Cryptomundians Identified The Toy, Folks
Posted by: Loren Coleman on April 27th, 2009
The story “New Qatari Mystery Photo” was originally posted here on April 23rd, sharing a news article then circulating early on that very day throughout the Arab world.
Cryptomundo is proud to openmindedly and skeptically examine all that is presented by the modern media, and search for the sources and reality behind evidence, images, and more. In the midst of what comes our way, needless to say, are hoaxes, mistakes, misidentifications, pranks, fakes, and perhaps, once in a blue moon, actual data on a new species or the rediscovery of an allegedly extinct one. How do we ferret out what is there if we do not look?
It seems some people have missed the whole point of exposing hoaxes and would rather complain or attempt to kill the messengers. Never mind…just to put this to bed, here’s the followup that some people seemed to have missed.
On the morning of April 24th, readers (KimIsAwesome was first, others later) at Cryptomundo, in comments, identified this Qatar photo as a toy that is commercially available and the posting was updated. (Other people sent in the same identification, but repeats were not posted, of course.)
Here is the photo of that toy:
Here is the photograph originally published by Al Watan and Gulf Times.
Avoid complaints, and your neighborhood messenger killers, just…
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About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the worldâs leading cryptozoologists, some say âtheâ leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sandersonâs Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Colemanâs daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
*clap clap clap*
Excellent work! Yet another example of why I love Cryptomundo.
Great job! It was obviously a toy or sculpture, but how did Kim find it?
Thanks for the update Loren, it’s nice to see the mystery solved. That would be a truly creepy cryptid if it did exist though!
The toy is a good match; but then again, some Sasquatch costumes are a good match for the “real” thing as described by true believers. If a good Sasquatch costume doesn’t prove that Bigfoot is a fake, can you be so sure this toy proves the photo is a fake? Just being devil’s advocate (given the look of this thing, maybe literally!). đ
If its eyes weren’t so small, I’d say it was clearly Cryptotarsius alwatani.
One way or the other, the Al Watan photo is creepier. I’m not sure if it was lighting or processing or what, but the eyes in particular are more impressive. And it looks like the Al Watan booger has been given some hair.
Loren, I suspect that sometimes you know the full story behind these photos and reports, but you put it out there to get people to analyze and think these things through. And it is just interesting to read the variety of opinions people have. Is it real or is it Memorex? đ
Fhqwhgads:
No sasquatch costume that I have ever seen is a good match for what people filing reports describe. (âTrue believersâ of any stripe should be excluded from a scientific discussion, where skepticism, and evidence, should rule.)
Thereâs nothing easier to shoot down than a sasquatch suit hoax; they make this one look very sophisiticated.
But of course people who havenât read lots of sighting reports wouldnât have a way of knowing that.
Alligator, I’ll say aye aye to that comment.
I don’t know about anybody else here, Loren, but I’ve never been one to “shoot the messenger.” Even I said it looked like a hoax. I just said I could not be totally sure. Maybe-maybe not. Almost certainly fake, BUT. Unlike many here, I follow Whitley Strieber’s advice: “Learn to live at a high level of uncertainty.”
Thank you for posting this update. Believers and skeptics all must apply critical thinking and honesty to contribute to the dialog.
PS. The photo reminds me so much of some book cover I’ve seen – I just can’t remember what book. Of course, our memories are so fallible that I could be completely wrong. For a good read on this topic, check out the NeuroLogica post “How Confident Are You?”
I have one of those, they came out about two years ago with a few other monsters in dollar stores, you find them on ebay.
DWA: Oh, right. I forgot about the scientific credibility of the bigfoot investigations.
Fhqwhgads:
More than you know. But like most who take your attitude, you reveal how much you know.
Do what I did. Read up. Because yes, people with scientific chops, in relevant fields, that I feel confident you wonât ever touch disagree with you.
Which is, btw, the only reason I even come here. Why do you, with that obvious level of incuriosity? Doesnât this strike you as a waste of your time? Just asking.
And again I say it: ALL YOU EXPERTS OUT THERE WHO DONâT EVEN HAVE TO READ THE EVIDENCE TO PASS SENTENCE: ARGUE WITH THE SCIENTISTS WHO SAY ITâS REAL, NOT WITH ME. (Iâd pay for a seat at that one.)
THANK YOU.