New At The Museum: King Cheetah
Posted by: Loren Coleman on December 19th, 2009
Please be conscious of some time changes for the museum hours during the holidays: Saturday, December 19, 2009, the museum will be open from 9:30 am to 7 pm, and Sunday, December 20, 2009, from Noon to 5 pm, to accompany last minute shoppers who wish to pick up that final cryptozoological treasure! For other changes, please see here.
King Cheetah (Acinonyx rex, old style)
Photo credit: African Safari Pictures.
I just added a replica of the King Cheetah to the mini-collection of former cryptids at the International Cryptozoology Museum.
I had not even realized that this figurine was produced until I tried to discovery how many “animals of discovery” have replicas, as I was reorganizing those specific shelves of the exhibition. The tiny figurine is one of the “ChocoQ animatales” collection of “Amazing Animals!” made in Japan.
Some collectors have made rather specialized King Cheetahs, as well, such as the one shown below customized from the Schleich normal cheetah replica.
Of course, there are still some “classic animals of discovery” on my wish list. One, of course, is a good figurine of the giant forest hog, drawing following:
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.
I remember being fascinated as a youngster watching a couple who sold all they owned to travel over Mozambique in a hot air balloon , in search of this elusive Cheetah.
It wasn’t even sure if it existed. I hope they were involved in its eventual proof of existence.
I have collected animal skins for about 40 years, and am known in that field. Never anything illegal, I stick by the laws, but I had the opportunity about 15 years ago to purchase a skin of a king cheetah. The seller wanted $50,000. If I had it, I would have paid it, but that was way out of my budget. It was a natural death from a cheetah sanctuary, he had documentation for me that it was not collected from the wild. Had photos at one time, but no longer have them (isn’t that always the way?). I had known the seller for a long time, so maybe I had first crack at it. But, just couldn’t swing that kind of money. Where that skin ended up I have no idea. I have never ever seen any specimens mounted or in museums.