Extraordinary Animals Worldwide

Extraordinary Animals Worldwide examines reports of animals that sit at the edges of accepted zoology, bringing together cryptozoological claims, animal anomalies and disputed discoveries from around the globe. Karl P. N. Shuker considers creatures reported in folklore, travellers’ accounts and modern investigations, while placing them alongside the history of zoological discovery.

The subjects range from mystery animals and apparently surviving prehistoric forms to reports that may reflect misidentification, exaggeration or unfamiliar species. Among the cases associated with Shuker’s research are the Buru, a reported lake creature linked to giant-lungfish speculation, and other little-known cryptids from Britain and overseas. The book presents these accounts as evidence to assess rather than established fact, reflecting Shuker’s interest in the boundary between zoology, folklore and cryptozoology.