On January 5, 2023, the board of directors unanimously approved bringing Jeremy Michel onto the board. He lives in the Salt Lake Valley of Utah and was highly recommended by the executive director Jonathan Whitcomb. We are delighted to welcome Jeremy into the leadership of Animal Discovery.
Expedition Possibilities in 2023
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On December 6, 2022, the board of directors had a meeting, mainly for organizational purposes but also with discussions on potential expeditions. Nocturnal flying lights in eastern Washington state came up, and I [J. D. Whitcomb] mentioned the possibility that many of these lights may be from related flying creatures across North American. Maybe these animals might even be of the same species or at least closely related species in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
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. . . the expedition led by Peter Beach and Milt Marcy in 2015 resulted in what may have been the first video footage of a living pterosaur being recorded in a remote jungle and carried back to the United States for distribution on Youtube and elsewhere.
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The word ropen comes from the Kovai language of Umboi Island in Papua New Guinea, although over the past fourteen years it has become known around the world as a word that refers to any modern flying creature that appears to an eyewitness to be a featherless long-tailed pterosaur . . .
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By the executive director of Animal Discovery, Jonathan Whitcomb
When this nonprofit was organized earlier this year, two of the three original members of the board of directors had direct experience in searching for living pterosaurs in remote areas: me (Jonathan Whitcomb) and Peter Beach.
In fact, the expedition led by Peter Beach and Milt Marcy in 2015 resulted in what may have been the first video footage of a living pterosaur being recorded in a remote jungle and carried back to the United States for distribution on Youtube and elsewhere.
I applaud the work of Marcy and Beach and delight in their success in getting back home safely to the United States with the video footage. Even though it was far below the standards we expect from the work of a professional wildlife photographer, they did not have the funds, on that expedition, to take with them such a professional.
Ropen Expedition #1 for the Year 2004
Many prayers were answered when I arrived safely back home in California, after my expedition on Umboi Island late in 2004. I was not able to see the nocturnal ropen during my two weeks on that remote tropical island, but I was able to interview many native eyewitnesses of the ropen.
Rex Yapi on Umboi Island
I have been delighted at the diligent work of Rex Yapi, a native of Papua New Guinea who had a sighting of a ropen near Umboi Island. For the past few years, he has spent countless hours on expeditions and efforts to promote living-pterosaur expeditions in remote areas of Papua New Guinea.
[to be continued]
On Friday, September 17, 2021, Animal Discovery began official operations as a nonprofit in the city of Murray, Utah, with the address of:
Animal Discovery
5347 South New Hampton Drive
Murray, Utah 84123
Volunteer representatives of Animal Discovery
Reported by Jonathan Whitcomb
May 10, 2021
We welcome our first English-language representative: Candace Worman, for the state of Kentucky in the United States. She has had her own remarkable sighting in 2020, a long-tailed ropen in KY.
Candace Worman
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Late-July of 2021:
We now have our first worldwide representative for a non-English language: Gladys Whitcomb for Spanish. She had a sighting of a possible large pterosaur near the Columbia River, between Oregon and Washington state, in 2019.
Gladys Whitcomb
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Jonathan Archer, in July of 2021, became the first representative in California, and he’ll be available for eyewitnesses and news media in northern California. He saw two ropens in western Minnesota a few years ago, in clear daylight.
Jonathan Archer
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Laura Dean now represents the state of Arkansas, USA. She had a remarkable close encounter with a huge ropen a number of years ago. It seems to have been an unusual species or type of ropen.
Laura Dean
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By Jonathan Whitcomb
Here is the specific purpose of Animal Discovery (AD) in the Bylaws, as of May 4, 2021:
One aspect of the mission of AD is to inform the public about the existence, or potential existence, of apparent living animals or birds that to many Western scientists were unknown, or unacknowledged as extant species, at the end of the twentieth century. Such apparent or potential animals and birds are hereafter referred to in these Bylaws as “cryptids”.
Another part of the mission of AD is to promote the public’s open-minded consideration of reports from eyewitnesses, or possible eyewitnesses, of cryptids, and to analyze and publicize what we have learned from both eyewitness reports of cryptids and other sources.
Another purpose of AD is to promote expeditions and other searches that may result in photographing or videotaping cryptids or may result in learning about cryptids, especially through interviewing eyewitnesses or possible eyewitnesses.
Another part of the mission of AD is to protect people, farm animals, and pets from individual cryptids that are dangerous or may be dangerous and to protect cryptids that are not dangerous or that may not be dangerous.
At least at the beginning of the existence of AD, the principal cryptids of interest will be apparent non-extinct pterosaurs, flying creatures that are often called, in many Western countries, “pterodactyls”.
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By Animal Discovery founder Jonathan Whitcomb
We listen to you
Late April of 2021: A viewer of one of my Youtube livestream videos told me what his son suggested for living-pterosaur research: Sound recordings of these flying creatures could help identify them and where they fly, especially recording the audio at night.
Throughout the first few months of 2021: A few persons have come forward, asking how they might be able to see a modern pterosaur. I wish I could send them to places where it is likely that one of these flying creatures could be observed. Unfortunately, they are mostly nocturnal and at least very uncommon, if not rare, and it is usually very difficult to predict where one might be seen at any particular day or week. With that said, my associates and I are still trying to learn what we can about these amazing animals, and I hope to one day have a better idea about where they can be found consistently.
By Jonathan Whitcomb
The following will probably be in the A.D. policies statement, at least in the early stages of the existence of this nonprofit organization.
1) To inform the public about the existence, or potential existence, of apparent modern pterosaurs
2) To promote the public’s open-minded consideration of reports from eyewitnesses, or potential eyewitnesses, of apparent modern pterosaurs
3) To analyze and publicize what we have learned from eyewitness reports of apparent modern pterosaurs and from other sources
4) To promote expeditions that may result in photographing or videotaping one or more apparent modern pterosaurs
5) To promote expeditions for learning about apparent modern pterosaurs, especially by interviewing eyewitnesses; these may be the same expeditions mentioned in #4
6) Related to apparent modern pterosaurs, to protect people, farm animals, pets, and endangered or potentially-endangered apparent modern pterosaurs
The above list, or one like it, may become part of the Bylaws of Animal Discovery (AD), and detailed policies or future policies of AD will be greatly influenced by such a list in the bylaws. For a more up-to-date list of the purposes of A.D., the following may be better: Bylaws regarding the purposes, at least in the version written in early May, 2021.
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By the founder of Animal Discovery, Jonathan David Whitcomb
Since the year 2003, I have held a special interest in eyewitness reports of a flying creature that has become known as the ropen, what some persons have called a “pterodactyl” or a “flying dinosaur”. The word ropen comes from the Kovai language of Umboi Island in Papua New Guinea, although over the past fourteen years it has become known around the world as a word that refers to any modern flying creature that appears to an eyewitness to be a featherless long-tailed pterosaur, whatever word is used by the eyewitness. It is now obvious to serious researchers that the ropen is not confined to the southwest Pacific.
In 2004, I led an expedition on Umboi Island, Papua New Guinea, to search for what I thought at first were many ropens living on that tropical island. Within two weeks, however, I became convinced that only one large ropen lives permanently on Umboi, at least as the dominant territorial flying creature of its species on that island.
I was able to interview important native eyewitnesses of the ropen, although I failed to see the animal myself. This nocturnal creature rarely comes out in daylight, and the jungles are difficult to explore with so many square miles of dense undergrowth. Nevertheless, a few islanders have seen the ropen well enough to describe it clearly to cryptozoologists.
Within a few weeks after my return to the United States, two other Americans searched that same island for the ropen. They were able to explore areas in the north, where I had not been, and interview natives that I had not been able to contact. The expedition led by David Woetzel and Garth Guessman proved very important to the research in this narrow branch of cryptozoology.
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Duane Hodginson’s description of the giant “pterodactyl” he and his buddy saw in 1944 demonstrates to recent researchers that the two soldiers had seen a ropen. That does not mean, however, that it must have been the exact same species as the ropen seen more recently on Umboi Island.
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Various nonprofit organizations
. . . Another organization, VIEM, uses plastic bottles for building houses in Mexico. Watch this video on house building. . . .
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Sightings of apparent pterosaurs by various eyewitnesses and links to ropen expeditions by cryptozoologists like Jonathan Whitcomb, David Woetzel, and Garth Guessman, etc.
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As far as I can see, it would have to be over 300,000 Americans, for anything less than that does not make sense with how many of them have contacted me about not only their sightings but about one or more friends or family members who have also had a similar sighting [of an apparent modern pterosaur].
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About a potential modern pterosaur on Umboi Island in the southwest Pacific
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Volunteer Representatives (Reps) of Animal Discovery can communicate with eyewitnesses and members of the news media and other persons. A Rep can be a member of the Board of Directors or not. Each Rep will probably be one of three types:
A representative is appointed by the Executive Director (ED) and reports to the ED.
What does a Rep do?
A Rep can listen to an eyewitness and assure that person that he or she is not alone. Details about the sighting can also be collected by the Rep. When a member of the news media contacts the Rep, details can be given to that news person, points that the Rep already has at hand, previously given to him or her from Animal Discovery.
For convenience of designation, the representatives together are the Board of Representatives (BR), although no meetings are required. Should a group of Reps feel the need, they can agree on one or more suggestions that they can then send to the Executive Director, but they are not required to do so. Each representative is a volunteer, with no voting rights in Animal Discovery unless that Rep is also on the Board of Directors.
Reps are independent in how they decide to interact or not to interact with each other. For example, they may arrange to have a meeting or to consult with each other or to give and take advice, one-to-one.
Within a reasonable time, a Rep will inform the Executive Director of a communication he or she had with an eyewitness or member of the news media or other person, regarding one or more sightings of a potential modern pterosaur or regarding modern pterosaurs in general or regarding the organization Animal Discovery.
The first Representative of Animal Discovery will likely be Gladys Whitcomb, for the Spanish language worldwide.
Voluntary Additional Opportunities for Reps
A Rep may choose to unofficially represent one or more persons in a particular area or language, informing the Executive Director of a need or opportunity that may possibly be addressed by Animal Discovery.
For example, a Rep for a particular region of the United States may be informed of a recent sighting in which the flying creature may still be in a particular cave in that area. The Rep could then contact the Executive Director, who might be able to organize a search there.
As another example, a Rep for the Chinese Mandarin language might learn that no web page exists for that language regarding modern pterosaurs. After being informed, the Executive Director could then look into the possibility of publishing such a web page in Mandarin or at least then make early preparations for such an online publication.
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The first area representative in English will be Candace Worman.
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Basic structure of the database on pterosaur sightings
About the four tables of this database
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