Monster Quest: Meldrum Comments

Jeff Meldrum, Ph. D., Idaho State University, emailed me late last night. He shares his insights regarding the “Sasquatch Attack” episode of the History Channel’s recently broadcast “Monster Quest” program. Below are his unedited remarks, given for clarification, from the point of view of someone who was there:

Loren ~

I’m running a couple days behind this week.

1. Bear in mind that the result is based on a mere 300 nucleotide sequence. This is extremely small data set. Results based on that short a sequence would never get published for any study, let alone one as controversial as this. I was not aware that Curt felt more sequence could be attained. [BTW: Todd Disotell, at NYU, should not be characterized as “skeptical” in the derogatory sense. He has been extremely willing to provide assistance and even recruited the involvement of the NY Medical Examiner’s office on past samples. Age, degradation and contamination of the sample exposed to the elements for two years, rendered them inert to standard protocols, which was all Todd had the time or resources for.]

2. We were not cowering in the cabin. We came in briefly to gather equipment (thermal and night vision) and naturally Doug, ever the producer, wanted a quick spontaneous interview while we were all together. We forged into the woods surrounding the cabin as far as the precarious terrain in near total darkness would reasonably permit. Curt in particular was some distance into the forest with thermal.

I laughed when the narrator said “morning couldn’t come too soon for Meldrum and Nelson”. We stayed outside for several hours and only retired at about 2:30 or 3:00 a.m. when nothing further seemed to be happening and fatigue was making me punchy. We stayed dressed just in case, and shortly after the lights went out a chunk of cord wood landed on the roof, creating quite a commotion. The difference between a golf-ball-size rock lobbed on the roof and a hefty piece of cord wood gave some pause about rushing outside. I went onto the covered back stoop with my night vision and can’t recall how long I was there.

Unfortunately we had to depart he next morning, after we scoured the periphery for any signs — not likely given the ground cover.

Doug intended for us to return this past summer, but a number of complications all around prevented that plan from being realized.

The experience in no wise “proved” the existence of sasquatch. Nor was ours a unique experience as many will attest to. Hopefully this will spawn some positive interest (as opposed to musk ox hair, pickled paws, or lanky bears). My best, Jeff

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.

Email • Facebook • Twitter •