Goodness gracious

This is just a quickie to answer comments and criticisms following on from yesterday's blog post, which presented the first pictures of the Cuero beast.

• The DNA evidence from five different laboratories (I have seen the reports from two of them) categorically states that the mother was a coyote and the father was a wolf. I have not commissioned any of these tests myself, but I am prepared to accept what Dr Canion says without question, and to accept the endorsements of the National Geographic TV channel.


• The strange lumps on the rear of the animal are what previously aired interviews included in the National Geographic show refer to as `pouches`. The fact that this term has been used in conjunction with discussions of thylacines led several researchers including myself to assume that it was being alleged that these animals are marsupials. This is NOT the case. Someone or other once wrote that we (UK and US) are 'two great nations divided by a common language.' Well duh!


• The colour of the eyes was indeed that vivid blue. Dr Canion showed us a photograph of the beast when newly killed, which confirmed this.


• I have a long and detailed interview with Dr Canion on video. I will be issuing it over the next few weeks. Dr Canion is a medical doctor as well as a field naturalist. She confirms that the lumps of flesh on the 'buttocks' are categorically not the anal glands. She carried out the dissection of the animal, and examined the actual anal glands, which were healthy and not impacted. I have been asked for a written report of this biopsy by one person with a history of onloine attacks upon the CFZ. Forgive my paranoia, but the inference here is that I and my team have either made this up or are somehow interpreting the facts for our own ends. This is most certainly not the case and he, like me and everybody else, will just have to accept the words of Dr Canion, who is - in my opinion - a lady beyond reproach.


• Incidentally, the creature appeared to only have one testicle putting him in such hallowed company as Adolf Hitler and our own dog, Biggles, both of whom are/were monorchid.

We are not claiming to have discovered this creature, and are merely reporting on what we have been told by Dr Canion and others. However, once again the CFZ were lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. We have a hell of a lot more news to release over the next few days, so watch this space.

On an administrative note, when I set up this blog I forgot to put comment moderation on. This has now been rectified. Only one person's comments have been removed, but I would remind them that when I ban someone, especially for repeated attacks upon me, my professional and financial ethics, and those of my friends and colleagues, the ban is forever.