tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post395459260075140301..comments2024-03-22T21:58:18.933+00:00Comments on ShukerNature: HOW THE NANDI BEAR WAS CONCLUSIVELY IDENTIFIED AND CONTENTIOUSLY LOST - OR WAS IT?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15628598508836601012noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-15560412764845004342022-09-05T18:15:42.565+01:002022-09-05T18:15:42.565+01:00This comment has been removed by the author.The writerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12118326039588853677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-25615180800763784502021-09-28T19:24:11.156+01:002021-09-28T19:24:11.156+01:00Thanks very much, but no - brown hyaenas also inha...Thanks very much, but no - brown hyaenas also inhabit open woodland savannahs (which is where I saw one back in 2008 during a conducted safari in South Africa), as well as montane regions, not just arid, desert areas.Dr Karl Shukerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06222845702628862829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-2706341582683709092021-09-28T13:56:23.768+01:002021-09-28T13:56:23.768+01:00A very interesting article, thank you. Though I mi...A very interesting article, thank you. Though I might add that don't Brown Hyenas typically only occur in arid areas and deserts? Most famously scavenging the beaches of the Namib desert. So a lush Afromontane forest might not be the first place one would expect to encounter one?<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-47547529689930842022021-06-17T18:04:08.380+01:002021-06-17T18:04:08.380+01:00Thanks very much for your most interesting insight...Thanks very much for your most interesting insights, Kevin. I too strongly suspect that there are all manner of significant 'lost' specimens currently overlooked or misplaced within muserum collections all over the world, including some that may well constitute species new to science. This has previously happened on many occasions, as highlighted by me in my three books on new and rediscovered animals.Dr Karl Shukerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06222845702628862829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-66052674953136151692021-06-17T18:00:50.325+01:002021-06-17T18:00:50.325+01:00Thanks very much Alex!Thanks very much Alex!Dr Karl Shukerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06222845702628862829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-87492107490903847202021-06-17T12:04:42.392+01:002021-06-17T12:04:42.392+01:00Karl, a very interesting article.
Interesting re...Karl, a very interesting article. <br /><br />Interesting reading and some very credible suggestions regarding the origin of this animal – if it existed.<br /><br />In the early 1970's I was living in Kenya and was involved in an expedition to the area where we did extensive anthropological work, as well as work in trying the determine the identity of the Nandi Bear. A lot of effort was put into the latter and at the time the best theory (based on numerous interviews with people who had claimed to have sighted the Nandi Bear) was that they were probably encounters with old Ratels. This also was born out then by possible confirmation of the ID via the use of “picture line-ups” and visual descriptions from individuals (who who had a good understanding of the flora and fauna in the area). <br /><br />For some reason back then, we were also not aware of the hyena theories – this is interesting as we consulted with the Coryndon Museum both before and after the expedition, and I recall no mention being made of these at the time. Had this been the case we would have extended the work we did to include hyenas to a greater degree.<br /><br />I will try and find some notes from back then to try and determine who from the Museum was providing us with guidance at the time.<br />Talking about lost material at the Coryndon Museum - this seems to have a common occurrence back then! The question however is whether these losses really happened, or were merely alleged! I suspect the latter!<br /><br />Around the same time, I was on another occasion involved in another trip (for 3 weeks) to determine the possible existence of the Spotted Lion (Marozi) in the Aberdares, and here too there were stories regarding missing skins held at the museum. There was no trace of these (though the partner of one of the skins was sent to the Natural History Museum so there were specimens at the time). We were actually told to go to the Museum to see the skins, but they could not be traced!<br /><br />However, the hope will always be specimens do in fact lurk in Museum repositories – and that this does happen is borne out by the interesting hyaenodontid find in 2013 in the National Museum in Kenya (Coryndon) some 30 odds years after the specimen had been lodged there!<br /><br />Lastly, I really do look forward to further developments following your investigations. <br /><br />Kevin Wilson-Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00662266706298720165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-11589188440293126002021-05-05T17:04:43.016+01:002021-05-05T17:04:43.016+01:00Of course, if they find the pelt etc. at the BNHM,...Of course, if they find the pelt etc. at the BNHM, DNA testing would be possible, and any remaining doubt as to the hyena's exact identity could be dispelled.Arthur Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07089291195669575005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-40427097965186007602021-04-30T17:40:36.901+01:002021-04-30T17:40:36.901+01:00As I have already shown, some spotted hyaenas do h...As I have already shown, some spotted hyaenas do have brown, shaggy coats, and nowhere in his description of the specimen shot by him did he state that it was much bigger than either brown or spotted hyaena. Consequently, I prefer to be parsimonious and, especially given the nature of its sexual organs, favour a spotted hyaena as its taxonomic identity.Dr Karl Shukerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06222845702628862829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-47185558163052050062021-04-30T15:09:35.165+01:002021-04-30T15:09:35.165+01:00If the animal shot by Hutton had the shaggy hair o...If the animal shot by Hutton had the shaggy hair of a brown hyena and the sexual organs of a spotted hyena, but it was much bigger than either of them, that suggests that it was an unknown species of hyena, or possibly the Pleistocene species Pachycrocuta brevirostris.Roderick Moorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14569854313054334200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-21140645712669528932021-04-27T13:09:43.215+01:002021-04-27T13:09:43.215+01:00That was monumental, and fascinating. It will be i...That was monumental, and fascinating. It will be interesting to see if the museums dig anything up using the correct dates.Alex Bledsoehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05805521718331603133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-3926364618698344162021-04-24T17:04:32.215+01:002021-04-24T17:04:32.215+01:00Thanks very much Simon, I'm delighted that you...Thanks very much Simon, I'm delighted that you like my article so much. I had originally considered splitting it into two halves, to be posted separately, but the way in which I'd structured it, to create maximum impact by overturning towards its end everything that had gone before, did not lend itself to being split. So I decided to leave it as it was, and hope that people would have the time, patience, and interest to read all of it.Dr Karl Shukerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06222845702628862829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-65043764122112883302021-04-24T16:45:00.382+01:002021-04-24T16:45:00.382+01:00This is absolutely fascinating. An extremely long ...This is absolutely fascinating. An extremely long article, but well worth the read as an impressive amount of research has went into it. I think it is worth dwelling on that as holy a grail of cryptozoology as a flesh-and-blood carcass of the Nandi Bear has been procured on several occasions, even examined one time, only to then get forgotten completely until your detective work brought it back to the light. One thing that is obvious now is that the Nandi Bear is most definitely a hyena of some type, something which was not clear until now. <br /><br />I am reminded of whenever Bigfoot roadkill is found, the body mysteriously disappears or is replaced with a fake before the relevant experts can examine it...Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02957730344128441993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-30558819765316012102021-04-24T13:39:42.668+01:002021-04-24T13:39:42.668+01:00Thank you very much Ron - I'm delighted that y...Thank you very much Ron - I'm delighted that you've enjoyed it so much!Dr Karl Shukerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06222845702628862829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3739684561063978507.post-57571915025264508392021-04-24T04:13:09.000+01:002021-04-24T04:13:09.000+01:00Wonderful article, Karl. As usual. I hope the muse...Wonderful article, Karl. As usual. I hope the museums' research is as thorough as yours.Ronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00452222696907771602noreply@blogger.com