09-07-2007 Russian scientist comes to tiny Devon village

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2007-07-09
RUSSIAN SCIENTIST COMES TO TINY DEVON VILLAGE

For three days this August, from the 18-19, the sleepy North Devon village of Woolsery will host the world’s largest conference on the subject of mystery animals.

One of the speakers lecturing at this year’s Weird Weekend (the 8th annual event) is a Ukrainian biologist who has spent years hunting for the Russian equivalent of the yeti. Grigoriy Panchenko has been on the trail of the almasty - as the beast is known in the Caucasus Mountains - for more than a decade. In 1991, in a barn on a remote farm, he saw one of the creatures himself. He also claims to have bones from a dead almasty that are currently being examined by a team of scientists in Paris. Grigoriy will be revealing his findings for the first time in the west.

Grigoriy is heading a line up of speakers at the three-day event. Organised by the Centre for Fortean Zoology - the world’s only full time mystery animal research organisation - the Weird Weekend is the largest event of it’s kind in the world. Other speakers include:

· Adam Davis - an explorer who trekked through the Congo investigating reports of living dinosaurs
· Mike Hallowell - a researcher who investigated a dragon worship cult reputed to have practiced human sacrifice well into the 20th Century (Mike claims to have seen the beast himself!)
· Paul Vella - a forensic computer scientist, who will present his analysis of the 1968 bigfoot film
· Dr Darren Naish - who will speak about the possible survival of creatures assumed to be extinct on remote island chains
· Ecologist Oll Lewis - will talk about Welsh lake monsters
· Dr Charles Paxton – will talk about the mathematical likelihood of sea serpents
· Ronan Coghlan, from Ireland - talking about fairy lore
· Richard Freeman - speaking about giant eels
· Nick Redfern, who will be coming all the way from Texas - giving a lecture on the man-monkey of Ranton (a simian phantom reported from Staffordshire)

As well as talks, there will be displays and exhibitions that will include live exotic insects, British big cats, wildlife photography, and fortean art. Book dealers will be selling rare and out of print books on strange creatures, and other esoteric subjects. Monster maker Anthony James, who has worked in film, theatre and television, will be giving a workshop on how to build your own monster.

Tickets cost £20 for the whole weekend or £10 per day. They are available from the Centre for Fortean Zoology at:

http://www.cfz.org.uk/conferences/weirdweekend/ww2007/ww07index.htm Or by telephone: 01237 431413

The Centre for Fortean Zoology
Myrtle Cottage
Woolsery
Bideford
North Devon
EX395QR

Tel:01237 431413

NOTES FOR EDITORS:

+ The Centre for Fortean Zoology is a non profit-making organisation, which was founded in 1992. Over the last 11 years we have mounted expeditions to Central America, Thailand, Mexico, various parts of the United States, as well as numerous investigations in the UK. Further information on the CFZ can be found on their website www.cfz.org.uk.
+ C F Z director Jonathan Downes has written numerous books on the subject of mystery animals. The latest, entitled `Monster Hunter` is his long awaited autobiography.
+The honorary life President of the Centre for Fortean Zoology is renowned explorer, author and soldier Colonel John Blashford-Snell OBE, best known for his pioneering Operation Drake and Operation Raleigh expeditions during the 1970s.
+ The CFZ is looking for corporate and private sponsors