Animal X (Show)
Encyclopedia
Animal X is an American documentary
television series that aired in more than 120 countries. It began in 1997 with its first series of 13 half-hour episodes. In 2002, Discovery Channel
in the U.S. co-produced the 2nd series of 13 half-hour episodes with the creators of the series, Australia's Storyteller Productions, for Animal Planet
. At this point Animal X episodes generally had 3 stories, with one exception: "The Skookum Cast". This was a joint expedition between Animal X and the BFRO which discovered the Skookum Cast
, said to be an imprint of the body of a bigfoot
.
Network in the United States, as well as numerous other networks in countries around the world. AX NMU features a male and female investigation team composed of Daniel Searle and Natalie Schmitt. They visited locations of cryptid
sightings and provided background on the possible existence of the legendary animals. A 'controller' character played by veteran actor Bill Kerr
tells the story, provides directions and gives orders to the team. Kerr always ends the show with the same line; "There are stranger things in Heaven and Earth. And you've just seen one of them on Animal X."
Animal X Classica (as the first two series have become known) and Animal X Natural Mystery Unit are produced in segments that often feature eye-witness testimony. AX NMU episodes routinely show the Animal X Team planting motion-activated infrared video cameras to try and capture evidence of the creatures they seek; or discovering some form of physical evidence which they would then send off for analysis. Even so, episodes are careful to avoid making definitive conclusions and the new evidence presented by the Team is usually described as inconclusive or unable to be classified. Animal X adopts a cautious believer approach to Cryptids and rarely features outright skeptical viewpoints. In 2007 the show is on air in various countries, including Poland, Norway, USA (reruns starting again soon) and soon to be available on the web through Google Video and YouTube.
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
television series that aired in more than 120 countries. It began in 1997 with its first series of 13 half-hour episodes. In 2002, Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
in the U.S. co-produced the 2nd series of 13 half-hour episodes with the creators of the series, Australia's Storyteller Productions, for Animal Planet
Animal Planet
Animal Planet is an American cable tv specialty channel that launched on October 1, 1996. It is distributed by Discovery Communications. A high-definition simulcast of the channel launched on September 1, 2007.-History:...
. At this point Animal X episodes generally had 3 stories, with one exception: "The Skookum Cast". This was a joint expedition between Animal X and the BFRO which discovered the Skookum Cast
Skookum Cast
The Skookum cast is a plaster cast often claimed to be an imprint of the body of Bigfoot, although it is more typically regarded as that of an elk.-Description:...
, said to be an imprint of the body of a bigfoot
Bigfoot
Bigfoot, also known as sasquatch, is an ape-like cryptid that purportedly inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid...
.
Animal X: Natural Mystery Unit
In 2004 Animal X spin off, the Natural Mystery Unit, was born. Also a co-production between Discovery and Storyteller, it was again aired on the Animal PlanetAnimal Planet
Animal Planet is an American cable tv specialty channel that launched on October 1, 1996. It is distributed by Discovery Communications. A high-definition simulcast of the channel launched on September 1, 2007.-History:...
Network in the United States, as well as numerous other networks in countries around the world. AX NMU features a male and female investigation team composed of Daniel Searle and Natalie Schmitt. They visited locations of cryptid
Cryptid
In cryptozoology and sometimes in cryptobotany, a cryptid is a creature or plant whose existence has been suggested but is unrecognized by scientific consensus and often regarded as highly unlikely. Famous examples include the Yeti in the Himalayas and the Loch Ness Monster in...
sightings and provided background on the possible existence of the legendary animals. A 'controller' character played by veteran actor Bill Kerr
Bill Kerr
William 'Bill' Kerr is an Australian film and television actor. He was born into a performing arts family in Cape Town, South Africa, but grew up in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia....
tells the story, provides directions and gives orders to the team. Kerr always ends the show with the same line; "There are stranger things in Heaven and Earth. And you've just seen one of them on Animal X."
Animal X Classica (as the first two series have become known) and Animal X Natural Mystery Unit are produced in segments that often feature eye-witness testimony. AX NMU episodes routinely show the Animal X Team planting motion-activated infrared video cameras to try and capture evidence of the creatures they seek; or discovering some form of physical evidence which they would then send off for analysis. Even so, episodes are careful to avoid making definitive conclusions and the new evidence presented by the Team is usually described as inconclusive or unable to be classified. Animal X adopts a cautious believer approach to Cryptids and rarely features outright skeptical viewpoints. In 2007 the show is on air in various countries, including Poland, Norway, USA (reruns starting again soon) and soon to be available on the web through Google Video and YouTube.
Series One
- ChupacabraChupacabraThe chupacabras is a legendary cryptid rumored to inhabit parts of the Americas. It is associated more recently with sightings of an allegedly unknown animal in Puerto Rico , Mexico, and the United States, especially in the latter's Latin American communities...
, magic cows, Black DogBlack dog (ghost)A black dog is the name given to a being found primarily in the folklores of the British Isles. The black dog is essentially a nocturnal apparition, often said to be associated with the Devil, and its appearance was regarded as a portent of death. It is generally supposed to be larger than a normal...
s - Killer crocodilesCrocodile attacksCrocodile attacks on people are common in places where large crocodiles are native and human populations live.Only six of the 23 crocodilian species are considered dangerous to adult humans, and only individuals in length or more represent a serious danger to humans, as smaller crocodiles are...
, Fizo, Howick Falls Monster - Rainbow Serpent, Lake Monster, killer wolvesWolf attacks on humansA wolf attack is an attack on a human by a wolf or wolves. Under normal circumstances, wild wolves are generally timid around humans. Wolves usually try to avoid contact with people, to the point of even abandoning their kills when an approaching human is detected, though there are several reported...
- Cattle Mutilations, croc horror, Black Cat of Killakee
- Dingoes, fish, BigfootBigfootBigfoot, also known as sasquatch, is an ape-like cryptid that purportedly inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid...
- Komodo, ghostly lions, Canadian Lake Monster
- CatCatThe cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
worshipers, alien animals, killer bees - Salaawa, dolphinDolphinDolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...
therapy, Jersey DevilJersey DevilThe Jersey Devil is a legendary creature or cryptid said to inhabit the Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey, United States. The creature is often described as a flying biped with hooves, but there are many variations... - GoatmanGoatmanGoatman may refer to:* Goatman — An American legend of a part-man part-goat cryptid which originates from Maryland* Goatman — An American legend of a part-man part-goat cryptid which originates from Lake Worth, Texas...
, Phar LapPhar LapPhar Lap was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse whose achievements captured the public's imagination during the early years of the Great Depression. Foaled in New Zealand, he was trained and raced in Australia. Phar Lap dominated Australian racing during a distinguished career, winning a Melbourne...
, psychicPsychicA psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
animals - Beast of BodminBeast of BodminThe Beast of Bodmin, also known as The Beast of Bodmin Moor like The Beast of Exmoor, is a phantom wild cat purported to live in Cornwall, in the United Kingdom...
, Giant SquidGiant squidThe giant squid is a deep-ocean dwelling squid in the family Architeuthidae, represented by as many as eight species...
, psychic animals part two - YetiYetiThe Yeti or Abominable Snowman is an ape-like cryptid said to inhabit the Himalayan region of Nepal, and Tibet. The names Yeti and Meh-Teh are commonly used by the people indigenous to the region, and are part of their history and mythology...
, hypnotising dog, ThylacineThylacineThe thylacine or ,also ;binomial name: Thylacinus cynocephalus, Greek for "dog-headed pouched one") was the largest known carnivorous marsupial of modern times. It is commonly known as the Tasmanian tiger or the Tasmanian wolf... - Mad elephants, Biblical lions, YowieYowieThe Yowie is a creature from Australian folklore.Yowie may also refer to:*Cadbury Yowie, a confectionery from the Cadbury-Schweppes company*Yowie Bay, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia...
- CaddyCadborosaurus willsi"Cadborosaurus willsi", nicknamed Caddy, is an alleged sea serpent reported to be living on the Pacific Coast of North America. Its name is derived from Cadboro Bay in Victoria, British Columbia, and the Greek root word "saurus" meaning lizard or reptile...
, Red Heifer, big catBig catThe term big cat – which is not a biological classification – is used informally to distinguish the larger felid species from smaller ones. One definition of "big cat" includes the four members of the genus Panthera: the tiger, lion, jaguar, and leopard. Members of this genus are the only cats able...
s in Australia
Series Two
- ChupacabraChupacabraThe chupacabras is a legendary cryptid rumored to inhabit parts of the Americas. It is associated more recently with sightings of an allegedly unknown animal in Puerto Rico , Mexico, and the United States, especially in the latter's Latin American communities...
in Puerto RicoPuerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, PantherPanther (legendary creature)A Panther is a creature out of ancient myth that resembles a big cat with a multicoloured hide.Under medieval belief after feasting the panther will sleep in a cave for a total of three days. After this period ends, the panther roars, in the process emitting a sweet smelling odor...
s in EssexEssexEssex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, Dogs who diagnose disease - Marsupial LionMarsupial LionThe Marsupial Lion is an extinct species of carnivorous marsupial mammal that lived in Australia from the early to the late Pleistocene...
, Thunderbirds, Animals sealed in stone - MegalodonMegalodonThe megalodon and ὀδούς ) is an extinct species of shark that lived roughly from 28 to 1.5 million years ago, during the Cenozoic Era .The taxonomic assignment of C...
, pets that save lives, plagues of animals - A BigfootBigfootBigfoot, also known as sasquatch, is an ape-like cryptid that purportedly inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid...
special - New England sea serpent, hominids around the world, Beaching whales
- Skunk ApeSkunk ApeThe Skunk Ape is a hominid cryptid said to inhabit the Southern United States, from places such as North Carolina and Arkansas, although reports from Florida are most common. It is named for its appearance and for the unpleasant odor that is said to accompany it. According to the United States...
, animal emotion, frogFrogFrogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
and fishFishFish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
rain - Incredible dog journeys, thylacine, Swedish lake monster
- Carnivorous herbivores, MegalaniaMegalaniaMegalania is a giant extinct goanna or monitor lizard. It was part of a megafaunal assemblage that inhabited southern Australia during the Pleistocene, and appears to have disappeared around 40,000 years ago...
, Animal memories - Animal heroes, Yowie, Telepathic parrot
Series Three
- Ghostly creatures
- Beast of GévaudanBeast of GévaudanThe Beast of Gévaudan is a name given to man-eating wolf-like animals alleged to have terrorized the former province of Gévaudan , in the Margeride Mountains in south-central France from 1764 to 1767 over an area stretching . The beasts were consistently described by eyewitnesses as having...
- ThylacineThylacineThe thylacine or ,also ;binomial name: Thylacinus cynocephalus, Greek for "dog-headed pouched one") was the largest known carnivorous marsupial of modern times. It is commonly known as the Tasmanian tiger or the Tasmanian wolf...
- BigfootBigfootBigfoot, also known as sasquatch, is an ape-like cryptid that purportedly inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid...
- Winged creatures (MothmanMothmanMothman is a legendary creature reportedly seen in the Point Pleasant area of West Virginia from 15 November 1966 to 15 December 1967. The first newspaper report was published in the Point Pleasant Register dated 16 November 1966, entitled "Couples See Man-Sized Bird...Creature...Something"...
, OwlmanOwlmanThe Owlman, sometimes referred to as the Cornish Owlman, or The Owlman of Mawnan, is a purported cryptid that was supposedly sighted around mid 1976 in the village of Mawnan, Cornwall...
) - Monsters of the Deep (BloopBloopThe Bloop is the name given to an ultra-low frequency and extremely powerful underwater sound detected by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 1997...
) - Reptilian creatures (Lizardmen)
- ChupacabraChupacabraThe chupacabras is a legendary cryptid rumored to inhabit parts of the Americas. It is associated more recently with sightings of an allegedly unknown animal in Puerto Rico , Mexico, and the United States, especially in the latter's Latin American communities...
- Big cats
- Animal powers