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Wednesday, October 29, 2014

A monster task

For those of us still struggling with the question as to whether the Loch Ness Monster actually exists this news story is a bit of a shock.

The Independent says that the National History Museum hatched a sinister plot to slay the Loch Ness monster and display its carcass:

Documents exposed by David Clarke in his new book Britain’ s X-traordinary Files, show that in March 1934 an unnamed official at the museum issued instructions to 'bounty hunters' on how to tackle the mythical creature.

He said: “Should you ever come within range of the ‘monster’ I hope you will not be deterred by humanitarian considerations from shooting him on the spot and sending the carcass to us in cold storage, carriage forward.“

Short of this, a flipper, a jaw or a tooth would be very welcome.”

Perhaps conscious that their claim to Nessie was being challenged, the Royal Scottish Museum in Edinburgh wrote to the Scottish Secretary Sir Godfrey Collins in the same year.

“The museum urges strongly that the RSM have the reversionary rights to the ‘monster’ if and when its corpse should become available,” the letter read.

“We think the monster should not be allowed to find its last resting place in England.”

That would have been quite a challenge for any taxidermist.

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous1:36 PM

    The Natural History Museum in London has no right to take this national asset out of Scotland. The SNP managed to get the stone of Scone returned to Edinburgh after devolution, and since the referendum campaign the Loch Ness monster is well and truly alive ravishing the Scottish Labour Party. This only leaves the Elgin marbles still to be sent back to Elgin. Job for the LibDems?

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