There’s been a welcome foray into cryptozoology by wildlife camera-people in recent years: I’d recommend Justin Chernipeski’s (Prime) as a great example of a professional film-maker treating the search as a standard assignment, combining the almost Zenlevels of patience required to nab the perfect shot with a refreshing lack of (Quest). Against a deserty backdrop he addresses the viewer: “My name’s Mungo,” he says, “and I’ve been a cameraman for over 20 years.” He has a camera on his shoulder to reinforce this credential. It turns out that he’s heard some incredible things, so he’s going to set out with his camera – the one on his shoulder presumably – to get them on film. Cue action shots of Land Rovers, mud, jungle, rivers, pack horses etc. To his credit he’s looking for the lower profile, second division cryptids, particularly those with alliterative names – the Living Dinosaur of Liberia, India’s Monkey Man Monster – or things like the Dog-Headed Pig Monster of Namibia (maybe that was the Pig-Headed Dog Monster. I don’t know.) In Episode four he’s after the Ucumar, or South American Sasquatch.
