As I said: a good description is better than a bad photo. Neither is proof. But the search for the orang pendek is hanging, largely, on unsubstantiated sightings – in which the observer, using only eyes, painted a picture of the animal that jibes pretty well with many other such descriptions.

I see it many times over here that anyone who can’t take a good picture of an orang pendek should just hang it up. It’s almost IMPOSSIBLE to take a good picture of a non-habituated wild animal. For ANYONE, even the most accomplished photographer. Don’t believe me? Ask them. Why do you think, people, that so much has been invested in remote trail cameras? Why do you think this critter isn’t confirmed yet? Generations of crappy photographers?

It is a snap judgment call. Can I get a picture that will be every bit as good as the description I get if I just focus on the animal? The answer, almost invariably, is NO. People really have no idea of the massive percentage of “wild” animal photography out there that is either of captive or of habituated animals. (Private refuges are maintained for the sole purpose of giving photographers good shots of essentially captive animals.)

Says here: if you don’t have a large database, that includes excellent eyewitness descriptions of an animal, you do not know enough about the animal to ever get a good photo of it.

Also says here: taking a photograph, you are focusing the bare minimum of your attention on the animal, and the rest on “the shot.” If you say otherwise, you either aren’t a photographer or aren’t a very good observer of your own behavior.

The original posting on this sighting can be found here.

“The resolution on tape is still higher than digital media can handle and tape comes in sizes capable of handling an hour or more of video instead of the 15 minutes digital media can handle.”

Where are you getting this 15 minutes from. I have a Sony HD video camera, bought for £400, which records nearly 4 hours of HD video on an internal hard drive. I have several batteries, which when charged can last for more than two hours each

You can buy telephoto and wide angled lens to improve its viewing range, and it fits snuggly in the palm of one hand. More than adequate for what was needed on this expedition

And for the person who said there would be cries of “Photo Shop” about sharp pictures. Guess What? Photo Shop absolutely cannot make an out-of-focus picture sharp. It can be used to make a slightly out-of-focus picture appear sharper but that is relatively easy to spot.

That being said there are techniques that can be used to make a slightly out-of-focus extremely sharp, but it takes time and a sizable number of photographs of the same object AND the people who are able to do this will be willing to tell you they did it and how it was done. Astro-photographers do it all the time, both amateur and professional.

As for the “I didn’t want to take a photo because the camera might focus on a leaf/vine” statement. I haven’t heard a dumber statement! If you go on an expedition such as this and don’t know how to focus your camera, STAY HOME!! If you can afford to go on an expedition such as this you should certainly be able to afford something along the lines of a Canon EOS-5D, Nikon D300, Sony A900, Pentax K20D or K7D, or something comparable, a couple of GOOD lenses, and know how to use it. Heck, even get an Nikon F3/4/5/6 series film camera and a case of good color film, though film takes special handling in the tropics. Just don’t say you didn’t get photos because “the camera focused/might focus on a leaf/vine”. Statements such as this do not help your credibility!

I think one of the priorities for those interested in the success of cryptozoology ought to be nuturing good will. The end result wiil be, those who can, diving in their pockets and providing the finance for 100% expeditions! This could include a big trailcam programme in addition to any that are currently running (by Exeter university?) More enjoyable too, wouldnt you say?

I am interested in keeping up-to-date on what’s happening in that corner of the world, and sharing that with Cryptomundo readers. You never can tell when the next minor event there might have some major influence on the situation.

Needless to say, also, I have been around long enough to know some of the people involved.

In the 1980s, I encouraged, wrote supportive documents on her behalf, and assisted with Debbie Martyr first getting into Sumatra. I respect her work, and clearly have said so here, in a profile.

Despite any misreading of my writings, I also fully do support the work of Adam Davies, Richard Freeman, Chris Clark, Dave Archer, Karl Shuker, and Jon Downes, and many others who are involved in this report, marginally or otherwise. Adam Davies work is without reproach. The more the merrier, I say, and the more eyes looking for these things, the better. The more eyes and brains analyzing them, the better too, e.g. on Cryptomundo and in the labs around the globe.

The world of cryptozoology is a small place, and I support all of us in it, despite some misunderstandings that naturally develop out of this field.

These investigators (and I do support investigators as these people are, not hoaxers or sensationalists) deserve our attention to listen to the news, as best we can, to see what they are bringing back.

Based on my sense of the long-term reality and good past evidence of the Orang Pendek, and from the gentlemen involved, yes, I do think they are worthy, most certainly, of being heard.

It is too early in the scientific process for any firm conclusions on this episode.

Our site here is about news, and cryptozoology news specifically. I gladly report on expeditions emerging from the jungles, deserts, and oceans of the Earth, and hopefully, of course, they have returned with new evidence for new species. Such news should be respected, as the researchers should too, no matter what organization is involved or what little evidence is obtained, this early in the game. What you are seeing here is only an indication of what may or may not be out there. But to inform is important, as in this age of the Internet, news is transferred from jungle to email to screen to brain within microseconds. Before the mainstream media distorts the events, it is always good to pass along the raw material, as best we can before it is spun by the news organizations.

I am as interested as the next person in seeing what is what out of Sumatra.