New Creatures in an Age of Extinction New York Times

A visit to the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History reveals the surprising claim that "(W)e are smack-dab in the middle of the age of discovery for mammals." With around 400 new species of mammals added to the mammalian list since last totaled in 2005, perhaps the claim is correct. But what of the numerous "mass extinctions for which we humans are largely to blame"? With images. Meanwhile, at Phantoms & Monsters a lake creature sets the stage for some high strangeness in'Windermere Monster' Wake Pummels Swimmer. And there's more on this story, in a fashion, in New CFZ Expedition Takes Place Without Our Knowledge.

Mysterious Beasts Torment Villagers New Era

Reports from villages in the Ongwediva district of Namibia are saying some mysterious beasts are decimating domestic livestock in the region. Some villagers are reporting the creatures have wiped out their livestock. While some reports say the unidentified predators are sucking the blood of the livestock, others are describing complete devourings. Has the chupacabras shown up in Africa's Namibia, or are villagers dealing, as many suspect, with witchcraft?