of the fact that cryptozoology has proven itself correct on countless occasions. If it wasn't for the efforts of cryptozoologists, men would never have known of, or had the opportunity to study, a now common creature such as the panda, or an uncommon one such as the coelacanth. Therefore, it can be effectively argued that the successes of cryptozoology deserve to be taken seriously even when it is claiming that the Loch Ness monster not only exists, but is a prehistoric marine creature of the dinosaur family.
             Although the first recorded sightings of the Loch Ness Monster, or Nessie, date back to the 6th century, scientists and zoologists refused the claim that any unknown, or strange, creatures lived in this Scottish lake (Perkins 2). Over the centuries there have been at least 3,000 recorded sightings of Nessie, all of which follow the same description but, scientists still refused to investigate any of these claims. As S. Perkins reports "sighting of the Loch Ness Monster have been variously attributed to ... too much Scottis
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