The Bigfoot Times

I guess I’m old fashioned, but there’s something I really enjoy about receiving a newsletter in the mail each month. Sure, I know what you’re thinking. This is the digital age, why subscribe to a paper newsletter when there’s plenty of info available with a few clicks at the keyboard?

The news stand is shrinking at a rapid pace has more and more companies find it too expensive to publish paper editions of their magazines. I understand the ease of digital publication, the fact that trees are saved and the ability to do more with graphics, but at the same time, we’re losing something in the process. There’s something tangible about a printed publication that someone has put work and effort into producing.

When I started pursuing world mysteries back in the 1970s, newsletters and magazines were the lifeblood of the community, helping us all keep up with investigations and topics that were current in the field. Yes, I know, nothing beats the speed of Facebook and Twitter, but I still have stacks of publications from years of exploring the field and, despite google, I still find myself referring to those old publications. They’re treasure troves of information, much of which is not available on the Internet.

Thankfully, there are still a few ‘real’ publications around. One of them is The Bigfoot Times. A small, informative newsletter that I enjoy reading and occasionally, contributing to. The Bigfoot Times comes out consistently each month. Daniel includes sightings, interviews, book and conference info and reviews and more. The current issue is the May edition and includes my review of this year’s Texas Bigfoot Conference.

Friend and fellow Bigfoot researcher Daniel Perez has been the publisher and editor of The Bigfoot Times since 1979. As Daniel says;

“When I started publishing the original BigfooTimes [correct spelling] in 1979, I may have been the youngest editor of a Bigfoot newsletter ever and now, approaching my 50th birthday, I may end up as the oldest editor of a Bigfoot newsletter as well.”

Stop by the Website, check it out and, if you have any interest in Bigfoot, subscribe, you won’t regret it.

http://www.bigfoottimes.net/

Giant Spider Discovered

A new, giant tarantula has been discovered in a remote area of Northern Sri Lanka. With a leg span of eight inches the spider is large enough to cover an average human face.
The ornately marked spider is part of the family of ‘tiger spiders’ indigenous to India and Sri Lanka. Tiger spiders are known for their colorful markings and speed. They are venomous spiders related to a class of South American tarantulas that includes the Goliath bird eater, the world’s largest known spider. Tiger spiders live on birds, snakes and rodents, catching them with by the use of their shear speed and of course, the use of venom.

Tiger spiders are usually found in tree hollows and among rocks. In forest areas, during monsoon season, they often move into human dwellings. During the recent expedition, the spiders were found in trees and in the old doctor’s quarters of a hospital in Mankulam. Scientist Ranil Nanayakkara, part of the research team that found the tarantula, reports:
“Days of extensive searching in every tree hole and bark peel were rewarded with a female and, to our, satisfaction several juveniles too.”

The spider was actually first noticed in 2009 during a survey of Sri Lankan arachnids. Some villagers killed one of the spiders and brought it to the research group. Ranil Nanayakkara studied the dead male spider carefully and determined that it had significant differences from similar tarantulas, enough to establish it as a new species.
With the help of locals, the research team found enough spiders to gather a detailed description of the species
The new tarantula has been dubbed “Poecilotheria rajaei” after a local police inspector who helped scientist locate the spider. The primary differences noted on this tarantula are leg markings that include yellow and gray inlays and geometric patterns. The creature also has a pink abdominal band.

The spider is in the class “Poecilotheria”, of which about fifteen species have been identified. Several of them are endangered mostly because of loss of habitat and a couple are even listed as critically endangered.
“They are quite rare. They prefer well established old trees but due to deforestation the number has dwindled and due to lack of suitable habitat they enter old buildings.” Nanayakkara reports.

Starry Frog Rediscovered

A large number of animals go extinct each year.  In fact, some estimates put the totals in the tens of thousands.  Even at the low end, it’s a disturbing number.  This being the case, it’s always exciting to hear about the discovery of new species or the re-discovery of species thought lost.

On the island of Sri Lanka (formerly British Ceylon) a strange frog was discovered in 1853.  Physician and naturalist Edward Frederick Kelaart discovered the frog and dubbed it the “starry frog” due to the pattern of specks on its back.  Kelaart took a sample of the animal back to Europe.  Kelaart’s expedition was the last documented account of the frog, at least, until recently.  The large shrub frog has been found again in the wilderness of Sri Lanka after 160 years.

Writing in the paper Zootaxa, L.J. Mendis Wickramasinghe says that the frog remained undetected for a long period because of its habitat.

“We worked in [parts of the Peak Wilderness Sanctuary] where previous studies had never taken place, in tough and rugged conditions, so hardly any researchers had actually gone to these sites.” 

“These quite stunning frogs were observed perched on leaves in the canopy. They were slow moving, we collected samples which we thought were new species. But after reviewing past work, [especially] extinct species, it was evident that this was Pseudophilautus stellatus”

The starry frog is about two inches long.  Its skin is lime green with black outlined white specks.

The scientists identified 78 individual frogs during the survey, but the group believes that the species should be listed as critically endangered due to its scarcity and small habitat.  There are numerous threats to this and other species in the area including mining operations, plantations and forest dieback.

“Amongst the most important threats noted in this region, is the forest dieback phenomena, possibly due to pollution and/or climate change, which has never been documented in this region before”

“With decrease in the canopy cover, alien invasive species, such as Clusia rosea, and Pteribium revolutum, are widely distributed in lower areas and is slowly spreading to higher elevations, which can potentially become a threat in the future.”

“To know that this species is not gone forever and that we do have a second chance of preserving it is indeed beyond belief!” says Wickramasinghe.

Learn more about conversation efforts for the starry frog and other species at:

http://www.mongabay.com/

 

 

 

 

Cryptid Expeditions

My friend and fellow cryptozoologist, Nick Redfern, just wrote an article listing the top three cryptids that he’d like to search for.

Nick wrote the post in response to a question I’ve been asked myself on a number of occasions: “What strange creature, which you haven’t yet searched for, would you like to chase down?”  It’s a great question and since cryptozoology is a vast field, there are plenty of strange creatures to chose from.  Nick puts forth some interesting, personal choices and in the spirit of his post, I thought I’d join in the fun by listing three that spring to my mind when asked this question.

First for me is the Thylacine.  Also known as the Tasmanian Tiger, the Thylacine existed in abundance in Tasmania in the early days of Australia’s settlement.  The animal has a canid like appearance with tiger stripes on it’s upper portion.  Farmers constantly blamed this carnivorous marsupial for the loss of livestock and the result was a bounty for Thylacine pelts.  By the time anyone had the good sense to step in and try to prevent the complete extinction of the species, there were only a handful of the creatures left.  The last Thylacine killed in the wild was shot in 1930.  By 1936, official protection was put in place for the species but sadly, the last animal in captivity died two months later.

The Thylacine may not have vanished completely though.  Over the years, there have been numerous reports from people who believe they have seen a Thylacine in the wild.  Even as recently as January 2013, possible video has surfaced that may prove the animal still exists.  The wilds of Tasmania are home to many unusual and dangerous animals.  Perhaps the Thylacine still roams, trying to keep its distance from humans.  I for one, would love to find out.

Second is the Mongolion Death Worm.  Although I’ve traveled in Asia, I’ve never been to Mongolia or the Gobi Desert where this animal is reputed to dwell.  The death worm is supposed to reach lengths of two to five feet and have a bright red color.  It earned it’s name due to it’s reported ability to emit an electrical discharge that can kill a human from a distance.

Additionally, it can spew forth acid that will corrode anything it touches.  Mongolian natives have long told tales of the death worm but it wasn’t brought to the attention of westerners until 1926 when Professor Roy Chapman Andrews mentioned it in his book, “On the Trail of Ancient Man”.

While the death worm is certainly part of Mongolian tribal belief, many people are skeptical that it truly exists.  Westerners have taken a tongue in cheek approach to the stories.  The popular film series “Tremors” was loosely based on the death worm and featured giant worm like creatures that could sense a human’s vibration on the desert floor.

A few expeditions have been launched to search for the creature, but no solid evidence has ever been found.  Still, wandering the Gobi desert looking for a giant death worm is sure to be a great outing.

Last but not least, I’ll agree with Nick on one of his listing.  The Megalania prisca.  Many of you will not have heard of this creature.  It’s a large, carnivorous lizard that can grow up to twenty feet in length.  Sometimes called the ‘giant ripper lizard’ the Megalania seems to have vanished around 40,000 years ago.  The Megalania has toxin secreting glands and is the largest venomous vertebrate known to have existed, and it may still be out there.  Reports from the sub-tropical area of Australia have surfaced through the years that indicate that this creature may still survive in modern times.  Imagine, a giant, flesh eating lizard twenty feet in length charging out of the tropics.  If it’s really there, it would be quite a challenge to launch a quest for it.  So Nick, when you’re ready, I’ve got a bag packed, though searching for the death worm may be a lot safer!

Nick Redfern’s post can be found here:

http://www.mania.com/lair-beasts-monstrous-expeditions_article_136908.html

 

The Atlantic Sturgeon

There’s a creature that lives in the Atlantic ocean that looks like something from the age of dinosaurs.  It can reach lengths of fifteen feet and weigh up to eight hundred pounds.  It’s the Atlantic sturgeon.

In times past, the fish was in great abundance in the Atlantic.  Fishermen were not interested in the massive fish until the meat became popular as an export.  In more recent times, it has been caught primarily for the production of caviar.  The product became so popular that the fish is now endangered.

As of February 2012, this amazing fish was officially classified an endangered species.  The Atlantic sturgeon’s official range extends from New Brunswick, Canada to the eastern coast of Florida.  It’s considered threatened along its entire range, although it is completely absent from some of the areas that it previously populated.  In Virginia, in the Chesapeake watershed, the James river is one of the last confirmed holdouts for the fish and conversation efforts are underway.

Sturgeon are among the oldest living species of fish and have retained many primitive characteristics.  Rather than having true scales, the Atlantic sturgeon has five rows of bony plates called scutes causing it to have an “armored” appearance.  Coloring of the sturgeon ranges from blue-black to olive green with a white underside.

The sturgeon’s bony plates are not the only strange aspect of their appearance.  Their eyes are tiny and there are barbels on their face that help them locate prey in murky waters.  Their bizarre look makes it easy to imagine how early sailors must have responded when spotting these ‘sea monsters’ and it’s certainly feasible that they are responsible for some accounts of weird aquatic creatures.

In March 2012, a large carcass washed up on Folly Beach in South Carolina.  Area residents were puzzled by the massive carcass and there was much talk of the discovery of a ‘sea monster’.  The animal was soon identified by a local veterinarian from the South Carolina Aquarium as an Atlantic sturgeon.

Sturgeon have survived for over 100 million years.  An individual fish can live to be over 60 years of age.  Let’s hope this modern monster can survive the ravages of man.

Show Low, AZ Bigfoot Sighting

Show Low is a small town in the eastern central part of Arizona.  It’s in Navajo County at an elevation of 6,400 feet.  The area has extensive forest and is a popular recreation spot.  Show Low is close to the White Mountain Apache tribe.  Natives in the region have long told stories of Sasquatch living in the area’s forest.

The report below is from a witness who encountered what he believes was a Bigfoot in Show Low, Arizona in September of 2012.  He and a friend were staying in Show Low and had started taking daily walks in the surrounding forest.

“My friend and I were taking a walk.  It was about five o’clock in the afternoon.  We heard an odd sound, sort of a low grumbling noise.  It was very deep, not like a dog but like something from a larger animal.  We both stopped and started looking around to see what had made the noise.  My friend spotted it first and pointed to me saying look!  Over by some pine trees there was a tall creature, I’d say it was around seven feet or a little more.  I couldn’t really see facial features very well because it all happened so fast.  The creature was brown in color and dirty looking.  The hair was long all over the body.  The shoulders were very broad and it didn’t really look like it had a neck at all, just bulky shoulders going straight into its head.  It was on two legs and I knew right away it wasn’t a bear or any other kind of animal that I had ever seen.  It looked at us and my first thought was that it was angry.  It made that grunting, growling sound again, then turned its back on us and walked away into the trees.  We got out of there right away as we were both afraid that the thing might change its mind and come back towards us.  The whole incident was probably less than a minute.  We didn’t go walking in that area anymore after seeing it, I know that it was a Bigfoot.”

Show Low is also near the Mogollon Rim, an escarpment that defines the southwestern edge of the Colorado Plateau.  The Mogollon Rim is known for its high limestone and sandstone cliffs.  Extensive pine forests cover both the slopes of the rim as well as the plateau.  The area has abundant wildlife and there have been numerous Bigfoot sightings over the years.

 

 

 

Bigfoot on the Umatilla Reservation?

Something is disturbing the sleep of residents in a normally quiet corner of north eastern Oregon.  It started in November of 2012 and has continued into 2013.  Late at night, strange screams echo out across the Umatilla Indian Reservation.  Residents describe the noise as a roaring and screeching that sounds like nothing they’ve ever heard from area wildlife.  The odd sounds seem to come from a brushy swamp located on the reservation, east of Pendleton, Oregon.  The sounds range from high pitch to low bass roars.  Some members of the Confederated tribes believe the sounds are being made by the legendry beast known as Bigfoot.

The Umatilla Indian Reservation is located in north eastern Oregon, not far from the Washington border.  Most of the reservation is in Umatilla county, with a very small part extending south into Union county.  It’s owned by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation who also own and operate the Wildhorse Resort and Casino on the property.  The reservation was established for three Sahaptin speaking native American tribes (the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla) who traditionally inhabited the Columbia plateau.  The reservation is home to about 1500 people.

The Blue Mountains which run through this region of Oregon have long been thought to be hotbed of Bigfoot activity.  The current noises seem to be centered in a swampy area that borders the old reservation community of Mission, in a canyon north of the Wildhorse Casino.

The tribal housing authority has been getting a lot of calls about the strange cries.  Colleen Chance, an employee at tribal housing captured a recording of the sounds and keeps it on her iPhone.  “It’s kind of spooky, some say it’s foxes, some say it’s a female coyote and some say it’s Sasquatch.  I don’t know what it is.”  The housing authority continues to receive calls about the disturbance because the cries continue from time to time.

Sylvia Minthorn lives with her mother Denise in a tribal housing unit near the swamp.  She says that as a child, she used to play in the area where the strange sounds come from.  She once thought about going into the swamp to find the source of the cries.  “..but then I thought, what if I do find something, then what am I going to do?”

“It’s causing an uproar around here,” said Sylvia, she’s seen grown men’s hair stand on end when the shrieks commence.  Her mother, Denise, thinks that whatever is in the swamp is calling to another creature somewhere else on the reservation.  She says that she’s heard shrieks from two directions at once as if two animals were communicating.  “It was no noise I’ve ever heard before.  It was like bar room brawls and laughter.”

Josh Franken, interim director of the tribal housing authority reports that some residents admit being afraid of the sounds.  “One man said that his dogs were too terrified to go outside.  This guy was rather scared himself.  A rumor quickly spread that the cries were made by a young bigfoot that had got separated from the rest of his clan.”

Carl Sheeler, wildlife program manager for the tribes doesn’t seem to think much of the reports.  He says there are several animals in the region known for making strange noises.  “That wetland is a perfect place to have an echoing call sound eerie” he states.  Sheeler says the first time a person hears a fox or cougar calling in the night, it raises the hair on the back of your neck.

Marcus Luke is a housing authority home ownership counselor.  He’s also a longhouse drummer and singer who follows the Washat, or Seven Drums religion.  He doesn’t dismiss the sounds to quickly.  “It’s difficult to shrug off the accounts.  Many on the reservation are woodsy type folks familiar with animals and not prone to taking fright at nighttime commotion.  Bigfoot is part of the tribal culture tradition and spiritual beliefs.  We have stories about it.”

Sylvia Minthorn dismisses notions that the screams are the sounds of a known animal.  “Foxes do sound creepy, but it’s not the same sound, not even close.”

Sylvia’s uncle, Armand Minthorn, is a tribal spiritual leader who believes he found evidence of Bigfoot years ago in the Blue Mountains.  While hunting, Armand found footprints on a road.  “Right in the middle of the road was this great big footprint, perhaps 16 to 18 inches long and manlike.  The enormous stride carried it across the road leaving one footprint in the middle.”

As for the current shrieks, Armand believes they could be anything.  “We probably will never know what made those sounds” he said.

This is not the first time that residents of a reservation have been disturbed by strange unidentified animal sounds.  In 2011, members of the Navajo Nation around Crownpoint, NM were plagued by eerie howls from a creature dubbed the “Crownpoint Howler.”  The sounds continued for some time and were even captured in an episode of the reality show “Navajo Cops.”

To hear a recording of the Oregon sounds, click here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn3rPxbKRW8

 

Yeti Theme Park

Sunny Siberia is adding a new attraction.  A Yeti theme park.  Yes, you read that right, a theme park devoted to the legendary Yeti.  Hoping to cash in on interest in the search for the beast, officials have dedicated a portion of land and launched plans to construct a park centered on the Yeti.  Initial plans for the park include a hotel and a themed children’s playground, all built at the Sheregesh ski resort resting in the Shoria Mountian area.  The region claims to have a high number of Yeti sightings and officials hope the park will draw additional tourists to the area.

The Shoria Mountain area is in southern Siberia in the Kemerovo region.  The region’s governor is behind the plans for the park and has added to the excitement by offering a one million rouble reward to anyone who can capture a Yeti.  The governor stated: “I’ll pay a million to anyone who will find the Yeti and bring it to see me. I’ll sit down with him, chat and have a cup oftea.”  One million roubles by the way, works out to about $33,000 in US currency.

Despite lack of a physical specimen, locals have long believed that the Yeti is a real creature though opinions vary as to its origins.  The brainchild behind the park, Sheregesh adminstrator Igor Idimeshev has a unique idea to explain the Yeti.

“I’ve seen this creature several times”, he stated. “I think it is most likely of extraterrestrial origin, not from this world. The Yeti might suddenly disappear and re-materialize. Another extraordinary thing is that Yeti’s hair is luminous at night, and also that the Yeti can walk on water.”

In an interview with the Siberian Times, Idimeshev spoke further about the elusive creature.  He told the paper:

“I’ve met these creatures several times here in Tashtagol district and also in the area where I was born in the village of Toz close to Zelenaya Mountain. I saw it several times before I moved here to Sheregesh. Each time I was on my own, I was hunting.  The only person I ever told everything in detail to was my mother – and she taught me to keep it to myself.”

Idimeshev says that the people of Shoria refer to the creatures as “Big Men” and that everyone in the region is aware of their existence.  Believing it unlucky to speak too much about the encounters, the Big Men are only mentioned in conversation briefly.

“Every man around here sees him when he hunts.  The feeling is one of fear. It is a fear that you cannot explain rationally.  You feel yourself very scared and tense at the same time. One of the closest comparisons is the feeling of looking into a wolf’s eyes. If you’ve ever seen them, I mean a wild wolf,  not a caged animal, you remember a feeling of them being something very unusual, alien. Like with a wolf, you can see a Yeti’s eyes from a distance of some 100-150 meters. They are quite hypnotizing. And when I saw the Yeti’s eyes my only thought was that they are not from Earth, they are clearly of an extraterrestrial nature. To me, the Yeti is an extraterrestrial creature. I believe that it is like a controller to look over things here on Earth.”

Pressed about the physical traits of Yeti, Idimeshev offered this:

“I would not be able to give an estimate of the Yeti’s size.  It certainly looked big. Bigger than a human. I didn’t go to have a look at his footprints, or check for any other material proof of his existence. Believe me, this is not what you want to do right after seeing it. You feel scared. We are building the Yeti Park now, and of course there will be a chance for people who come here to see the creature. For me having Yetis here means something much more than the simple tourist attraction.”

Idimeshev believes that the Yeti is important to the region.  He said that further plans for the theme park include a museum to display Yeti related materials and a conference space for symposiums dedicated to the search for the creature.

There have been numerous expeditions over the years to search for proof of the Yeti.  Footprints have been discovered and hair samples collected.  So far though, no definitive proof has been offered and results of DNA testing on the hair have not been forthcoming.  Sightings of the creature continue, last September, three separate sightings were reported.  Perhaps that number will start to rise as the tourists flock to Siberia.

Release the Kraken!

Tales of massive, many armed sea creatures date back to ancient times.  The Greeks wrote about the Scylla, a six headed creature from the depths that threatened Odysseus during his journey.  The most well known legendary monster of the deep however, is the Kraken.

First mentioned by name in the 1700s in Norway, the Kraken was typically described as a giant squid or colossal octopus.  Sailors long feared encountering this creature since it was reputed to attack ships, pulling them underwater in order to devour the men on board.

Could there be truth behind such a legendary creature?  Some scientists think so and have been searching for species giant squid deep in the ocean.

Recently, a team of scientists led by Japanese researchers captured the first footage of a giant squid in it’s habitat in the waters south of Tokyo.  The images show a ten foot long cephalopod moving through the murky darkness of the waters almost 1 km below the surface.  The footage was filmed last July near the Ogasawara Islands off the coast of Japan.

The team was led by Japanese zoologist Tsunemi Kubodera.  “These are the first ever images of a real live giant squid.  Many people have tried to capture an image of a giant squid alive in its natural habitat, whether researchers or film crews but they all failed.”  Tsunemi stated.

Tsunemi attributed his team’s success to a small submersible rigged with lights invisible to both humans and cephalopods.  Sitting in the pitch black water, using near-infrared light, the team waited for the giant squid to approach, following the creature and filming as much footage as they could before the it swam away into the depths.  “When I saw it, well, it looked to me like it was rather lonely.”

Giant squid are solitary animals, living far down in the ocean’s depths.  Capturing one of film is an important first step towards understanding more about the unique animal.

“I’ve seen a lot of giant squid specimens in my time, but mainly those hauled out of the ocean. This was the first time for me to see with my own eyes a giant squid swimming,” he said. “It was stunning, I couldn’t have dreamt that it would be so beautiful. It was such a wonderful creature.”

It’s long been thought that a breed of giant squid may be responsible for accounts of the Kraken.  Some scientists estimate that the creatures may reach 40-50 feet in length.  Certainly, a frightening sight to early sailors journeying across the ocean in fragile wooden ships.

The Kraken has appeared frequently in fiction and popular culture.  From Jules Verne’s famous “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea” to Pirates of the Caribbean but many mysteries still remain.

Perhaps more answers will be found in the ocean’s depths.

Discoveries in the Greater Mekong

It’s always a pleasure to hear about the discovery of new species.  It’s a bit of a counterbalance to the tragedy of losing so many animals each year, and it’s a reminder of how much of the world remains unexplored.

A recent report from the ongoing work in the Greater Mekong region of southeast Asia has yielded a plethora of new species. The report, titled “Extra Terrestrial” was issued by the WWF.  It details a few of the new animals found by scientist working in the region.

Among the new creatures found, a small, demonic faced bat and a tree frog that sings like a bird are some of the most interesting.

The Quang’s tree frog was discovered during the study in the high altitude forest of Northern Vietnam.  The frog has a complex call that sounds more like a bird than a frog.  The male of the species attracts females with a song composed of whistles, chirps and clicks.  The order of sounds is never the same, causing each song to have a new and unique sound.

The tube-nosed bat, dubbed “Beelzebub’s bat” was also discovered in Vietnam.  The Greater Mekong is the only place this bat has been found.  It lives in and depends on, the tropical forests for its survival.  The Mekong region has lost thirty percent of its forest in the last four decades, putting this animal, and many others at risk.

This is the cold reality of such discoveries.  While the news of so many new species is exciting, there is also cause for concern.  Nick Cox, Manager of the WWF-Greater Mekong’s Species Program reports;  “Only by investing in nature conservation, especially protected areas, and developing greener economies, will we see these new species protected and keep alive the hope of finding other intriguing species in years to come.”

The animals in this region face many threats including loss of habitat, illegal hunting and the exotic pet trade.  Poaching is a serious problem in these countries and Cox says that the WWF has helped launch a global campaign to increase law enforcement and help reduce the demand for endangered species products.

It’s intriguing that so many new species are being discovered in a region known for sightings of a bigfoot like creature.  Known to the people of the area as the “Người rừng” and “Batutut” these forest people have long been a part of the region’s lore.  United States soldiers also reported these creatures during the Vietnam war.  It’s possible that more details will emerge about the forest people as work in the region continues.

The Greater Mekong spans Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and Yunnan, the southwestern province of China.  Since 1997, over 1700 new species have been discovered in the region.  The 2011 study identified 126 new plants and animals including 5 mammals, 5 amphibians, 13 fish, 21 reptiles and 82 plants.  Extra Terrestrial only spotlights 10 of these new species so there’s much more to come.  The report can be found at the WWF site:

http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/all_publications/?207084/Extra-Terrestrial