July 4, 2007

Update: Mystery Animal Found in India

Here’s an update on this story that was originally posted here at Cryptomundo.

Mystery Animal Found in India

Bone riddle may not be solved soon

KOLKATA: The mystery of the bones of an unknown animal unearthed in the Sunderbans may not be unravelled for some time to come. Although forest department officials claim that the bones are on their way to the laboratory of the Zoological Survey of India, the officials of the latter are in the dark about any such development.

Principal chief conservator of forests Atanu Raha said: “The remains are being handed over to the Zoological Survey of India. It shouldn’t take them too long to identify the bones.”

Two forest department officials – Canning reserve forest ranger Badal Debnath and deputy ranger Niladri Das – went to Manmathanagar village under Bipradaspur gram panchayat on Monday. They met the farmer, Santosh Mandal, who had unearthed the bones while digging a pond adjacent to his home on May 26. And, he continues to find more bones.

“We found some hooves even on Monday morning. We kept those in a bag along with the teeth. The entire lot was handed over to forest department officials when they came. We are banking on them to find out the animal to which these bones belonged to. This may actually change the way one perceived the evolution of natural history of the Sunderbans,” said Uttam Saha, a schoolteacher, who had taken the initiative to preserve the bones till the experts arrived.

However, the Zoological Survey of India officials said they were not aware of any such incident. ZSI director Ramakrishnan promised to look into the matter.

“There are many reports of such findings from different parts of the state,” said TK Pal, senior zoologist with ZSI’s prehistoric zoology section.

“Finding animal remains is not rare. Some bones were dug up from Barasat in North 24-Parganas last year. District officials were very eager about the findings but nothing conclusive came out of it. I don’t have details of this particular case but we will look into it,” said Pal.

Zoologists use comparative dating to determine the age of excavated bones and other remains. “We also use the C-14 dating system if the situation demands. We will have to look at these samples and then decide on the procedure,” Pal said.

Although the scientists are sceptical about the remains as most of such findings have come to naught, the villagers remain enthusiastic.

“This area was a dense forest around a century ago. Who knows what lies buried deep. Scientists should probe into the matter with an open mind and reveal the truth,” said Mukut Biswas, the homoeopath in the village, who took the lead in calling up the experts.Times News Network, India

Filed under Bigfoot Report, Cryptozoology, Evidence, Fossil Finds, Out of Place