Investigator Confirms Discovery of Loch Ness Tooth
PRWEB) - (PRWEB) April 28, 2005 -- After a thorough examination of photos and video footage taken by two American college students claiming they recovered the tooth of an immense creature lodged in the ribcage of a half eaten deer carcass found on Loch Ness, ( http://www.LochNessTooth.com ) forensics expert and Nessie investigator Bill McDonald has concluded that the film is undoctored. If the tooth is real, that confirms his own findings as to what the creature is.
"The discovery of the deer remains comes as no surprise to me," he said. "When I traveled to Loch Ness last December, I discovered a slide trail (tracks) that were entirely consistent with my theories on the identity of the monster. The bite pattern on the deer carcass reflects that of a particular species documented in both fresh and salt water systems around the globe.
"The discovery of the shed relic (tooth) however is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it is extremely important that we recover it as quickly as possible as the DNA would prove my theory. We could be on the cusp of a great discovery and the fact that local authorities in the Scottish Highlands are refusing to cooperate with this investigation is reprehensible," he added.
According to accounts from the two students and the Scottish local who took them on a boat tour, the tooth, along with a video tape and two rolls of film were confiscated by a water bailiff shortly after the students pried the tooth loose from the half eaten deer carcass. Because of a contractual agreement with author Steve Alten, who included his hypothesis in a book ("The Loch)" on the subject, McDonald could not elaborate on the monster's identity until after July 15th.
However he did want to comment on recent speculation that the tooth could simply be the broken tip of an antler. "I can categorically eliminate the notion that the purported tooth is a Cervid/Capreoline deer antler or any animal's claw," he said. "It is neither a young spike nor a bony deciduous antler and in no way resembles the texture of broken, cast, or otherwise shed antler tissue. I've hunted deer with my father throughout my childhood. I know them well. While I can"t verify anything until I examine the tooth, I can say with assurance that we are not looking at a claw or antler."
McDonald and the two students have offered a $5,000 reward for any information leading to the recover of the tooth.
Mr. McDonald can be reached at Argonaut-Grey Wolf Productions in Mesa, AZ.
PHONE: 480-330-7553.
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William Mcdonald
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Six figure reward for missing Nessie 'tooth'
May 29, 2009
A FORENSICS investigator is offering a $100,000 bounty for what might be a piece of Nessie.
However, suspicions remain that the "Loch Ness tooth" Arizonabased Bill McDonald hopes to trace may be nothing more than the antler of a young deer.
The four-inch long barbed object was allegedly found lodged in the ribcage of a dead deer on the shores of Loch Ness in March by two American students.
The students say the tooth and a video tape were confiscated by a man claiming to be a local water bailiff. But they retained some footage of the tooth, excerpts from which can be seen on the Internet at www.
LochNessTooth. com Mr McDonald, who believes the Loch Ness monster is a type of amphibian which became trapped in the loch in the 1930s, was contacted by the students and discussed their claims in a US radio interview with best-selling author Steve Alten, who recently published a thriller entitled "The Loch".
"A fter Steve did the show, I received interest from several museum curators, the producer of an Emmy-nominated documentary, marine biologists, and one very interested private investor, " said Mr McDonald.
"All are now convinced this discovery is real, and have committed funds for information leading to the return of the tooth by the Highland authorities."
However, most local experts are sure the "tooth" is the antler of a young stag which may have broken off after a fight.
"It's an antler, I don't think there's any doubt about, " commented former Scottish Natural Heritage scientist and nature writer Ray Collier. "I've got some small antlers like that, but you really need one from a first-year stag."
Gary Campbell, president of the Loch Ness Monster Fan Club, said he would be delighted to take up Mr McDonald's offer.
"As a Campbell in the Highlands, if a MacDonald is offering $100,000 for a bit of dead deer, then I'd be happy to offer him a full set of teeth, " he laughed.
He said the claim about the tooth had sparked substantial discussion on the Internet with the consensus being that this was a not very elaborate hoax.
However, Del Walker, one of the two students who claim to have made the discovery, insisted the object was no antler.
"My friend lives in Minnesota, he's been hunting since he was out of diapers, " Mr Walker told the Courier.
"Believe me, he knows what an antler looks like.
This was not an antler, it was a tooth.
"Look at the roots. If an antler broke off in a deer's ribcage would it have roots?
"A s for Nessie - hey, I'm not running around making any claims. I just want the tooth back."
27/05/2005
Canadian Broadcaster Exposes $100,000 Cash Reward for Return of Loch Ness Monster Tooth a Publicity Stunt And Hoax
Veteran Canadian broadcaster, publisher, journalist and paranormal researcher Rob McConnell exposes a publicity stunt and hoax about a $100,000 cash reward being offered for the return of the Loch Ness Monster Tooth.
(PRWEB) June 4, 2005 -- Rob McConnell, host and executive producer of the internationally syndicated late night talk show The 'X' Zone Radio Show (broadcast Live Monday Friday from 10 pm 2 am Eastern and on Saturday from 1 pm 3 pm Eastern on the TalkStar Radio Network www.talkstarradio.com) has once again exposed yet another hoax being committed in the world of the paranormal and the science of parapsychology.
On Tuesday, May 31, Bill McDonald a self proclaimed paranormal researcher was a guest on The 'X' Zone Radio Show and he claimed that two American college students who were spending part of their 2005 March Break in Scotland had hired a local guide and his boat to take them on a tour of the famed Loch Ness so they could take photos of the shore from the Loch.
It was during the photo tour that the boys saw a half eaten carcass of a deer on the shore. Imbedded in the ribs of the carcass was what McDonald claims to be a tooth of the Loch Ness monster.
According to McDonald, shortly after the boy had taken the tooth from the carcass, the tooth was confiscated by a Scottish game warden, who, they had accidentally flagged down in their excitement after making the Loch Ness Monster tooth discovery.
McDonald claims that he was hired by the two boys after they did an internet search looking for someone to help then get the tooth back.
During the show, Rob McConnell began to become very suspicious of the story that McDonald was telling, and throughout the 2 hour period that McDonald was on, McConnell started his own investigation into the actual identity of the so-called tooth.
The results of McConnell's investigation are totally opposite to those made by McDonald.
According to a number of experts in Canada and the United Kingdom, McDonald's tooth is nothing more than an antler from a roe muntjac deer.
It is not a tooth from the famed Loch Ness monster or a new species that McDonald was claiming it to be.
Throughout McConnells interview with McDonald, which can be heard at www.xzone-radio.com/archives.htm, McDonald was very evasive to McConnells' direct and tactful questions.
McDonald refused to identify the two young men who allegedly found what they believed to be a tooth in the rib cage of a deer carcass that was found on the shores of Loch Ness. McDonald claims that the two young men are going to be entering a very prestigious law school and their families, who are very well to do, do not want their experience to haunt them, possibly affecting their law careers.
McDonald would not identify the guide who took the two boys on their Loch Ness boating tour.
According to McDonald there was no police report filed about the "illegal" confiscation of the alleged tooth by an "unidentified" game warden or civilian impersonating a game warden. The "game warden" according to the boys produced a badge.
The only person to interview the two unidentified boys was McDonald. There was no other interview conducted by any other investigator, nor were their statements collaborated by polygraph or psychological stress evaluation examination to attest to the validity of their statements.
During the show, McConnell asked McDonald if he was getting paid by the families of the boys. McDonald said that they paid for some of his long distance calls and part of the website dedicated to the tooth. Yet, in the Press Release sent to The 'X' Zone by McDonald on May 14, 2005, McDonald states, "Says McDonald, who was hired by the students to help secure the return of the tooth, "the three were so excited they waved over a passing boat, which happened to be the water bailiff, a sort of park ranger or game warden."
Why would two young Americans on their March Break be interested in photographing a half eaten carcass that was on the shore of a lake?
The evidence speaks for itself. Follow the money trail.
The $100,000 reward money that was posted for the return of the tooth came on the heels of a May 5th national interview on a radio show with best-selling author Steve Alten, whose novel, "The LOCH" was just released. McDonald's December expedition to Loch Ness was financed by the book's publisher in exchange for exclusive rights to the investigator's research, which Alten has woven into The LOCH's storyline. Coincidence? That's what McDonald claims it to be but according to McConnell, "that's as much crap as the rest of the Loch Ness Tooth story."
Says McConnell, "My apologies to all those who truly believed that a tooth of the ever elusive Nessie the Monster of the Loch Ness. The mythical and mystical creature of the Loch had really been found. Sightings of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Sandman, Tooth Fairy or tales of a cow jumping over the Moon carry more weight than Bill McDonalds self centered attempt to try and sell his fictional tale of 'The Tooth That Got Away.'"
There is no proof whatsoever to substantiate any of the claims made by McDonald.
Photos of what McDonald claims to be the tooth of the Loch Ness Monster, McDonald's Press Release of May 14, 2005 and the findings of The 'X' Zone investigation can be found at www.xzone-radio.com.
The 'X' Zone Radio Show is broadcast Live, Monday Friday, 10 PM 2 AM Eastern and Saturday from 1 PM 3 PM Eastern.
Members of the media wishing to contact Rob McConnell can do so by calling (905) 575-5916 or by e-mail.
Radio stations in the US or Canada who would like to have The 'X' Zone Radio Show with Rob McConnell as part of their broadcast schedule are invited to contact Mr. Victor Ives at TalkStar Radio Network at (503) 638-4839 or e-mail.
Attention Radio Stations: If you don't have access to either of our C-Band or KU Band Transponders, and want to carry The 'X' Zone Radio Show with Rob McConnell ... we will send you a free Dish and Receiver by Fed Ex.
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*Rob McConnell, Host & Executive of the TalkStar Radio Networks "The 'X' Zone Radio Show."
Loch Ness Monster's tooth found?
Students allegedly discover item on Scottish lake, but skeptic cries hoax
Posted: June 10, 2005
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Ron Strom
Could it be a large tooth from the famed Loch Ness monster that some believe stalks the depths of the Scottish lake or just an antler that broke off a local deer during a fight with another animal?
That's the question a researcher of the Loch Ness mystery hopes to answer if only he had possession of the "tooth," which was confiscated from two college students that allegedly found it.
According to Bill McDonald, who says he is a forensics investigator and former Marine, the story began in March when the American students were spending Spring Break in Scotland. They reportedly got a local boat owner to take them on a tour of Loch Ness, during which they spotted the back half of a dead deer on the shore's edge.
A website describing their experience, LochNessTooth.com, says the two examined the carcass and spotted something protruding from the deer's rib.
"It was a tooth - about 4 inches long, barbed and very sharp!" states the description.
The pair got photos of the "tooth" and shot some video. They claim they then flagged down a passing boat, which happened to be manned by someone claiming to be government ranger of some kind. The two claim the official confiscated the item along with one videotape. Reportedly, the camera operator had recently changed tapes, so he was able to obtain a previous cassette containing relevant footage.
The students, who are unnamed, say they are determined to get the "tooth" back from Scottish authorities. They found McDonald via the Internet and hooked up with him.
"Mr. McDonald says the tooth will prove his own theories apparently developed for some author," the site states. "He swears he knows what the creature is and has investors ready to buy the tooth from us."
The author referenced is Steve Alten, writer of "The Loch," for whom McDonald did research in Scotland in December.
According to a statement online, McDonald claims to know the species of Nessie, the Loch Ness monster, how it entered Loch Ness prior to 1930 and why it is trapped. He says he is "looking for the largest print media venues upon which to deliver never-before-seen photos of the tooth and renditions of what the monster actually looks like."
The students' website, however, has several photos of the "tooth" as well as a link to the video that was shot.
McDonald claims he has met with "marine biologists, paleontologists, and board members from several prestigious museums who are lending their support in recovering the tooth from the Highland Government (offering $100,000 in reward money)."
'Nothing more than an antler'
Rob McConnell, a Canadian broadcaster who interviewed McDonald about the finding on the air, is convinced the "tooth" story is a hoax.
Said McConnell in a press release: "According to a number of experts in Canada and the United Kingdom, McDonald's tooth is nothing more than an antler from a roe muntjac deer.
"It is not a tooth from the famed Loch Ness monster or a new species that McDonald was claiming it to be."
McConnell says McDonald was evasive during the interview, which can be heard on the talk-show host's website, refusing to answer specific questions about the college students, the boat owner and the alleged confiscation by a Scottish "water bailiff."
Said McConnell: "My apologies to all those who truly believed that a tooth of the ever elusive Nessie the monster of the Loch Ness the mythical and mystical creature of the Loch had really been found. Sightings of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Sandman, Tooth Fairy or tales of a cow jumping over the moon carry more weight than Bill McDonald's self-centered attempt to try and sell his fictional tale of 'The Tooth That Got Away.'"
McConnell believes McDonald is hyping the alleged discovery to help drive sales of Alten's book.
'Pretty exciting stuff'
McDonald told WND the $100,000 reward will go to "anybody who provides information necessary for me to sue in the Scottish courts for custody of the tooth."
Rather than a government employee, McDonald says the person who took the item and videotape could have been a local "who didn't like it that Americans had gotten their hands on some kind of evidence regarding Nessie."
Admitted McDonald: "Or the whole thing could be a hoax perpetrated on and through the use of my two American clients. Until I recover the relic, I cannot prove whether or not it is a real biological relic."
Is a Giant Eel Stalking Loch Ness?
June 15, 2005
Forensics Investigator William McDonald thinks so, and his research is detailed in N.Y. Times best-selling author Steve Alten's latest fictional thriller, The LOCH (Tsunami Books).
Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) June 15, 2005 - Forensics Investigator William McDonald thinks so, and his research is detailed in N.Y. Times best-selling author Steve Alten's latest fictional thriller, The LOCH (Tsunami Books).
In December, McDonald interviewed eyewitnesses at Loch Ness who reported seeing something "as large as a lorry" along the shoreline while walking back to their hotel late one night. McDonald returned to the scene 12 hours later and discovered massive slide tracks frozen in the mud. His evidence is detailed at http://loch-movie.tripod.com
In March, McDonald was contacted by two American students who had traveled to Scotland on Spring Break. Along with their local boat tour operator, they discovered a half-eaten deer carcass and a shed tooth from its attacker, lodged in the animal's ribcage! Photos and video footage can be found at www.LochNessTooth.com A water bailiff later confiscated the tooth and the Highland Government refuses to cooperate in expediting its return. Outraged members of the scientific community have anted up a $100,000 reward for the tooth's return.
Says McDonald, "as reported in (Alten's) book, The LOCH, the creature is a mutation of an Anguilla Eel, and this 4-inch barbed tooth matches precisely what such an animal would possess along its mandibular structure. These are mean predatory amphibious fish that prefer the deep. In Spring and Summer there is ample fish to feed such a creature, but in winter, before the Spring migrations, they'll stalk the shoreline at night, hunting local game."
McDonald claims the creature's eyes are nocturnal, which keeps them away from the surface during daylight hours when tourists line the Loch, looking for photos. "Daytime photos are optical illusions. Boat wakes appear as humps in the water, though no boat may be present. Trees can shoot up from the depths, fooling tourists. Meanwhile the real monster lurks in 700 feet of water, rising only after dark."
Anguilla eels can grow to ten feet and weigh several hundred pounds. And Nessie? "From the tracks it left behind and the size of its tooth, I'd guess 55-feet and 8 tons."
Mr. McDonald can be reached by phone at 480-330-7553 or by e-mail at e-mail.
Media Contact:
Michael Drew
Promote-A-Book
850-747-8188
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Loch Ness Boat Operators Identify Kill Zone
For several months rumors have been swirling around Loch Ness about a 4-inch barbed tooth, possibly belonging to a giant mutation of an eel species that inhabits the waterway.
Loch Ness, Scotland (PRWEB) June 27, 2005 -- For several months rumors have been swirling around Loch Ness about a 4-inch barbed tooth, possibly belonging to a giant mutation of an eel species that inhabits the waterway, found in the mutilated carcass of a half-eaten deer back in March by two American college students. Now, several boat operators have come forward to speak with Nessie Investigator William McDonald, confirming the area where the deer was located is known to locals as a "kill-zone."
"Fisherman know the spot," says McDonald, who has been traveling back and forth to Loch Ness since 1993. "The area's located on the eastern shoreline, along the southern tip, just north of Ft. Augustus. Your fish finder will jump when you pass the spot. They call it a "kill zone" because it's also frequented by the Loch's biggest predator, which will hunt along that shoreline in winter, looking for deer and otters and occasionally a stray dog. I've now spoken with two local fishermen and a tour boat operator who verify the remains of that mutilated deer can still be seen along the shoreline near a small waterfall. The spot is inaccessible by foot."
As far as the species, McDonald confirms the creature is part of the eel family, either a mutation or a new species altogether. "It's the reason we must get that tooth back from the Highland Authorities. It's the only way to prove my theories and resolve the mystery, once and for all."
McDonald last returned to Loch Ness in late December on an expedition funded by American author Steve Alten, whose latest release, The LOCH is a fictional account of the hunt for the monster, woven around McDonald's latest research. "Alten got the science right, but truth is still stranger and more exciting to me than any fiction. I'm hoping to meet with the Highland Authorities very soon."
Photos and video footage of the March incident can be found at www.LochNessTooth.com Mr. McDonald can be reached by phone at 480-330-7553 or by e-mail at e-mail protected from spam bots
Media Contact:
Michael Drew
Promote-A-Book
850-747-8188
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Highland Police Officer Recalls Loch Ness Tooth Complaint
Thursday June 30, 10:00 am ET
A Police Officer Stationed in Inverness, Scotland, Has Contacted Nessie Investigator William McDonald With Knowledge About a 4-inch Barbed Tooth, Found in a Mutilated Deer Carcass at Loch Ness Back in March by Two American College Students.
INVERNESS, Scotland, June 30 /PRNewswire/ -- A Police officer stationed in Inverness, Scotland, has contacted Nessie investigator William McDonald with knowledge about a 4-inch barbed tooth, found in a mutilated deer carcass at Loch Ness back in March by two American college students. The officer, who refused to be identified, stated that he was present in mid-March when the two students entered police headquarters on Perth Road in the early morning hours.
McDonald ventured to Loch Ness in late December on an expedition funded by American author Steve Alten, whose latest release, "The LOCH" is a fictional account of the hunt for the monster, woven around McDonald's latest research.
The officer remembered the backpackers because of their luggage. "One was stocky, the other thin," said the officer. "They insisted on seeing the water bailiff, then got into an argument about an incident that happened the prior afternoon on Loch Ness. I had no idea at the time what they were after, but figured it out after speaking with a few other officers."
The officer said he's looked into the matter on his own time and is convinced the tooth was real and was, in fact, confiscated, but not by a water bailiff. "Could have been one of the PWLOs (Police Wildlife Liaison Officers). These are officers that police the area for wildlife crimes. I plan on speaking with our coordinator about the situation, it'd surely be nice to collect that reward money."
William McDonald was hired in late March by the two American students upon returning from their trip. After reviewing original photos taken at the site, he conferred with several marine biologists, paleontologists, and board members of a few prestigious museums, raising $100,000 in reward money for information leading to the return of the tooth. "This is a major lead, " said McDonald. "I expect this case to break soon."
Media Contact:
Michael Drew
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850-747-8188Source: Promote-A-Book
Loch Ness Investigator Closes In On Monster
Loch Ness Investigator Bill McDonald believes he has now compiled enough evidence to indicate what the Loch Ness Monster is, why it's been so difficult to photograph, and why the Highland Government is covering up a new discovery that could lead to conclusive DNA evidence.
Mesa, AZ (PRWEB) July 11, 2005 -- Loch Ness Investigator Bill McDonald believes he has now compiled enough evidence to indicate what the Loch Ness Monster is, why it's been so difficult to photograph, and why the Highland Government is covering up a new discovery that could lead to conclusive DNA evidence.
Before he could go public, however, he needed permission from a fiction author.
"Back in December I was receiving urgent e-mail from my contacts in Invernesshire regarding rare land sightings," says McDonald, a forensics expert who has been studying Loch Ness since 1993. "Because I didn't have the funds to make the trip, I approached MEG author Steve Alten, who I knew was finishing up a fictional thriller about the creature (The LOCH, published in May). I told Steve that I could make his book as real as possible, giving him an exclusive on my research, if he'd pay my way to Scotland. He met with his publisher (Tsunami Books) and they agreed. The result is one of the scariest and best researched thrillers you'll ever read."
But the terms of the agreement forbade McDonald from going public until mid-July.
"It was this whole Loch Ness Tooth business that released me from the non-disclosure," McDonald explains. "When two American students contacted me about finding a mutilated deer carcass and a shed 4-inch barbed tooth, I thought it was a hoax. Then they sent me the photos and video (posted at www.LochNessTooth.com). I had three different marine biologists and a paleo-guy render verdicts on the tooth, and they unanimously agreed that this was no hoax, that the tooth belonged to a mutation of an eel species that inhabits Loch Ness. . .concurring with my research."
McDonald claims the mutation is fifty feet long!
"It 's an amphibious fish, predatory, and definitely a female. Unable to reenter the open water to spawn, it just keeps growing bigger. But all the theories in the world won't mean a thing until we force the Highland Government into returning that tooth."
The tooth was taken from the students by a water bailiff. McDonald has offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to its return, and is chasing down several promising leads. "We're getting close now. Give me a few more months."
Media Contact:
Michael Drew
Promote-A-Book
850-747-8188
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What The Scottish Authorities Don't Want You To Know About Nessie
The Loch Ness Monster It was first sighted by Saint Columba in 565 AD, and is credited with 10,000 sightings ever since. It's also what draws millions of tourists to the Scottish Highlands. . .which is why you may NOT be getting the real story about what the monster is. . .or why photos are so hard to come by.
Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) July 20, 2005 -- The Loch Ness Monster It was first sighted by Saint Columba in 565 AD, and is credited with 10,000 sightings ever since. It's also what draws millions of tourists to the Scottish Highlands. . .which is why you may NOT be getting the real story about what the monster is. . .or why photos are so hard to come by.
Enter NY Times best-selling author Steve Alten. His latest thriller, The LOCH, is being praised by scientists for its thought-provoking research and cutting-edge theories. According to the author, there really is a large predator inhabiting Loch Ness, but you'll never see it during the day.
Says Alten, "the romantic notion, encouraged by the Highland tourism industry, is that Nessie is a friendly plesiosaur, an air-breathing marine reptile that went extinct 65 million years ago. In actuality, the creature is an amphibious fish, more related to a species that migrates into Loch Ness each Spring from the Sargasso Sea. It's quite large, prefers the depths, and when it surfaces, it's at night, usually during the winter months."
Forensics Investigator and Nessie researcher Bill McDonald of Mesa, Arizona agrees. "Not only did Steve get the science right, he injected logical common-sense conclusions in regard to the lack of photographic evidence, how the monster entered Loch Ness in the first place, its age, species, and exactly why previous attempts at locating the creature failed."
Meanwhile back in Scotland, the Highland Council have kept quiet about a 4-inch barbed tooth, discovered in a mutilated deer carcass in March by two college students, later confiscated by authorities. "If the tooth is real, and it appears that it is, then DNA tests will blow the lid off all the conjecture," says McDonald. "It may also put a dent in Highland tourism, which tells you why the Authorities would prefer this all just go away. But with $100,000 in reward money hanging in the balance, it won't be long before the tooth shows up."
Steve Alten can be reached by e-mail at e-mail protected from spam bots Mr. McDonald can be reached by phone at 480-330-7553 or by e-mail at e-mail protected from spam bots
Media Contact:
Michael Drew
Promote-A-Book
850-747-8188
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"The LOCH" Publisher Offers Bounty For Monster's Missing Tooth
Publisher in a real-life hunt for a missing 4-inch tooth believed to be from the legendary Loch Ness Monster.
(PRWEB) August 11, 2005 -- Tsunami Books has joined in a real-life hunt for a missing 4-inch tooth that some experts believe may offer the first DNA evidence that proves the existence of a large predatory creature in Scotland's fabled Loch Ness. Tsunami is the independent publisher that made its debut this summer with N.Y. Times best-selling author Steve Alten's The LOCH, a modern-day thriller about the hunt for the Loch Ness Monster. The tooth in question was discovered by two American college students on Spring Break, pried loose from a mutilated deer carcass along a Loch Ness deepwater shoreline known to local fishermen as a "kill zone." The tooth was later confiscated by a water bailiff, along with some of the students' film. One video tape was salvaged, its footage located at: www.LochNessTooth.com
Alten's novel has been receiving high praise from both reviewers and members of the scientific community. Robert McCord, Chief Curator of Natural History & paleontology at Mesa Southwest Museum called the biology behind the story "more credible than many so-called non-fiction books about Loch Ness." But it was not until this week that Alten's publisher officially decided to get involved in the breaking story in Scotland.
"Without the tooth, there's simply no way of telling if this is real or a hoax," says Robert Bellin, Tsunami's President. "Steve researched his novel for two years, then worked extensively with forensic investigator Bill McDonald to get the science in The LOCH right. We've been watching this story carefully, hoping the tooth would eventually be released to British scientists, but it's become obvious the Highland Authority isn't interested in cooperating. McDonald had commitments of just over $100,000 in reward money for information leading to the return of the tooth and has made some headway, but we decided to take a different tact, asking a pool of scientists, curators and cryptozoolgists to render their opinion from photos taken of the tooth. When we heard the results, we decided to toss our own hat into the ring."
Late last week several of these experts confirmed the missing tooth could indeed match the palate tooth of a fifty-foot creaturethe SAME creature described in Alten's novel. Tsunami has upped the reward to $200,000, and is offering a cash reward of $10,000 to the first fisherman who catches an Anguilla or Conger eel that measures over six feet in length! It is a massive mutation of this species that Alten (and other researchers) believe inhabits Loch Ness and other freshwater lakes.
"If it is a tooth," says Alten, "I honestly don't think the Highland Authority will release it. They've invested an incredible amount of time and money perpetrating the myth of an extinct marine reptile (plesiosaur) being Nessie, and tourism generates far too much money in the Highlands to give that up. The particular creature I described in The LOCH is a species that prefers the depths, and most likely wouldn't surface by day. That sort of ruins it for monster hunting tourists."
According to several locals when the creature does surface it's at night, and usually in the winters when food runs scarce. "This winter I met with no less than a dozen locals who told me about land sightings along the shoreline," says McDonald. "Two eyewitnesses to a sighting took me back to the area where we discovered, frozen in the mud, slide tracks of an animal that had to be at least fifty to sixty feet long, weighing upwards of eight tons!"
Tsunami Books has commissioned a life-size skull made to fit the dimensions of the animal identified by its 4-inch tooth. Bellin says the replica skull will be of museum quality and measure approximately five feet in length. "We'll be bringing the skull and a replica tooth to New York City in late September," Bellin said. "Naturally we hope to use it to publicize The LOCH and the events at Loch Ness. We've also added a petition to our website (www.TheLOCH.com) where people can add their voice to the issue. Our goal is a million e-mail signatures. We feel that kind of attention would force the Highland Government into finally releasing the confiscated tooth."
The LOCH was released this summer and is available in bookstores. A special document entitled The Science Behind The Loch is available to download at www.TheLoch.com along with more information and links to the student's video footage.
To arrange an interview with Steve Alten either by satellite or in person, please contact Lori Shactman at Broadcast Network (847) 433-3287 or Leisa Coffman at Tsunami Books at (800) 213-0701.
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NY Times' Best-Selling Author 'Steve Alten' Predicted Latest Loch Ness Discovery!
2007-06-03 17:19:01 -
NY Times' best-selling author Steve Alten says he was not surprised when amateur scientist Gordon Holmes filmed what is believed to be the best footage ever taken of the fabled monster, described as a giant forty-five foot eel.
Alten says 'Before I wrote ‘THE LOCH,' I spent two years researching the book, speaking with experts and locals, to gain insight on the latest findings. Even though it's fiction, ‘THE LOCH' separates science from myth and details how a giant eel came to be trapped in Loch Ness. My primary researcher (William McDonald) actually documented eel slide tracks frozen in the mud after a sighting in 2004. In addition, in April of 2005, we heard a report of two American college students locating a four inch tooth in a half-eaten deer carcass on the shoreline of Loch Ness. We were never sure if the tooth story was real or a hoax, but we had experts analyze the photos, and the description matched this latest video footage perfectly.-
Following the tooth story, ‘THE LOCH's' publisher, Tsunami Books, had offered a $10,000 bounty to fishermen in the United Kingdom to find an eel whose teeth matched the one reported by the students. Steve Newton of Plymouth, England was the winner, landing an eighty-three pound specimen. However, it was Captain Tony Allen of Clearwater, Florida who produced an eel whose barbed teeth matched the student's photos. Convinced, Tsunami Books then commissioned a museum artist to create a replica eel skull that would precisely match the four-inch tooth found by the students. The result: a six and a half foot monstrous head, belonging to a creature that would reach forty to fifty feet in length!
Tsunami Books will be closing its door this summer, and Alten will be selling the mass market paperback rights of ‘THE LOCH' to a new publisher in August, along with his latest novel ‘MEG: Hell's Aquarium.' Meanwhile, it seems the details of his fictional novel are coming true.
'It pays to do the research and get the science right,- says Alten. 'Readers appreciate the extra mile. The E-mails have been coming in non-stop telling me I got it right. Now all we have to do is capture the thing and the story will be real.-
Steve Alten can be contacted at MEG82159@aol.com. More photos of the skull and the actual video footage taken of the four-inch tooth can be found at www.SteveAlten.com by clicking on ‘THE LOCH' book cover.
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