The Strangest Felines Scotsman

From Scotland comes Peter Ross' story of Mark Fraser, "who has spent his adult life searching for some particular beasts - black panther-like creatures which he believes are roaming Scotland." Five big cat investigators research the prevalence, hunting grounds and characteristics of the forty large black cats believed to be slinking through the heather and gorse of the highlands, or making their way into some towns. Fraser, a member of Big Cats in Britain, describes himself as a cryptozoologist, meaning, of course, big cats aren't the only creatures that pique his curiosity. Here Ross accompanies Fraser as the cryptid seeker makes his rounds. Are the big cats of Scotland former pets released into the wild, or are they, as some suggest, a relic population left behind after the last Ice Age? Elsewhere, Loren Coleman's International Cryptozoology Museum wants you to decorate your Christmas tree with cryptids this year, as shown in Bigfoot & Yeti Ornaments, while BoingBoing picks up on the idea, with some raucous commentary, in Bigfoot and Yeti Christmas Tree Ornaments.