For two weeks in September 2009, a four man team from the British based Centre for Fortean Zoology will be on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Why? It is our third expedition in search of the legendary orang pendek - an upright walking ape.
Showing posts with label CFZ Sumatra Expedition 2009. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CFZ Sumatra Expedition 2009. Show all posts
A few days ago some ill informed guttersnipe complained that there had been no pictures released from the Sumatra expedition. This is because they were still in the jungle at the time. However, beginning today, we shall be releasing pictures and/or video each day as we process them. This is the first trenche.
Adam and Chris crammed into a ridiculously over-crowded minibus
from Bangko to Kerinci. The rest of the team are there also, but you
cannot see them for the mass of people.
Richard with a kubu hunter who had witnessed OP about three years previously. He motioned that it had been about four feet tall, black and walked upright like a man. Its face was like that of a macacque. He was adamant that it was not a monkey, a gibbon, or a sun bear.
Sahar Didmus - the guide on three of, and five of Adam's expeditions
The Sumatran rainforest - home of the orang-pendek
A half eaten coconut that the expedition found by the side of the trail in Gunung Tuju. Teeth marks are clearly visible. Could it have been nibbled upon by orang-pendek?
For Immediate Release 29th September EXPEDITION SPOTS MYSTERY APE IN SUMATRA
The Centre for Fortean Zoology (CFZ) is the world’s largest mystery animal research group. Only a week after releasing footage of what appears to be anomalous animals in an Irish lake, a group of four British explorers and scientists from the CFZ have just returned from the jungles of Sumatra having spent two weeks in the rainforest on the track of the orang-pendek, an unknown species of upright walking ape. They have brought back some incredible news.
CFZ member Dave Archer and local guide Sahar saw the creature at a distance of around 100 feet as it squatted in a tree. Dave describes it as broad shouldered, with a large head, black skin and dark brown hair. A line of darker fur was visible on the spine. He likened the coat of the creature to that of a mountain gorilla. Sahar saw the creature jump down from the tree and walk away on its hind legs. It was the size of an adult male chimpanzee.
Next to the tree was some rattan vine that the animal was apparently chewing. Expedition leader Adam Davis has preserved part of the plant in ethanol in the hope that it contains cells from the animal’s mouth.
The team also found and photographed several sets of tracks made by creatures. Expedition zoologist Richard Freeman confirmed that they matched no known creature in the area. The prints were six to seven inches long with a narrow heel and wider front. The big toe is well separated.
Hair samples were taken from a tree close to the tracks. A number of the hairs contain medullas that the team hopes will contain orang-pendek DNA. The samples will shortly be sent off to experts around the world for analysis.
If the samples turn out to be from a new species Freeman suggests the scientific name of Pongo martyri in honour of the English researcher Debbie Martyr who has done more than anyone else to look into this zoological mystery.
Footage from the expedition and from the Irish lakes are being submitted for inclusion in a major BBC documentary about the CFZ, which is being made by Minnow Films, an award winning British film production company, over the next eight months.
Pictures are available from the expedition, and more information will be released over the next few days. For pictures from Sumatra or Ireland, or to interview personnel from either expedition please telephone Jon or Corinna on 01237 4531413.
NOTES TO EDITORS
* The Centre for Fortean Zoology [CFZ] is the world’s largest mystery animal research organisation. It was founded in 1992 by British author Jonathan Downes (and is a non-profit making (not for profit) organisation registered with H.M. Stamp Office. * Life-president of the CFZ is Colonel John Blashford-Snell OBE, best known for his groundbreaking youth work organising the ‘Operation Drake’ and ‘Operation Raleigh’ expeditions in the 1970s and 1980s. * CFZ Director Jonathan Downes is the author and/or editor of over 20 books. Island of Paradise, his first hand account of two expeditions to the Caribbeanisland of Puerto Rico in search of the grotesque vampiric chupacabra, will be published in the next few weeks. * The CFZ have carried out expeditions across the world including Russia, Sumatra, Mongolia, Guyana, Gambia, Texas, Mexico, Thailand, Puerto Rico, Illinois, Loch Ness, and Loch Morar. * CFZ Press is the world’s largest publisher of books on mystery animals. They also publish Animals & Men, the world’s only cryptozoology magazine, and The Amateur Naturalist, Britain’s only dedicated magazine on the subject. * The CFZ produce their own full length documentaries through their media division called CFZtv (www.cfztv.org). One of their films, Lair of the Red Worm, which was released in early 2007 and documents their 2005 Mongolia expedition, has now been seen by nearly 50,000 people. * The CFZ is based in Jon Downes’s old family home in rural north Devon, which he shares with his wife Corinna (52). It is also home to various members of the CFZ’s permanent directorate and a collection of exotic animals. * Jonathan Downes presents a monthly web TV show called On the Track (http://cfzmonthly.blogspot.com/), which covers cryptozoology and work of the CFZ. * The CFZ are opening a Visitor Centre and Museum in Woolsery, North Devon. * Following their successful partnership with Capcom (www.capcom.com) on the 2007 Guyana expedition, the CFZ are looking for more commercial sponsors.
Pic: L-R Sahar Didmus, Dr Chris Clark, Dave Archer, Adam Davies, Richard Freeman, Donny (guide)
BIPEDAL APE COULD GIVE CLUES TO HOW MANKIND EVOLVED
An unknown species of Indonesian ape could shed light on how our own human ancestors began to walk erect. The orang-pendek of Sumatra is said to be a powerfully-built ape that walks on two legs like a man. Both native people and western explorers, including two noted scientists, have reported the creature from the deep jungle.
This week four English scientists and explorers will brave the rainforest in search of the orang-pendek. The team from the Centre for Fortean Zoology will spend two weeks in Sumatra working with the Kubu people, the island’s original inhabitants, who will help them track the mysterious ape.
The expedition comes shortly after the announcement of the discovery of a fossil hominid in Georgia. The Dmansis hominids lived 1.8 million years ago and had legs like modern humans, but primitive arms. Their early occurrence has made scientists rethink how hominids moved out of Africa to colonise the rest of the world.
Richard Freeman, the team’s zoologist, says…
“It was once thought that our ancestors became bipedal when they descended from the trees and moved onto the grasslands of East Africa in order to exploit new food sources. However, now it seems that many apes and hominids were moving ‘bipedally’ whilst they were still rainforest dwellers.
As well as being a major zoological discovery, the orang-pendek could give us some clues on how bipedalism developed.”
The group’s trip will be recorded on the Centre for Fortean Zoology’s website at
* The Centre for Fortean Zoology [CFZ] is the world’s largest mystery animal research organisation. It was founded in 1992 by British author Jonathan Downes and is a non-profit making (not for profit) organisation registered with H.M. Stamp Office.
* Life-president of the CFZ is Colonel John Blashford-Snell OBE, best known for his groundbreaking youth work organising the ‘Operation Drake’ and ‘Operation Raleigh’ expeditions in the 1970s and 1980s.
* CFZ Director Jonathan Downes is the author and/or editor of over 20 books. Island of Paradise, his first-hand account of two expeditions to the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico in search of the grotesque vampiric chupacabra, will be published in the next few weeks.
* The CFZ have carried out expeditions across the world including Russia, Sumatra, Mongolia, Guyana, Gambia, Texas, Mexico, Thailand, Puerto Rico, Illinois, Loch Ness and Loch Morar.
* CFZ Press are the world’s largest publishers of books on mystery animals. They also publish Animals & Men, the world’s only cryptozoology magazine, and The Amateur Naturalist, Britain’s only dedicated magazine on the subject.
* The CFZ produce their own full-length documentaries through their media division called CFZtv at www.cfztv.org. One of their films, Lair of the Red Worm, which was released in early 2007 and documents their 2005 Mongolia expedition, has now been seen by nearly 50,000 people.
* The CFZ is based in Jon Downes’s old family home in rural North Devon, which he shares with his wife Corinna (52). It is also home to various members of the CFZ’s permanent directorate and a collection of exotic animals.
* Jonathan Downes presents a monthly web TV show called On the Track (http://cfzmonthly.blogspot.com/), which covers cryptozoology and the work of the CFZ.
* The CFZ are opening a Visitor Centre and Museum in Woolsery, North Devon.
* Following their successful partnership with Capcom www.capcom.com on the 2007 Guyana expedition, the CFZ are looking for more commercial sponsors.
I’m sorry I’ve not been in touch for some time. Our household is ridiculous at the moment. The youngest member is very sick, the pets are behaving oddly and generally speaking it’s all over the place.
I wanted to say congratulations on the Sumatra expedition, though, and good luck, also! Such excursions are never without reward to a certain extent, though sadly, it is rare for such rewards to include the actual locating of live specimens, I know from experience. I do not have your level of professional expertise, however, so perhaps you will bring back the orang-pendek after all. That certainly would be something to see!
Oh, and by the way, I am still working on my friend about the Bigfoot cast. I have not forgotten; nor did I make the suggestion idly, without intention of following through. He does owe me a favour but is reluctant to see it as yet!
Jon asked me last night to write a short piece on what I want out of the expedition. There is a very short answer to this.
I want to see it. I want to see it so badly, I dream about it.
I will now have been to Indonesia five times looking for evidence of the Orang–Pendek, the Sumatran Yeti. Importantly, I have found real scientific evidence of its existence. For example, the hair I found in 2001 was identified as being from an unknown primate by the gentleman who analysed the hair in the famous Dingo baby case; while a primatologist at Cambridge reached the same conclusion over the prints. (See my book Extreme expeditions: Travel Adventures Stalking The World’s Mystery Animals for more details). Any evidence I do/will find will always be open to independent scientific scrutiny. Otherwise it counts for nothing.
I have spent thousands of pounds of my own money looking for the Orang-Pendek . I have interviewed reams of witnesses, and travelled hundreds of miles through jungle. I have been sucked by too many leeches to count and on one memorable occasion realised I had bacillary dysentery, whilst I was on top of a mountain….
Why?
Lake Tuju, where we are going on the second part of the expedition, is an exceptionally beautiful place. It is a volcano crater shrouded by primal jungle. As you approach the camp by canoe, gibbons warn others of your approach. Beyond that; bears, golden cats, and tigers really do roam only a few yards into that forest. In the diversity of its life, there is nowhere like it on earth.
I know the Orang-Pendek exists. I have travelled with several others in search of it, and I can say that the team we have - Dally and Sahar (Indonesia) and myself Chris Richard and Dave - are a strong, dedicated team. For the first half of the expedition, we will be staying with the Kubu, and I hope to learn about their oral traditions and legends, as well as utilising their services in the quest.
The Palm Oil plantations are upon us. The work we are doing is for good, so wish us luck!
We thought that it was about time that we had a quick look at the four members of the Sumatra 2009 team. The pictures, by the way, are from last year's expedition to Russia.
Richard Freeman Richard is a full-time cryptozoologist and the Zoological Director of the Centre for Fortean Zoology. He has taken expeditions all across the globe in search of monsters and mysterious beasts. He has hunted giant snakes in Indo-China and South America, relic hominids in Russia, mystery apes in Indonesia, dragons in West Africa, giant eels in Scotland and death worms in the Gobi Desert.
Dr Chris Clark Chris has taken part in and partially funded many of the CFZ’s expeditions. An avid explorer, he has also travelled widely in some of the most inhospitable places on earth such as Afghanistan. He is a trained astrophysicist and currently works as an engineer for Halliburton. He is fascinated with Islamic architecture.
Adam Davis Adam works as an interviewer for the Home Office. He has explored the planet on the track of unknown animals for a number of years. His adventures have included ape-men in Mongolia, lake monsters in Scandinavia, possible living dinosaurs in the Congo and wildmen in China. He has appeared on the History Channel in the U.S.
Dave Archer Dave keeps exotic pets in a number that could constitute a small zoo. He is a member of the CFZ and took part in his first cryptozoological expedition last year when he hunted the almasty, a relic hominid in Russia. He has taken his own expeditions to Turkey to study the native reptiles.
After two previous expeditions to the Indonesian island of Sumatra on the track of the upright walking ape know as orang-pendek (short man) the CFZ will be returning for a third expedition beginning on September 13th.
Adam Davies, Dr Chris Clark, Dave Archer and myself will be spending two weeks in the jungle in search of the orang-pendek. Past expeditions have concentrated on Gunung Tuju (the lake of seven peaks) in Kerinchi National Park. This time the better part of the expedition will be spent with the Kubu people in the lowland jungles. Back in 2004 Chris and I spent a day with these people and Nylam, their chief.
The Kubu are the original inhabitants of Sumatra. The modern Indonesians arrived relatively recently from Malaya. The Kubu are far taller and more slender than the average Sumatran. They have oriental features but the men have curly hair almost like Africans. Until recently the Kubu lived totally wild in the jungle. Now they have houses but still spend months on end in the deep rainforest. Nylam told us of his own encounter with an orang-pendek a few years back. He and his warriors had also seen ten-metre-long serpents that they described as having horns like an ox!
We will be working with the Kubu to search for orang-pendek and the horned serpents (the Kubu call them 'Nagas'). Apparently there have been a number of sightings of the short man in the area recently. We intend to make our HQ in the ‘garden’; a semi-cultivated area that abuts the true jungle. We hope to record some of their culture and folklore as next to nothing has been written on Kubu beliefs.
Towards the end of the trip we will return to Gunung Tuju where the creature has also been seen recently.
They say three's the charm and third time lucky so keep your fingers crossed!
Sahar Didmus - the guide on three of, and five of Adam's expeditions
A half eaten coconut that the expedition found by the side
