Scott Norman Memorial Expedition in Search of Mokele-mbembe
Posted by: John Kirk on November 9th, 2012
Friends and fellow explorers of the late Scott Norman, will be embarking on an expedition in his honour on November 14th.
Bill Gibbons, Andrew Gibbons and John Kirk will join forces with French explorer Michel Ballot as they continue to seek evidence for the existence of the reptilian cryptid known as Mokele-mbembe.
The team leaves Canada on November 14th and will spend about two weeks reconnoitering new areas for future Mokele-mbembe investigations. This is the first time that a team from three continents will be engaged in the search for the African enigma.
Their destination is a remote area of southern Cameroon that continues to be relatively unvisited by non-Africans. It is an area of many cryptids such as the Ngoubou, Dodu, Yoli, Emela-ntouka and a water panther. In addition to these animals extraordinary insects such as giant spiders that can trap full-sized monkeys in their webs have also been reported.
The team will make its way up one of the longest river systems in Cameroon as they probe the river banks and swamp pools for traces of the animal that many in the region have reported seeing. Several good sightings have been recorded in the last year by reliable witnesses. All reported a long necked creature with a huge back in one of several rivers that run into each other in this region.
The area is also known for poachers of ivory and so a detail of eco-guards will most likely join the team as a precaution against any possible danger. In 2001 two traffickers in grey parrots had to be sent away from the Cryptosafari camp when they showed up with a shotgun and machete and demanded money and alcohol. The ten strong expedition team drew their knives and spears and sent the intruders packing. We are not expecting a similar development this time.
The results of the expedition will be published on Cryptomundo after our return.
About John Kirk
One of the founders of the BCSCC, John Kirk has enjoyed a varied and exciting career path. Both a print and broadcast journalist, John Kirk has in recent years been at the forefront of much of the BCSCC’s expeditions, investigations and publishing. John has been particularly interested in the phenomenon of unknown aquatic cryptids around the world and is the author of In the Domain of the Lake Monsters (Key Porter Books, 1998).
In addition to his interest in freshwater cryptids, John has been keenly interested in investigating the possible existence of sasquatch and other bipedal hominids of the world, and in particular, the Yeren of China. John is also chairman of the Crypto Safari organization, which specializes in sending teams of investigators to remote parts of the world to search for animals as yet unidentified by science. John travelled with a Crypto Safari team to Cameroon and northern Republic of Congo to interview witnesses among the Baka pygmies and Bantu bushmen who have sighted a large unknown animal that bears more than a superficial resemblance to a dinosaur.
Since 1996, John Kirk has been editor and publisher of the BCSCC Quarterly which is the flagship publication of the BCSCC. In demand at conferences, seminars, lectures and on television and radio programs, John has spoken all over North America and has appeared in programs on NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, TLC, Discovery, CBC, CTV and the BBC.
In his personal life John spends much time studying the histories of Scottish Clans and is himself the president of the Clan Kirk Society. John is also an avid soccer enthusiast and player.
