Nat Geo’s New Hominology Documentary

Posted by: Loren Coleman on August 26th, 2006

WV Almas

WV Almas

Recent speculation about National Geographic Channel making a new Bigfoot documentary in West Virginia is groundless. National Geographic Channel’s production team was there recently to do some spot re-creations of events that took place decades ago in East Asia, not about classic Bigfoot, but regarding Almas.

I’ve been in communication with them for some time, as hominologist Adam Davies’ expedition to Mongolia in search of Almas was being planned and then being filmed. Now they are doing end-of-the-production tidbits with the re-creations.

On March 16, 2006, I exclusively wrote about this documentary here at Cryptomundo.

Carter Family Drawing

Click to see a larger-sized version.

For example, one scene that the film production crew may have tried to film was the one when military doctor Vazgen Karapetyan checked on a captured Kaptar or Almas in Daghestan, Caucases, in 1941, during World War II. This drawing is contributed by Dr. Igor Bourtsev.

Loren Coleman About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” 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. Sanderson’s 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 Coleman’s 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.


14 Responses to “Nat Geo’s New Hominology Documentary”

  1. CryptoJoe responds:

    Who had the bright idea of using West Virginia as a location resembling East Asia?

  2. Loren Coleman responds:

    Decisions on where re-creations are filmed often have little to do with reality or imitating the actual locations. Usually a line producer from the production company makes such choices, based on costs, ease of access for the crew, and hotels nearby, without reference to consulting the cryptozoologists and hominologists at all. This seems to be just such a case, as the bottomline is usually about holding costs down regarding talent, filmmakers, and accomodations.

    Of course, as I recall, most of the Yeti reenactments I’ve been involved in for television documentaries have been filmed in California, not Nepal.

  3. twblack responds:

    Anything of this nature just goes to show that there is still a lot of interest in the Crypto subject. I will watch it when it airs. Thanks for the update Loren.

  4. Judy Green responds:

    If the costumes used are any indication of how well done the documentary is done, it looks to me like it leaves a lot to be desired! I understand that it is supposed to be about the Almastys and not Bigfoot, but that costuming of creatures sitting before a camp fire is ludicrous in my opinion.

  5. Doug Tarrant responds:

    Just one word: “Geez…”

  6. black wings responds:

    Yeah, they look like low rent goth boy Werewolf immitators. LOL.

  7. ilexoak responds:

    That location was in Hedgesville, WV about 8 miles from me. It’s at the base of North Mountain a ridge that runs just West of Martinsburg. An article that ran in a local paper said that the location had a very similar look to it to the East Asian counterpart. Maybe that has something to do with how the “tree of heaven” has taken over in lots of places along with limestone outcroppings everywhere. Shanghai, WV is only 10 miles south.

    The rumor was, around here, for a while that some physical evidence was found for BF and film crews were here to document it.

    Wayne

  8. ilexoak responds:

    BTW,

    The West side of North Mountain has very lush forest with a carpet of green moss covering everything since the range serves to shield the area immediatley West of it from the sun for almost half the day. Some places are like a tropical rainforest during the warmer months.

    Wayne

  9. shumway10973 responds:

    I have to agree, those costumes are horrible. My best friend and I could do better on 1/4 their budget. So, why is National Geo all of the sudden interested in crypto stuff anyway? They are one of the mainstreams for the idea that none of these critters could still be alive. In fact they have been one of the main financial supporters of anyone willing to “prove” that the “old school evolution” is true.

  10. Mnynames responds:

    National Geographic has no need to “prove” evolution, as there was more than enough evidence for it even in Darwin’s time. Nat G has always had at least a passing interest in cryptids, I still have a 1977 edition that has a very lengthy and thoughtful article on the Loch Ness Monster. Having a cable channel now, no doubt they’ve learned what the Learning Channel has when they put on all those UFO documentaries- weird sells.

    As a complete side note, I had no idea how closely related Almas are to Klingons. Just check out the guy to the right! Qaplah!

  11. Senor Chubba responds:

    I think I read an article about the guy who had to make the costumes for the production had to do it very quickly in just a manner of days.

  12. mystery_man responds:

    Well, at least we have seen these pics, so now some jokester can’t go off trying to pass them off for the real thing!

  13. wildphotographer responds:

    These two “squatches” look like the cavemen dudes in that car insurance commercial.

    Have no fear, National Geographic will put their own, vile deprecating spin on this one too.

    I still get worked up about how they made Igor look on the Carter Farm clip.

  14. mystery_man responds:

    I’ll tell ya, the more I look at that bottom photo, the more it freaks me out!

Sorry. Comments have been closed.

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