sunken rock, and will wave and work its hands.

So it seems to me these older accounts are of arctic mammals not Manatees considering where they are seen too cold for Manatee. The fact they are considerably larger than common seals and a different colour and appearance would lead to a different identification. That is unless there is a secret species of Northern Manatee similar to the Stella Sea Cow which could endure cold or something even weirder. Or they are real mermaids!

It is interesting to note that there is also the legend of the ‘Ceffyl Dwr’ or water horse in Pembroke as in the rest of Wales similar to the Scottish Kelpie. I have hunted for this beast myself in the Gower in places it was once seen without success. This special horse would appear to unwary travellers who would be tempted to mount it, only to be carried into the sea and drowned. Could this legend be based on distant accounts of Manatees or unusual arctic seals which do look a bit horsey? Legends of Waterhorses are also found inland in rivers and lakes. Fossil records of Manatees have been found in Europe anyway.

Manatees swimming

UK Crocodile rescue stories

2008-08-13T14:51:00.000+01:00

Exclusive: Rescued alligator ditches English partner for fellow Scot
Glasgow Daily Record, UK 13th aug

TWO alligators rescued in Scotland have fallen for each other - after one of them ditched his "English" partner.

Crocs named Jimmy Choo and Alice have become inseparable at a sanctuary in Spain.

And their keepers hope the pair, recovered from Edinburgh and Galashiels, Selkirkshire, may even produce some offspring.

Jimmy had been close to a caiman rescued in London before Alice arrived at Crocodile Park in Torremolinos.

Doreen Graham, of the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said: "The two Scots are great pals and, with luck, they might mate."

Jimmy was sent to Crocodile Park after Anthony Quinn, 37, tried to sell him to undercover animal detectives in an Edinburgh car park.

Quinn admitted keeping it in a Leith flat without a licence. He was fined s200 and banned from keeping animals for five years.

Alice was seized by inspectors in Galashiels last month.

Manatee maids in Wales - Connected to Milford Monster?

2008-08-12T11:01:00.017+01:00

A bunch of strange of watery beasts have popped up in Wales in the last few weeks.

Manatee spotted off coast of Wales
WalesOnline, United Kingdom - 10 Aug 2008
Marine experts last night said it could be a first for the UK – and comes after a 7ft Blue Marlin was washed up on a Pembrokeshire beach this week.

The original report was on the Western Telegraph (Wed Aug 6th, page13) but is reproduced here.

Marine experts say the possible sighting of a manatee in Pembrokeshire waters is further evidence of climate change. The creature was spotted by Carol Morgan who has a bird’s eye view of Hobbs Point, Pembroke Dock, from her home at 5 Connaught Way.

She was preparing her lunchbox early one morning when she saw an unusual shape in the water. At first she thought it was a very large plastic container covered in green algae. But when it moved she reached for a telescope to get a closer look.

“I caught sight of its face and it looked like a pot-bellied pig,” said Carol, who works at Pembroke Leisure Centre.

“It then pulled itself onto the slipway and seemed to be foraging for something. After a short while it sauntered into the water and that was the last I saw of it.”
She only became aware of the actual size of the creature when she saw a couple walking a dog on the slipway a few moments later.

“It was several times larger than that dog, more like the size of a small cow,” said Carol.

Manatees, or sea cows as they are also known, are largely restricted to tropical waters with the nearest populations to the UK found off west Africa and the Caribbean. Pembrokeshire-based marine biologist, Francis Bunker, says it is possible that the manatee was carried here on the Gulf Stream currents. “We do after all get tropical sea beans and the occasional coconut washed up as well as sea turtles from the Caribbean, so why not a manatee? If it is a manatee I think it could be a first for UK waters.”

To his knowledge there are none in captivity in the UK which could have escaped.
Bathers need have no worries about venturing in the sea, as manatees are strictly herbivorous, feeding mainly on seagrasses.

Interesting it was seen off Hobbs Point given the name's connection with goblin like creatures as Loren Coleman points out Hobgoblin at Hobbs Point at Cryptomundo.

Manatee's grow up to 15 feet long and weigh 3500 pounds and are found in West Africa as well as the Southern United States, South America and across Southern Asia. There is a long-standing cryptozoological theory that Manatee are believed to have inspired some of the stories of Mermaids. In 1493, when Columbus's ships were taking on fresh water at the island known as Hispaniola, he recorded in his journal that his men "saw three sirenas (mermaids) who rose very high from the sea, but they were not as beautiful as they are painted." It is generally agreed that the creatures that Columbus and many other similar reports saw were manatees. There are a lot of Welsh legends concerning mermaids all round the Welsh coast which in Welsh are called Morgens or Plant Rhys Ddwfn. If the Welsh legends were inspired by any creature it would be a seal one would think. Some Welsh mermaid stories mention magic sealskin caps which give mermaids their powers and there is some similarity to the Gaelic tradition of the Selkie. A number of the Welsh stories concern fishermen marrying mermaids they catch at sea who later abandon their husbands, after he insults or beats them to return to the sea, their husbands being cursed by them. Or fishermen being tricked into the water and drowning the usual sort of tale.

So one presumes this beast in Pembroke Dock is either a Manatee a long way from home or perhaps more likely a misidentified seal - but there is another local candidate.

THE MILFORD MONSTER

In 2003 a sea serpent was seen once in Pembroke Dock close by the location of the Manatee sighting within the famous natural harbour which is also called Milford Haven, which is huge 10 miles by 2 miles. I wondered if the two sightings were connected but the description of the creature sounds very different. The Milford monster was described as massive and serpentine. But I believe it has been suggested that misidentification of Manatees may be involved in some some sea-serpent sightings as well as in Mermaid sightings. Here is an extract from the 2003 report.

Reward out for `Milford Monster' spotted by pub's lunch customers ...

Mar 13 2003 The Western Mail - The National Newspaper Of Wales

The lunchtime customers at the small waterfront pub had never seen anything like it. They were enjoying a quiet drink when suddenly they saw a mysterious serpent-like creature in the water outside
It was dark and snake-like and roughly the length of four to five cars.

If it was Nessie she was a long way from home, as the mysterious creature of the deep was spotted in the Milford Haven waterway, just yards away from the busy Irish ferry terminal.

Now the sighting has become the talk of Pembroke Dock and the pub's landlord is offering a £150 reward to anyone who can catch the monster alive. David Crewe of the historic Ship-wright pub, said, "There was definitely something out there.

"It could be anything. I just want to find out what it is."

The mysterious creature was spotted first by barmaid Lesley John in the deep channel of the waterway, close to where Irish ferry boats turn around before heading for Pembroke Dock ferry terminal.

"I was pulling a pint for one of the lads and I was watching the ferry, you know how it leaves a white trail as it goes?"

"Then I saw what looked like a big black fin. I carried on pulling the pint and it was still there. I said to the lads `What the hell is that?' "

The customers went outside to investigate and also saw something strange.

"From a distance it appeared to have a snake-like head," said Peter Thomas. "And you could see a commotion in the water, a lot of splashing, about 10 metres away.

"It was a rather odd thing. I do a lot of boating on the waterway and I have never seen anything like that. It was something really strange. But you can only say what you saw."

Milford Haven was also a key area in the massive number of UFO reports in the Welsh Triangle incidents of the 70s. One theory claimed there was a secret alien underwater base off the Pembrokeshire coast. So it could be an Alien Manatee :) Meanwhile another few unusual fishy guests came along recently in the area.

Magnificent marlin washed up in Pembs
Aug 7th - A giant fish washed up on a Pembrokeshire beach yesterday (Wednesday)is thought to be the first of its species ever seen in British waters.
Weighing in at around 450 pounds and over seven feet long, the magnificent Blue Marlin was found in the surf on Saundersfoot's Glen Beach on Wednesday by commercial fisherman Gavin Davies.
"I saw something in the water the previous evening, but it wasn't until I was walking the dog at 5.30am that I realised it was a marlin," said Gavin. "It was an amazing specimen." He and fellow fishermen Neil Lewis, Mel Matthews, Neil Thomas and Ruru Norbury pulled the marlin onto the beach with a Land Rover, before lifting it on the vehicle and contacting South Wales Sea Fisheries officer Mark Hamblin to verify their fishy find.

"I was gobsmacked," admitted Mark. "I would have loved to have caught that with a rod and line!"

The marlin, usually found offshore in deep blue tropical or temperate waters, is known to migrate towards the Atlantic, but apparently never as far afield as the UK.
"We are wondering if it could have been attacked by dolphins out at sea, and just drifted in," said Gavin, who fishes for Neil Thomas on board the Evan George.

"We're currently seeing dolphins by the hundred when we are out in Carmarthen Bay, and they are known to be extremely aggressive to other fish."

Less rare but still intersting is another fish found in Wals this summer:

"3rd July 2008 A Broad-billed Swordfish, Xiphias gladius, was discovered washed up dead on Barry Island beach, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. It was carefully examined by Dr Peter Howlett, (Curator of Lower Vertebrates, National Museum, Wales) who confirmed the identification and found it to be a young specimen 2.24 metres long and between 60 and 80 kg in weight. It had been dead only a few days, but it had been scavenged by other creatures and it was not possible to determine the cause of its death. "

It has been a strange year for welsh weirdness with the Swansea croc, the UFO wave and the Ghost slug being covered widely too.

Giant eels in the lake

2008-08-08T02:38:00.004+01:00

Obviously no new sightings of the croc so I have not been updating this blog though I have been down to look around since but no sign of the elusive bast. I still think it existed but like the many other sightings in Cannock or Devon the creature responsible is now dead and missing. Unless it was misidentified.

I did meet someone with more curious info on Pluck Lake that their father who was a fisherman had fished in Pluck Lake and seen some unusually large eels there. Pluck lake gets wilder by the minute. I don't think this can explain the sighting though. The man who saw it was just too close.

Ghost Slug haunting Wales

2008-07-16T08:58:00.000+01:00

Very strange sounding Welsh creature:

BBC NEWS | Wales | South East Wales | Worm-eating slug found in garden
10 Jul 2008 ... A "ghost" slug found in a garden in Cardiff has been declared a new species by specialists at the National Museum of Wales and Cardiff.
Ghost slug - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Alien spotted in Mumbles

2008-07-09T01:38:00.002+01:00

Well the Crocodile may have disappeared but Swansea has a new monster.

Talk of aliens in South Wales just will not go away - and now Wayne Grove believes he has photographic evidence of their existence.

Mr Grove claims he took this picture while working for a small gardening firm around Mumbles, West Cross and Mayals.

He said: "At approximately 10.19am on Thursday, July 3, I was working in Overland Road in Mumbles where the gardens back onto the woods.

"I heard a rustling sound coming from the trees. When I looked I was expecting to see a dog! But to my horror I saw what I can only describe as something from another planet!

"From what I could see it was naked, with a large head and black eyes. My heart was pounding so hard the adrenalin was pumping. I took a photo of what i saw and zoomed in.

"I really don't know what I saw but I am frightened! Please try and get someone to investigate it."

Obviously a fake. This is all fall out from the spate of UFO sightings in Wales in June.

This news report has more.

But it looks like the wav of sightings has inspired much coverage.

Welsh UFO sighting to feature on US show - WalesOnline

Current Crazy Croc Encounter - Out of place Alligators in the states

2008-05-22T01:06:00.003+01:00

Current Crazy Croc Encounter

What is that thing in Hickory Lake?
Chad Arment has passed along updates on a 2 to 3 ft long crocodilian being sighted and photographed in Hickory Lake, North Carolina. Seen for a week now (since Mother’s Day, May 11, 2008), it remains uncaught.

Another link at CrytoMundo was to a story about a new species of ancient croc found as a fossil which was in the news in late March:

New Prehistoric Crocodilian

Crazy croc Syndrome!

2008-05-21T15:33:00.001+01:00

It is interesting to note there is a term for what has happened.

The appearance of alligators and crocodiles in areas far from their native habitat is known in Forteana as the crazy croc syndrome or the crazy crocs. It is a problem which goes back many years see here:

Fortean Historical Archive: Out Of Place Alligators

Another clutch of incidents was in 2005:

2005 has been a bumper year for crazy croc incidents, with reports from areas as diverse as South Seattle, Wash., Rehoboth, Mass. and Charleston, West Virginia... (Editor's Comment: We've had isolated crazy croc sightings in the USA before. Fortean researcher Loren Coleman has documented hundreds of them dating back to the early 1930s. But, to my knowledge, this is the first sustained crazy croc flap we've ever had, with sightings every week.)

Source

Another incident in 2005 was in Cyprus - "Wildlife workers in Cyprus are trying to verify reports that crocodiles may be on the loose at a popular tourist nature spot after they became too dangerous for their owner to handle."

"The reptiles are believed to have been smuggled in to the eastern Mediterranean island, where crocodiles do not breed and the closest nature cousin is the innocuous chameleon."

This is the fourth report in three weeks about out-of-place crocodiles or alligators turning up in areas far from their natural habitat.

Chris Fleming's Unknown Magazine

Another interesting sighting was an Alligator in Maine in September 2000 a pretty unseasonable time one would have thought:

OUT-OF-PLACE ALLIGATOR SNAPS AT A MAN IN KENNEBUNKPORT, MAINE

One of the weirdest Fortean phenomena is the "Crazy Croc syndrome," the sudden and unexplained appearance of alligators in places far from their natural habitat.
Just such an incident occurred last week in Kennebunkport, Maine (population 1,200), a seaside resort town on Route 9 located about 26 miles (40 kilometers) south of Portland.
(Editor's Note: The Bush family mansion, summer home of former President George Herbert Walker Bush, and his son, Gov. George W. Bush, the current Republican Party candidate for USA president, is located on Walker's Point in Kennebunkport.)

(Editor's Comment: Cue spooky organ music...) "An alligator that nipped at a man's trousers was likely someone's pet that was set free, police said."
"William Sartry shot the 31-inch-reptile dead. He said the alligator approached him while he was walking around a pond in his back yard."
"'You're going to think I'm nuts,' Sarty told a police dispatcher when he reported the incident." (See USA Today for September 20, 2000, "Maine," page 6A.) from
Source

Charles Fort on Mystery Croc Reports

2008-05-21T01:16:00.000+01:00

As always Charles Fort was the first to notice Crazy Croc Syndrome in his book LO!:

Maybe, in September, 1929, somebody lost an alligator. According to some of our data upon the insecurities of human mentality, there isn't anything that can't be lost by somebody. A look at Losts and Founds -- but especially Losts -- confirms this notion. New York American, Sept. 19, 1929 -- an alligator, 31 inches long, killed in the Hackensack Meadows, N.J., by Carl Weise, 14 Peerless Place, North Bergen, N.J. But my attention is attracted by another "mysterious appearance" of an alligator, about the same time. New York Sun, Sept. 23, 1929 -- an alligator, 28 inches long, found by Ralph Miles, in a small creek, near Wolcott, N.Y.

In the Gentleman's Magazine, Aug., 1866, somebody tells of a young crocodile, which, about ten years before, had been killed on a farm, at Over-Norton, Oxfordshire, England.

In the November issue of this magazine, C. Parr, a well-known writer upon antiquarian subjects, says that, thirty years before, near Chipping Norton, another young crocodile had been killed.⁽⁶⁾ According to Mr. Parr, still another young crocodile had been seen, at Over-Norton. In the Field, Aug. 23, 1862, is an account of a fourth young crocodile that had been seen, near Over-Norton.⁽⁷⁾

It looks as if, for about thirty years, there had been a translatory current, especially selective of young crocodiles, between somewhere, say in Egypt, and an appearing-point near Over-Norton. If, by design and functioning, in the distribution of life in an organism, or in one organic existence, we mean anything so misdirected as a teleportation of young crocodiles to a point in a land where they would be out of adaptation, we evidently mean not so very intelligent design and functioning. Possibly, or most likely. It seems to me that an existence that is capable of sending young butchers to medical schools, and young boilermakers to studios, would be capable of sending young crocodiles to Over-Norton, Oxfordshire, England.

Fort thinks telportation (a word he invented) might be involved. It is interesting that so many Crocs should have been seen in the 1860s in one area.

Crocodile or Otterdile?

2008-05-15T04:36:00.002+01:00

One of the popular sceptical explanations for lake monsters is they are otters. See this video:

The idea that otters frequently swim in lines has not been popular with cryptozoologists as this post shows.

Cryptomundo.com » Otter Nonsense

Certainly some distant sightings of otters might confuse some people.

There has been otters sighted at the lake:

"just a few mounths ago there was a report of a otter in there so it was probelt the same one there" callum semmens 14, Neath

There has been a ongoing resurgence in otter numbers over the last ten years in the Swansea area as across the UK. Anglers on the Tawe are blaming otters for fish losses. See the Otter Survey of Wales 2002 which reports

In the 1977/8 and 1984/5 surveys, all the sites in this
hydrometric area were negative but a major increase
was evident in 1991 with 44% of sites positive. A
further 17 positive sites in 2002 now brings the
proportion of positive sites to 78% (81% if only the
sites common to all surveys are compared).
The greatest increases were associated with the
upper reaches of the Tawe and tributaries such as the
Twrch and Lower Clydach, where all the previously
negative sites became positive. Smaller rivers flowing
into the Loughor estuary also showed increases. Also
significant is the presence of otters on the Lliedi
reservoirs, near Llanelli, in an area with considerable
human disturbance.

Otters are mainly found upstream then but the closeness of Pluck lake to the river means that reports of otters here are not impossible. Perhaps most intriguing is the mystery plague of deaths blamed on otters or mink in Swansea a few years ago which caused panic amongst pond owners.

News - South West Wales - 'Mink' warning after fish deaths

6 Jan 2004

Since the late summer, an unknown animal has been preying on ponds in back gardens across the Killay and Derwen Fawr areas, killing dozens of fish.
Members of a gardening club believe a mink or possibly an otter is responsible and are urging people to protect their ponds.
Following an attack that left around a dozen of their neighbour's Koi carp decapitated, Alma and Ray Jenkins have covered the pond at their home on Dylan Road in Killay with mesh.

There was blood and fish remains everywhere but just the heads were taken

Alma Jenkins

The couple say they know of at least eight incidents in the area in the past six months, but believe there could be many more that have gone unreported.

There are other reports:

RW Swansea
At 4.00am on 20th May I saw an adult otter on the Oystermouth Road directly opposite tescos and swansea i was driving at the time and got within 20 feet of it and saw it for at least 30 seconds i was struck at how big it was and obviously that it was so close to the city centre. I didnt think that there was a wild population in swansea and actually reported it to the police.

The problem for saying the Pluck Lake sighting was an otter is the distance. Steve Jenkins was only 3-4m from the creature. Thus it cannot be an otter I think.

Mumbles Mice

2008-05-14T05:32:00.002+01:00

Got a post from the CFZ with the CFZ yearbok with an interesting article on Swansea Bay strange creatures by Oll Lewis . Interesting stuff on the Beast of Baglan and Swansea Jack but missed out some very interesting tales from the area like the Gower sea serpent. Another article revealed the existence of the Singing Mouse from Mumbles in 1937. This is even weirder than it sounds as it went on radio!

This story's monster has a serpent caul: Dylan Thomas on the Crocodile

2008-05-12T08:14:00.005+01:00

Almost a week of further investigation in good weather and at Fendrod Lake as well has revealed NO further sign of the Croc at least not in life. However he has turned up in the work of Swansea's most famous bard Dylan Thomas. One example is in a short poem to an insect To-Day, This Insect which makes for interesting reading in this extract:

The insect certain is the plague of fables.

This story's monster has a serpent caul,
Blind in the coil scrams round the blazing outline,
Measures his own length on the garden wall
And breaks his shell in the last shocked beginning;
A crocodile before the chrysalis,
Before the fall from love the flying heartbone,
Winged like a sabbath ass this children's piece
Uncredited blows Jericho on Eden.

As noted before Pluck Lake is noted as a refuge for dragonflies which this poem is perhaps addressing. With such allusive verse who can say.

In the poem I, In My Intricate Image the last three stanzas state:

And in the pincers of the boiling circle,
The sea and instrument, nicked in the locks of time,
My great blood's iron single
In the pouring town,
I, in a wind on fire, from green Adam's cradle,
No man more magical, clawed out the crocodile.

Man was the scales, the death birds on enamel,
Tail, Nile, and snout, a saddler of the rushes,
Time in the hourless houses
Shaking the sea-hatched skull,
And, as for oils and ointments on the flying grail,
All-hollowed man wept for his white apparel.

Man was Cadaver's masker, the harnessing mantle,
Windily master of man was the rotten fathom,
My ghost in his metal neptune
Forged in man's mineral.
This was the god of beginning in the intricate seawhirl,
And my images roared and rose on heaven's hill.

What adds to the mysterious coincidences here is that the main other non-native element in Pluck Lake is terrapins. Earlier in the poem he uses the line:

They suffer the undead water where the turtle nibbles,
Come unto sea-stuck towers, at the fibre scaling,
The flight of the carnal skull

The poem describes a combination of mechanical and natural imagery very appropriate to the area which is reclaimed from Swansea's industrial history. Also interesting to note that the poem describes a mighty hill like Kilvey Hill:

They climb the country pinnacle,
Twelve winds encounter by the white host at pasture,
Corner the mounted meadows in the hill corral;
They see the squirrel stumble,

Swansea croc hunt

2008-05-12T06:39:00.000+01:00

Another blog with a croc hunt :) Nice pictures...

Making It Snappy

Croc?

2008-05-06T20:59:00.003+01:00

Very hot weather in Swansea today but further investigations in last few days have revealed nlo trace nor have thee been any reports. However you can now watch online the CFZ Guyana expedition from November last year film report 1 hour 40 mins of it . They looked for three elusive, potentially lethal, and hitherto undiscovered animals.
The Giant Anaconda, The Didi, The Water Tiger

Find out more here.

It is interesting that the CFZ team not only saw Cayman being roasted on a fire in the expedition but also heard rumours of a new species as Jon Downes reports:

Ernest told them of another potential cryptid – and this, to the best of our knowledge – has never been reported before in the annuls of cryptozoology. He is very familiar with Cuvier’s dwarf cayman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus) – the smallest known species of the Alligatoridae, reaching a maximum size of a mere 1.5 metres. However, on two occasions, he has seen a tiny cayman, much smaller than the dwarf cayman, brown in colour, with a red stripe down its back. It bellowed loudly, and most peculiarly, he reported it has having two tails.

The expedition’s driver said that he had seen these creatures as well, and Ernest took them to a cave system near a river where he claims that these creatures live.

The team explored these caves, and although they found nothing in there, Richard – who is, after all, a crocodilian expert, and was, at one time, Head of Reptiles at Twycross Zoo in the West Midlands of England - says that, in his opinion, these caves are eminently suitable for a small crocodilian to aestivate in during the harsh months of the dry summer. For those of you not in the known, aestivation is basically the polar opposite of hibernation; going into a semi-dormant or dormant state to escape extremes of hot weather.

We suggested that the seemingly insoluble problem of the creature being reported with two tails could perhaps be indicative of it not being a cayman at all, but being some kind of huge salamander. When the tails of salamanders and newts have been injured, they sometimes grow back double. But then again, so do those of some lizards, so for the moment this must remain an enigma. However, it is an enigma which we hope will not stay that way for long. Richard and the team are going back to see Ernest this evening for dinner and we hope that they will be able to get some more information from him.

Frozen alligators

2008-05-04T17:12:00.000+01:00

Its a week since the croc was seen. Is it dead? Quite possibly but there is at least one species which could survive a Welsh spring the famous American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) my research has revealed. The alligator is found mainly in the Southern part of North America they range from the coastal border of North Carolina and Virginia, south to Florida and west to east Texas:

American alligators hibernate during the winter in burrows (or "dens") that they construct, but may occasionally emerge during brief spells of warmer weather.
Alligators do not feed during the cooler months. Studies in captivity have shown that alligators generally begin to lose their appetite below 27°C (80°F), and stop feeding altogether below 23°C (73°F). They can easily last the winter on their energy reserves.
Adult alligators can survive freezing conditions if they are in water. They submerge their body but keep their nostrils projecting above the water surface, so that when the surface freezes they can still breathe (called the "icing response"). Essentially their upper body becomes trapped in the ice. However, occasionally alligators may be trapped completely below ice, and have been known to survive for over 8 hours without taking a breath, because the freezing water slows their metabolic rate down to very low levels. Yet another example of their amazing ability to survive. Crocodilian Species - American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)

Another discussion at from the Everglades National Park factsheet:

"Alligators are cold-blooded, which means that their body temperatures fluctuate in response to the temperature of their surroundings. An advantage of being cold-blooded is that little energy needs to be spent in maintaining a high body temperature, and therefore less food is needed. A healthy alligator can go many months without food. Alligators can survive in water temperatures as cold as 36°F (2°C) and as warm as 98°F (38°C), however they function best within a relatively narrow range of temperatures." Formerly www.nps.gov/ever/eco/gator.htm

As for Caimans little info seems to be available.

Hunting the Croc at Night

2008-05-03T22:45:00.010+01:00

Here are the photos from last nights expedition. The plan was discussed here Old Red Eyes - Croc Hunting at Night. As dusk fell and darkness grew across the land we prepared to see if the croc, which is a mostly nocturnal animal would emerge. At the start looking round the lake in the gloaming I noted there were loads of footprints from monster hunters so I think the area round the lake has been very well covered since the publicity had started. I also talked to a friendly guy who had brought his two kids to look for the croc.

I wandered around in reed beds in the dark and checked likely places nearby for croc using a torch to check for eye shine. The street lamps illuminated the lake well so if he was there it would be easy to spot him.

Man Thing Copyright Marvel Comics
Not seen in Swansea yet!

There was no sign of the croc but it increasingly felt like Blair Witch or Man/Swamp Thing country as we blundered around in the dark through muddy areas and reeds. Not exactly the Florida keys but at least it wasn't raining and there was also a lack of midges buzzing us. In ancient welsh lore such areas are good ones to see ellylldan or canwll corfe "corpse candles" [Elf-fire, willow the wisps or Jack O'Lanterns are some of the English names] widely associated with the supernatural and ill omens but now generally seen as swamp gas. They also were seen in graveyards and other places too so it is a little more complex than that.

Discoveries included a pipe which I guess may be part of the old workings as there were quarries, mines and industry in this area. It was about 100m from the water and was an ideal hiding place but we decided crawling down there after a croc was a bad idea!

Then we found the rustling bramble bush which clearly had an animal in. Fancy plunging a hand in to see what it is? I think not. Didn't seem to be a croc shaped way in so we left it alone.

Also some idiots had chucked another trolley in the water and tore down the life belts. Very clever.

We also almost got run down by a 4 by 4 which zoomed past us. I think someone may have been shining headights onto water looking for the croc. Good tactic often used by crocodile hunters. But the croc I suspect is not in the water. If it is still alive it may have gone into hibernation till the weather improves. The problem is with a pine forest 5m or so from the waters edge on the north side, the reedbeds and vegetation to the east and Kilvey hill on the south with tons of bushes and trees there are tons of places for an animal to hide.

I don't think we are finding anything soon to be honest. But who knows.

Pluck Lake is 1km away directly from a far larger body of water Fendrod Lake which lies to the North-east and has more fish and bird life . Although the direct root takes you through a built up area a more roundabout way goes through the nature reserve then only 300 odd m from the lake. But it looks like you would have to go through a railway line. Or there maybe underground tunnels between Fendrod and Pluck Lake so I have been told! More about these in a future posts.

Perhaps a more likely destination is that you can after crossing the road travel through woodland to reach the Tawe. This is only 650m from the lake. So the croc maybe long gone!

That is if it fancies moving long distances which I doubt.

Swansea Crocodile latest news report

2008-05-03T22:01:00.006+01:00

Big Article on Croc in Swansea Evening Post yesterday on page 3.

No snap decision, there's a croc!

'Steve, aged 49, said: "I was out on Sunday morning walking the dog out at the lake and was walking around the lake when I saw something moving in the water.

"It was like a millpond, as still as anything.

"I thought it was a log.

"But there were ripples coming from around it. I thought it could be a fish. As I was just four metres out, I thought I must be seeing things.

"I shouted to the dog, and it (the reptile) turned away and dived back down and into the water. It was either a crocodile or an alligator.

"It was about a metre long."

"I am 100 per cent positive."

Steve, of Oakwood, Pontrhydyfen, Port Talbot, said: "I went straight home and told my partner and she said 'you better report it to the police because youngsters go swimming there in the summer'." Steve is convinced it was an alligator he saw, adding that he had seen them before in Florida. "I think somebody must have had it as a pet," he added.

"I was watching a television programme a few years ago, and it said people buy these monkeys and crocs and once they get a bit too big for the bath they let them go.

"That's the only way I can think how it got there."

Swansea resident Gwilym Games, a member of the Centre for Fortean Zoology, said crocodile reports were quite common.

He said: "There have been quite a few reports of crocodiles in different lakes in the UK."

More at the article Read this article

Swansea Tourism once again express their hope that this will rival Loch Ness :)

Interesting to note the RSPCA has noted some nasty abuse of animals in South Wales recently:

RSPCA CALLS FOR END TO ATTACKS

Evening Post 09:00 - 03 May 2008

The Rspca is calling for an end to airgun abuse of animals in South Wales, following a spate of attacks. Two cats, a bird and a horse were shot with airgun pellets during March and April. The bird and one of the cats had to be put to sleep as a result of their injuries.RSPCA chief inspector Elaine Spence said: "Mindless airgun attacks on pets and wildlife are a serious problem. These incidents only provide a snapshot of the issue, and many more animals are suffering needless pain and death. Sadly, not all incidents are reported to us or witnessed."

The charity is appealing for the public to report any incidents to the police, and asks parents not to buy their child a gun unless they are going to supervise them at all times.

Old Red Eyes - Croc Hunting at Night in Swansea

2008-05-03T02:53:00.007+01:00

Earlier this evening we went croc hunting. Why at night? Well thats one of the best time to look according to experts. Most crocs are nocturnal hunters and as Crocs eyes strongly reflect light, even from a distance, anyone searching for crocs finds that using lights to scan the water for their eye-shine is the best way to spot them at night allowing you to see their glowing red eyes. This eye-shine comes from a special crystal layer at the back of their eye called the "tapetum lucidum" which reflects light. Crocodiles have excellent night vision as a result of this layer.

Did we find the croc? No but we do have some interesting photos. To be honest the search was a long shot I think from what I have discovered it is either dead or has hidden itself very well and won't be moving until the temperature gets into the 20s. More results from the search to come.

By the way I have noted famed cryptozoologist and CFZ member Nick Redfern has noted us on his blog thanks to Siani. See here: A Welsh Crocodile

Latest and More media coverage

2008-05-02T10:14:00.001+01:00

Swarms of croc hunters were at the lake yesterday. I have heard from someone who was there but no new signs have been found as far as I know.

If the Caiman has died in the water it will float belly up. It may be in undergrowth somewhere.

From BBC News: Another interview with Steve.

Stephen Jenkins, from Pontrhydyfen, said: "I was walking my dog and me being a
fisherman and being nosy near water - I was having a look and I could see
something moving in the water.
"I thought at first it was a fish or
something or a log - but there was no wind or anything.
"But I could see the
ripples coming off this. I had a closer look and it was about four metres from
me."
Mr Jenkins said: "I could see the legs and the nose and the tail and
everything.
"It just swam down into the deep end, it's eyes were just on top
of the water as it was moving the eyes were coming towards me."

Crocodile sighting in city lake BBC News

Couple more brief news bits.
Unlikely crocodile hunt in WalesMetro, A crocodile hunt was launched in Wales yesterday after one 'was seen in a pond'. The 1m (3ft) beast was spotted by Steve Jenkins.

Croc spotted in Swansea Ananova

Identification of the Swansea Crocodile? - Part 2

2008-05-01T11:55:00.010+01:00

Taken yesterday while talking with Steve.

See this earlier post:
Important - Croc identified? Part I

A wet Day in Swansea at Pluck lake looking east

Looking towards the west end where croc was seen.

The dog whose walk caused Croc panic.

Steve throws a stone to show where croc was first sighted.

Steve points out where Croc moved towards white van roof.

Steve Jenkins

A photo taken from bank showing the white van roof which croc swam over. This was not taken from where Steve was standing which was about 4m away but was taken closer directly beside it and it shows how the van lid would outline something swimming over it on a calm day as on Sunday.

Igauna in Mumbles!! Milk Snake in Townhill!!! Pythons in Birchgrove !!

2008-05-01T08:07:00.009+01:00

Found an old news report from 13 Jun 2007. An Iguana on the loose. Could it be that someone is leaving a trail of exotic pets in the Swansea area?

BBC NEWS Wales South West Wales Iguana fright as man cuts hedge

13 Jun 2007

Experts say iguanas would not survive a British winter outdoors

A gardener has told of his shock at coming face to face with an iguana as he trimmed his hedge.
The 18in (46cm) reptile is now being cared for by an expert after Bryan Harris called the RSPCA to his home in Mumbles, Swansea.
Attempts are being made to trace the lizard's owner and to find out how it came to be on the loose.
Iguanas can grow more than 5ft long (1.5m) and RSPCA inspector Neil Manley said they do not make very good pets.
He said: "The man said he was cutting the hedge when he suddenly saw this great big lizard sat on it. [Read more at site]

Besides the Iguana an escaped Milk Snake made headlines in 2006.

BBC NEWS Milk snake hiding in Shop's door

19 April 2006- An escaped snake caused mayhem at a grocery store in Swansea when it became trapped within a metal door.
The non-venomous snake was striking out at customers at the Costcutter in the city's Townhill area over the weekend.
A local snake expert and his wife had to be called to extricate the 3.5ft milk snake.
Geraint "the Snakeman" Hopkins and his wife Yolande had to remove the letterbox to recover the snake, which later died from injury and illness. [Read more at site]

Vaireties of Milk Snake are found all over America and are popular pets.

Pythons stolen from garden shed
09 Feb 2006

Police are hunting thieves who have taken 22 young python snakes from a reptile breeder's garden shed. The snakes, described as "gentle" and no threat to people, were grabbed from a house in Birchgrove, Swansea. The royal or ball pythons, measuring 18in to 2ft (45-60cm) in length, were kept in 14 boxes with lockable lids. [Read more at site]

There are in Swansea like all over the UK a large number of reptile fanciers. You can judge some of the extent of this hobby from these adverts:

Reptiles For Sale around Swansea + 30 miles - Lycos Classifieds

Of course the vast majority of exotic pet owners are responsible people, who care for their animals and this respectable side is typified by Exotic Pets Magazine, but there are some rogue people out there keeping animals illegally in bad conditions. The RSPCA is calling for tighter controls on the sale and ownership of dangerous wild animals as you can see here: Exotic animals

There have been a number of Big Cat sightings in the Swansea area especially round Margam. One of the latest is here:

I Came Face to Face With a Big Cat in Swansea Valley South Wales Evening Post: 29th June 2007

Expert on Swansea Wildlife mentions croc

2008-05-01T07:58:00.002+01:00

Professor P.Brain "This blog is intended to raise awareness of natural history events in the Swansea (South Wales) area" -

Crocodile Tears

Comments on Story

2008-05-01T07:56:00.002+01:00

Weeding out the nonsense there are some useful comments on this story from the Swansea Evening Post's original story.

just a few mounths ago there was a report of a otter in there so it was probelt the same one there
callum semmens 14, Neath

i am a little 15 year old boy i go fishing down the pluck i have never seen the crock and i am always down there so if it is there leave it alone please ffffffiiiisssshhh
liam robins, swansea

I think it could well have been a mink or an otter, both are around 1m long and have a swimming profile that could be mistaken for a crocodile from a distance
John, Swansea

It could be the pluck ness monster, in past summers you would be lucky to reel in a small tench from the pluck, normally it's just sprats like roach , rud and perch however I have seen some big things come out of the Pluck over ther years, namely cars and trollies however this monster would be a welcome catch on the worm...
Scooter, Winch Wen Swansea

I have worked with reptiles in two zoos (Twycross and Tropiquaria) and have a soecial intrest in crocodillians. I have also nvestigated several cases of 'caimans' being seen in the midlands and i Cornwall. Nothing was ever found. A crocodillian could live in the UK during a warm summer but wopuld swiftly die come winter. It is possable people are mistaking a large sturgeon. Having said that several species of crocodillian have been caught in the uk over the years including Nile crocodile and specticaled caiman
Richard Freeman, Devon

I worked at a large Reptile House for several years, and both calls and rescues involving crocodilians were fairly common. Unfortunately, when people get hold of these animals (usually illegally) as pets, they often get released into the wild when they become too much to look after, to avoid alerting the authorities. The best way to check would be to visit the lake at night, and with a torch held at eye level, scan the lake margins - if you see any pink or white eyeshine (like catseyes) then it is likely to be true!
Dr James Reed, Yeovil

Approximately 2 years whilst walking my dog along the cycle path by the new bridge, opposite Ford's Plasmarl, I Saw a man staring in disbelief in the water, and as I looked myself I saw a tail disappearing into the water. This looked very much like a crocodile tail, which I commented, did you see that, and the man said people would not believe us if we told them, and walked off. So this has not been the first time, as also my wife and myself on another occasion with the dog saw what looked like a log in the water, but it slowly went down, out of sight, and we felt quite spooked. We believe quite strongly there is a crocodile there, and this should be taken far more seriously by the authorities than it is at present. We also do not want our e mail address printed as we would leave ourselves wide open to prank calls jamming up our e mails, but print the letter by all means.
Concerned dog walker, Swansea

Watch your ankles - a crocodile could be lurking in a Swansea lake

Swansea Evening Post April 28th 2008

Welsh shock - What a croc! in today's The Sun

2008-05-01T07:35:00.008+01:00

Welsh shock - What a croc! The Sun

Steve Jenkins ... croc spotter

FEROCIOUS crocodile is thought to be at large in a murky lake — in WALES.
Startled Steve Jenkins, 38, is convinced he spotted the 3ft-long beast as he walked his dog alongside the water.
'You sure it wasn't a dragon, boyo' ... locals tease
He told cops he saw the croc lurking in the shallows of the rubbish-strewn lake by a Morrisons store in Swansea — but couldn’t get a snap.

I did not say it could be 10 foot long!!! I said it could reach 7 feet and this one was 3 foot long.

BBC Radio on the Croc

2008-05-01T00:34:00.008+01:00

BBC Radio Wales Richard Evans
Wens 30 April 2008 12.00

BBC - Wales - Radio Wales - Richard Evans

Interview with Steve Jenkins and me starts around 48 mins in. I sound ridiculous well I think so :)

You can download the file here:

http://www.mediafire.com/?gamxd4yx5ir

Important - Croc identified? Part I

2008-04-30T21:47:00.015+01:00

Steve Jenkins ... croc spotter

At around 7 pm I talked to Steve Jenkins at the Lake. What he told me further convinced me we are dealing with a member of the Crocodile family. I now know exactly where he stood and from where he saw the animal at that distance of roughly 3-4 m he could not have been mistaken especially as he is a fisherman and he noted the animals legs. The water was calm and the day was clear and fairly sunny.

From his description and what he thinks after showing him Croc photos it seems likely what he saw was a Spectacled Caiman . He described what seemed to be the characteristic bony ridge between its eyes. As that is a popular species for pets that makes sense. The main other possibility is perhaps an American alligator. I think he saw something like this:

From Hungry Hyaena website - "One of the adult spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus) disturbed by my wading in pousada bahia (Pousada Ararauna, Pantanal, Brasil)"

You can see where he was roughly from the map above. The blue man was his first location and the green man is Steve's finally location as is the fish is the croc. The war level today is much higher than on the satellite photo.

I also talked to Jon Downes, the Director, at the CFZ. He feels that the chances of a Croc surviving for any length of time are bleak in April. CFZ has been on a number of UK croc hunts in the last few years. He also filled me in on further on the illegal trade in crocs and other exotics. Alligators are easy to buy in Florida and were easy to smuggle back in hand luggage. It is tougher since 9/11 but perhaps in South America where Caimans come from security is not so tight. There is certainly an underground trade in place inside the UK. Furthermore he told me about 3 crocodile bodies that have been found in British waterways and ponds in recent times.

The Sun, and Swansea Evening Post are doing more on this story today.

More updates to come keep watching this blog. Please come forward if you seen anything.

Other sightings or reports of crocs in the UK

2008-04-30T20:08:00.001+01:00

One of the more detailed cases in from the Welsh Marches in the Gloucester-Sharpness canal in 2003 which the CFZ looked into.

A Caiman in the Canal? « Severnside Centre for Fortean Research -

The CFZ were also involved in this case in London.
East End Crocodile Hunt Begins (from This Is Local London) August 2005

THE hunt is on to find out if a bloodthirsty crocodile really is lurking in the
River Lea.
A Leyton and Leytonstone Guardian exclusive last week revealed
that the reptile could have been responsible for snatching a large Canada goose
from the river, near the Lea Interchange in Leyton.
Since then reports have
come in that the peckish beast may be taking its pick from the river's rich menu
of wildlife.
Five cygnets have been reported missing to the Lea Rivers Trust
and tales of dogs being snatched from the riverbank are doing the rounds among
local fishermen.

2000 Essex

SPECTACLED CAIMAN A man who paid £20 in an Essex pub for what he thought was an
exotic lizard ran into trouble as the creature turned out to be a Spectacled
Caiman - a type of Crocodile. The Caiman - christened Carmen - was only 12
inches long when it was rescued in June 2000, but at full size could grow up to
seven feet in length. When found it was severely underweight, had an infected
stub on its broken tail and had two claws missing. Caimans, which require being
housed in tropical conditions and fed a diet of fish and meat, have an
aggressive nature.

Manchester 2002 - Alligator rescued from house

An alligator, which lived most of his life in a building in the back garden of a
house in Greater Manchester, is starting a new life in Spain, thanks to the
RSPCA. Samson, a six-foot American alligator, has lived in a purpose-built home
attached to the conservatory of his owner’s house in Bury for 27 years. August
2002

Two-inch 'pet lizard' grows into crocodile by Tom Sykes and Peter Gruner
June 14, 2001

A North London man whose son swapped a fish for what he thought was a small
lizard had to call in the RSPCA when the animal grew into a crocodile and bit
him - and could have killed him.
The boy had in fact been given a baby
spectacled cayman, capable of growing to more than 7 feet and more suited to
feasting on the flesh of large birds and mammals in South American swamps than a
terraced house in Palmers Green.
When the boy, a keen fish breeder, first
obtained the cayman, which is listed as a dangerous wild animal and has to be
registered with the authorities, it was only two inches long. Over the next 18
months it grew and grew until it was two-and-a half feet. The crocodile was kept
in a four-foot tank half filled with water - although caymans need dry land to
bask on in order to be fit and healthy.

Alligator Living In Bedroom North Derbyshire

Inspector Ian Briggs RSPCA officers rescued a five-foot alligator from a flat in
Chesterfield, where it had been living in a pond liner in a bedroom measuring
just ten feet square.Louis the Mississippi alligator was imported from America
to live in a British zoo, before he was sold to a pet shop and then snapped up
by an exotics’ collector. However, the alligator’s new owner, who did not have a
DWA licence, quickly found he was unable to cope with the creature.RSPCA
Inspector Ian Briggs said: “Alligators like Louis can grow up to 12 feet in
length. Clearly, a flat is a totally unsuitable environment for an animal such
as this. The alligator was not licensed so there was no mechanism in place for
either its welfare or safety issues to be monitored.”The DWA Act must be
tightened up so that animals such as this do not slip through the net.” Louis,
who was rescued from the flat in December 1999, is now being cared for at
Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens, a specialist exotics centre in North Norfolk.

There is also a strange link between crocs and one of the ancient Welsh lake monsters the Affanc. More on this later.

Daily Mail/Telegraph on the Swansea Crocodile

2008-04-30T15:32:00.004+01:00

It also got into the Daily Mail:

Hunt launched after dog walker spots 3ft-long crocodile

But professor of natural history, Paul Brain, said it was possible for it to survive in the colder British climate.
He said: "The crocodile would simply slow down or even shut down for a while during cold weather then spring back to life when the water gets warmer.
"There are a lot of exotic pets out there and this could be one which outgrew its tank and the lake may have been a suitable place to dump it."
A spokesman for Swansea Police said: "We have visited the lake several times and not seen anything - but we are not ruling it out."

A few extra details there.

Meanwhile in the Daily Telegraph:

Crocodile spotted near Welsh supermarket Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom

Croc details

2008-04-30T13:42:00.003+01:00

Just talked to the witness Steve Jenkins on BBC Radio. He saw the beast at around 11.30 on Sunday from a distance of 3-4 m.
He is a fisherman so not likely to confuse it with a fish.

So little chance of a mistaken identification. He saw it had 4 legs, long tail, dark colour.

Sounds like a croc of some type to me. More as it comes in. Will meet him later.

Western Mail on the Pluck Ness Monster

2008-04-30T10:31:00.005+01:00

Long article in the Western Mail with more details of the sighting:

Does a Welsh Loch Ness monster lurk in city lake?

The creature is normally the preserve of warmer climes such as Africa, Asia and Australia, but fisherman Steve Jenkins is convinced he saw a specimen in Morfa Enterprise Zone’s Pluck Lake.

Mr Jenkins, who lives nearby, was on Sunday walking his dog around the lake, which is the size of four football pitches, when he saw what he first thought was a log in the water.

He said yesterday, “It was definitely a crocodile. There was a white van submerged in the water and it swam over the top of it so I had a good look. It was a metre long and had a long tail.

“I’ve been ribbed mercilessly since I reported it to the police – people whistle the tune of Crocodile Shoes when they see me. But I don’t care what people think, I know what I saw.”

It looks like there is defiantly something there. I will be talking to Steve later today so I will have more info very soon.

Article also feature Beastwatch another well known organisation involved in British Croc hunts mentioned earlier. But why does it claim this is Welsh equivalent to Loch Ness have they forgotten about Teggy of Bala Lake? And of course whatever is in Langorse lake. I was trying to avoid it being called after Nessie but it have failed it looks like it is the Pluck Ness Monster. Morfadil sounds better.

It also go into the Daily Mail:

Hunt launched after dog walker spots 3ft-long crocodile

But professor of natural history, Paul Brain, said it was possible for it to survive in the colder British climate.
He said: "The crocodile would simply slow down or even shut down for a while during cold weather then spring back to life when the water gets warmer.
"There are a lot of exotic pets out there and this could be one which outgrew its tank and the lake may have been a suitable place to dump it."
A spokesman for Swansea Police said: "We have visited the lake several times and not seen anything - but we are not ruling it out."

A few extra details there.

Evening Post reports on Expedition

2008-04-29T14:59:00.009+01:00

I appealed to the Swansea Evening Post for help. It got a little bit distorted in the telling I am not really a "Crocodile Expert" though I have been advised by one Richard Freeman.

Crocodile expert investigates sighting
South Wales Evening Post,

The main thing is we should get some more reports in I hope. Then we can work out what it is.

Its raining in Swansea temp around 7 degrees the prospects for a Caiman being about are limited. Caiman's are mostly noctural especially Dwarf Caimans.

Is it going to move enough at night when it is this cold is it worth while doing a nocturnal hunt today ? Of course if it is a fish then it might be pointless looking at night as i will be difficult to spot anything.

The expedition

2008-04-29T11:15:00.016+01:00

A party of two intrepid monster hunters set out. Here are the photos from the expedition:

We were at Pluck lake for around one half hours from around 5.15 till close to seven on Monday evening. Had a good look round wandering round the lake, there was plenty of light and i was fairly warm for April. The lake is approx 155m east to west, 80 m north to south.

[Pluck Pond from satellite this shows the pond with much lower water level than it has at the moment. The water reaches up to the undergrowth on the eastern shore now. It seems close to the size to other water areas such as Roman lake, Staffordshire which have reported crocs.]

No unknown or large animals were sighted but there was some bird life with a goose and some moorhens/coots. There were two of us and we had binoculars so we could keep a reasonably good eye on the lake throughout our visit. Most of the lake/pond is open water but the eastern end has watery reed beds which merge into bushes and trees. In the north-east corner rivulets and gullies connect to the main water. Heavy undergrowth and mud make it an ideal place for an amphibious animal to hide.

I could not get into that area without making quite a bit of noise which might have alerted it. If there was a caiman it could take cover in that area easily I guess. I had discovered that the Spectacled caiman [which grows up to seven feet] is a very adaptable species found in all lowland wetland and riverine habitat within its range in South and North America. It can be found most often in the still water areas of these habitats. This caiman has the widest distribution of any species in the Alligatorinae family. If environmental conditions become too hot, the Spectacled Caiman will burrow into mud and estivate (estivate is to summer what hibernate is to winter). Thus it could have gone into hiding in this area possibly using them same techniques. The Dwarf Caiman was even more prone to hiding and burrowing and is a very nocturnal and it was another popular pet.

" The dwarf caiman’s hefty, bonier scales shield its internal organs from swift waters, rocky river bottoms and such predators as anacondas and jaguars. It has an unusually short, smooth, pointy skull with an upturned snout, a useful adaptation for burrowing into a riverbank or bottom during the day."

On the other hand the goose was also lurking in the reed beds but I suppose it might not have detected the Caiman. If there is a caiman I believe it has dug itself down for warmth and may die soon unless there is a sudden heat wave (in Wales this is unlikely). It simply won't have enough energy to hunt till thee is. It will depend on how much food it has had recently how long it could survive.

One thing which can be ruled out is that I saw no floating logs or anything else likely to confuse someone watching. Two other monster hunters arrived while we were there but they also found nothing and left after a while. Local lads they had been down the pond many times when kids and said it was smaller than it used to be. I had guessed as much that from a stoney area which looked like former lake bed on the south side. They also said the pond was supposed to cover old mine workings so the centre was very deep indeed. That was interesting info.

What adds to the questions on the lake is that someone on the Swansea Evening Post website had stated:

Approximately 2 years whilst walking my dog along the cycle path by the new bridge, opposite Ford's Plasmarl, I Saw a man staring in disbelief in the water, and as I looked myself I saw a tail disappearing into the water. This looked very much like a crocodile tail, which I commented, did you see that, and the man said people would not believe us if we told them, and walked off. So this has not been the first time, as also my wife and myself on another occasion with the dog saw what looked like a log in the water, but it slowly went down, out of sight, and we felt quite spooked. We believe quite strongly there is a crocodile there, and this should be taken far more seriously by the authorities than it is at present. We also do not want our e mail address printed as we would leave ourselves wide open to prank calls jamming up our e mails, but print the letter by all means.
Concerned dog walker, Swansea

The mystery deepens as there is no way a Croc could survive two years in Wales in our cold climate. As I saw no tracks or other traces round the pond so perhaps a large fish seems a likely explanation of what someone saw unless it was an illusion.

Anyway what I have nicknamed the Morfadile remains a mystery. More info from the public is needed hence this blog so if you are in Swansea and you have seen something let us know.

Pluck Lake - the area

2008-04-29T10:58:00.008+01:00

Pluck Pond is found besides a busy road in Kilvey Community Woodland a designated nature reserve run by council and Forestry Commission. The Woodland incorporates a variety of habitats including woodland, heathland, wetland and meadow stretching up to the slopes of Kilvey Hill a noted landmark at the west end of Swansea.

Pluck Pond is known as a refuge for some insectlife such as blue-tailed damselfly and the emperor dragonfly. As to its larger inhabitants the Council website for local anglers said of the Pluck Pond:
"extremely weedy... It's rarely fished but has some big bream, tench & eels for those looking to put some work in. Quite frankly no one knows what's in there!"

So whatever lurked in the pond would have something to eat.

It is also close to the new Liberty Stadium in Morfa and is on the fringe of the Enterprise Park and directly opposite the Morrison's superstore.

Google map of location:

Crocs in Britain? Or something else...

2008-04-29T09:37:00.018+01:00

The idea of an escaped crocodile of some variety might seem bizarre but I already knew the CFZ had been called out before on exactly these kind of hunts. Increasing numbers of people were dumping crocs in rivers and lakes and keeping them illegally at home. The RSPCA society rescued more than 40 alligators and crocodiles between 2000-5.

A major CFZ expedition was to Roman Lake near that central point of weirdness Cannock Chase in 2003 where:

John Mizzen, his Daughter Linda Charteris and his three young granddaughters encountered something which was large and alive. John had taken his family to the waters edge to feed a pair of Swans and their Cygnets. Following a substantial underwater commotion a head appeared on the surface. It scared the three children and unnerved Linda. John could only describe it in one way. Alligator. Both John and Linda thought it was after the Cygnets. Distracted by the frightened children Linda only saw it for a few seconds, but was insistent it was large dark coloured flat head, moving silently through the water. John had a longer look, and estimated that the body was five feet long and the tail two feet.

Roman Lake in Staffordshire Photo from Beastwatch's report on the incident.

Accounts of that hunt provided useful background:

As I’ve said it is not unknown for Crocodilians to be in this country (completely illegal, in contravention of the 1976 Dangerous Animals act, and sometimes, laws against exploiting endangered species).
Because of its relatively small size, African Dwarf Crocodiles (Osteolaemus tetraspis) have become popular the world over as novelty pets. An endangered species, from West and tropical Africa they grow to a maximum of about five feet. Ten of these were confiscated, very recently, by customs Officers at Heathrow airport. They were smuggled, on a flight from Nigeria, stuffed into sacks in the aircrafts hold. All ten animals survived.

Above Dwarf Caiman

The Speckled Caiman (Caiman Crocodilius) originates from South America and grows up to seven feet in length. In September 2002 Police and the RSPCA retrieved two such animals from a squalid Oldham council flat. Another story, sounding like the introduction to a joke, but true, is of a fellow who bought a “Lizard” in a sack, from a man in an Essex pub. The moron paid £20 and staggered home. Once sober he discovered he was the owner of a Speckled Caiman.
Below Spectacled Caiman
Caiman crocodilus

A five foot long American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), was found a few years ago in a spare bedroom in Chesterfield. The unfortunate animal had been kept in pond liner for years. After being rescued it was sent to a Norfolk Wildlife Park. The American Alligator is by far the largest of the Crocodilians I have mentioned here, the largest males grow up to about fifteen feet, and if tales spun by everglades moon shiners are to be believed, up to twenty feet, (although I’m not suggesting for one moment anything close to that size is at large in Roman View Lake).
from Crocodile Hunting in The Midlands by Mark P. Martin

Then in 2005 one was seen in a pond in Cornwall :

Stacey Clayton spotted the 2ft (61cm) caiman on Saturday at St Andrew's pond in St Blazey.
The animal has not been found, but the RSPCA believes it could be hiding in nearby marshland and has warned local people to be careful in the area.
A reptile expert from Newquay Zoo believes the caiman could be an unwanted pet which has been dumped.

It's certainly not going to attack or chase a human being, but if you tried to get hold of it, it could bite you

John Meek, Newquay Zoo

Ms Clayton said: "I noticed this big log bopping up and down in the water, but as I got closer to it, it blinked and I could see its eyes.
"I wasn't sure whether it was alive or not so I threw a small stone near it and as it moved I could see it was a caiman - about 2ft long - so I dashed home and called the RSPCA."..
The RSPCA said the incident highlighted the growing problem of people keeping exotic animals with little or no knowledge of the specialist care and attention they require. The society has rescued more than 40 alligators and crocodiles since 2000.

Cornwall | Snapper warning issued to village BBC - 5 October 2005,

The CFZ also looked for it as this report shows Monster Hunters Snappy Visit. None of these hunts turned up anything solid. This may be because the crocs had already died from the cold conditions. If there was such a reptile in the pond it needed immediate rescue as April in Wales would kill it soon.

But it also seems possible these sightings may be a case of mistaken identity as it could be a large fish is to blame for the Crocodile sightings. Here there were various candidates such as Sturgeon which Richard had mentioned to me on the phone.

There is a particular fish, which is absolutely enormous, the Sturgeon, which can look like a Crocodile, especially from the top.” I based my comments on the original witnesses report to the local Police and RSPCA; they were five members of a local family.I do not think my statement that the Cygnet Cruncher possibly being a Sturgeon too unreasonable. We even have a precedent from Loch Ness Monster lore. Naturalist and Loch Ness ecology expert, Adrian Shine believes that misidentified Sturgeon could be Nessie herself, the Queen of all Monsters. He thinks they enter the Loch via the river Ness in search of mates. He supports his argument with a case from 1932. Miss K Macdonald saw an 8 foot long creature splashing up the river Ness. The description was remarkably similar to a Crocodile. Shine thinks that this “Crocodile” was in fact, a Sturgeon.

This fish could be huge no wonder it was a good candidate for Nessie. "In 1987 a Sturgeon, eleven feet (3.35 m) long and weighing 900 lbs (408 kg) was found dead, floating in Lake Washington near Seattle, U.S.A., where stories of a 'Monster' had circulated (Albuquerque Journal, 7th November 1987)."

The fish shown above was washed up in Lake Washington and was 3.5m (11 feet) long.

For more see: Research Loch Ness - Adrian Shine - Sturgeon or Surgeon. With its bony ridge it also could look a croc from a distance. "Against the sturgeon is that the European sturgeon is not known to spend long periods in fresh water and the regular return of a giant sturgeon to Loch Ness would seem unlikely. The lake sturgeon is a different species and not found in the UK. Perhaps European sturgeon could adapt to fresh water, but that is not known." Another giant sturgeon can be seen here:

But there are other aquatic monsters in British lakes:

Some thing struck a chord, in John and Linda’s account; it was the statement that the beast was after the Cygnets. This stirred a memory. Later in the day, after several local people told of large Pike (Esox lucius) in the lake, it came back. A couple or three decade ago, my Farther a keen and vastly experienced Angler, enthralled me with tales of this mighty predator. He told me that Pike pluck Wildfowl from the surface. Could a Pike be mistaken for a Crocodilian? I searched the triple double-u for Pike images, and was quite stunned by the remarkable similarity between a Pike and Crocs head. The eyes are on top; even the jaw line matches the sinister “Crocodile Smile”. But John said the animal was seven feet long, even allowing for a little adrenaline fuelled exaggeration, this would be a truly enormous specimen of E. lucius.
The largest officially recognised example weighed in at 67lb, (I can’t find any mention of its length, but according to the Pike Anglers Club of Great Britain, it would have been about five feet long). There are many claims of even bigger fish. Ireland, with its many ancient and largely undisturbed Loughs is home to numerous mammoth Pike legends. Claims of up to 90lbs have been made. There is one story from the Connamara region, in the North West of the country. It tells of a scuba diver who was terrified by a Pike, over six feet long.

Yet you don't need to go to Ireland for giant Pike. A previous CFZ expedition had located what appeared to be a monster pike in Langorse lake in Breconshire as this video shows:

It was time to get more background on the lake.

The Mystery Begins - Hunting strange beasts in Morfa

2008-04-28T01:32:00.010+01:00

Browsing the web I discovered in mid afternoon that a strange cryptid has been sighted in East Swansea in the Morfa area in Pluck Lake. I was a strange coincidence I had been thinking about other Welsh cryptids at the time. The report read:

Watch your ankles - a crocodile could be lurking in a Swansea lake

Swansea Evening Post April 28th 2008

Watch your ankles - a crocodile could be lurking in a Swansea lake!Police and RSPCA officers were at Pluck Lake opposite Morrisons in Morfa yesterday after receiving a report of a crocodile there.The caller, who raised the alert at around noon, was certain the creature was a crocodile and said it was about one metre long. A police spokesman said: "If it is a crocodile, it is a freshwater one and it is only the saltwater ones that are a threat, the big massive ones."We went down and had a look. It is cold, and if it was a genuine call it could be an escaped pet - it's not beyond the bounds of imagination."He said experts had told them that if a crocodile or alligator was out in the current temperatures, it could be lurking under the water.He added: "It's best not to go swimming."

I am a member of The Centre for Fortean Zoology the only professional, scientific and full-time organisation in the world dedicated to Fortean-Zoology; a portmanteau discipline which includes cryptozoology -- the study of unknown animals and also looks into reports of and out of place animals.

I decided rapid action was needed as it was close to where I lived in Swansea and started planning a Croc hunting expedition. I gathered equipment various cameras, food, and binoculars. I then contact CFZ HQ for advice. Richard Freeman, is the CFZ's resident zoologist, veteran of many expeditions including hunts for the Mongolian deathworm, in The Gambia he looked for a dragon like beast known as ninki-nanka,, and to Guyana in 2007 searching for giant anaconda, di-di (a yeti like homonid), and the water tiger (a spotted semi-aquatic, flesh eating mammal). The CFZ is a non profit-making organisation, which was founded in 1992. Further information on the CFZ can be found on their website, www.cfz.org.uk. He is a man who has handled plenty of crocs in his time. He tells me to take a look around and report back and said if a croc is located he is ready to come over from Devon to capture it if needed. If the authorities allow it could make an excellent addition for the CFZ's MENAGERIE which is currently being constructed and will be alongside the Museum.

But what exactly am I looking for? Could it be that a crocodile, perhaps the ancient inspiration for the Draig Goch, the emblem of Wales was on the loose. I needed some background.

Source

Dial M for Monster

The Accrington Toadman

Police hunt weirdness with Helicopters

Big Cats in Wales - Academics support

Wolfman - The Origin

Guardian Opinion 6:30am Wednesday 18 March 2009

Wolfman - media hype?

Wolfman in Ammanford

Gwiber - Flying Vipers

Meat Eating Squirrels in Wales?

Giant Eels?

Big Cats in Wales - More sightings

Welsh Cryptid Comic

Manatee hunt cancelled

Manatees - Coming to Western Britain!

Milford Monster - Hunted by Sonar

The Expedition Map is now online

Welsh Manatee Expedition 2008

A Pembrokeshire Merman in 1782 and the 2008 "Manatee"?

UK Crocodile rescue stories

Manatee maids in Wales - Connected to Milford Monster?

Giant eels in the lake

Ghost Slug haunting Wales

Alien spotted in Mumbles

Current Crazy Croc Encounter - Out of place Alligators in the states

Crazy croc Syndrome!

OUT-OF-PLACE ALLIGATOR SNAPS AT A MAN IN KENNEBUNKPORT, MAINE

Charles Fort on Mystery Croc Reports

Crocodile or Otterdile?

Mumbles Mice

This story's monster has a serpent caul: Dylan Thomas on the Crocodile

Swansea croc hunt

Croc?

Frozen alligators

Hunting the Croc at Night

Swansea Crocodile latest news report

RSPCA CALLS FOR END TO ATTACKS

Old Red Eyes - Croc Hunting at Night in Swansea

Latest and More media coverage

Identification of the Swansea Crocodile? - Part 2

Igauna in Mumbles!! Milk Snake in Townhill!!! Pythons in Birchgrove !!

Expert on Swansea Wildlife mentions croc

Comments on Story

Welsh shock - What a croc! in today's The Sun

BBC Radio on the Croc

Important - Croc identified? Part I

Other sightings or reports of crocs in the UK

A Caiman in the Canal? « Severnside Centre for Fortean Research -The CFZ were also involved in this case in London.East End Crocodile Hunt Begins (from This Is Local London) August 2005

Daily Mail/Telegraph on the Swansea Crocodile

Croc details

Western Mail on the Pluck Ness Monster

Evening Post reports on Expedition

The expedition

Pluck Lake - the area

Crocs in Britain? Or something else...

from Crocodile Hunting in The Midlands by Mark P. Martin

Cornwall | Snapper warning issued to village BBC - 5 October 2005,

The Mystery Begins - Hunting strange beasts in Morfa

Guardian Opinion
6:30am Wednesday 18 March 2009

A Caiman in the Canal? « Severnside Centre for Fortean Research -

The CFZ were also involved in this case in London.
East End Crocodile Hunt Begins (from This Is Local London) August 2005