While searching hours of footage for use on the Extinct or Alive program on Animal Planet, biologist and tracker Forrest Galante spotted a species of animal declared to be extinct over a quarter of a century ago. Naturalists and residents of the island of Zanzibar, off the east coast of Africa have long believed that the large feline was hunted to extinction because of a local legend that shamans or "witch-doctors" used the animal for evil purposes.
“To find rare animals is difficult. To find extinct animals is frankly impossible," Galante said in an article published at Inside Edition. The animal is thought to have evolved into a separate species from mainland leopards when a land bridge disappeared at the end of the last major ice age. The fact that it preyed upon easy game such as domesticated animals likely contributed to its negative reputation, and why it was supposedly hunted into oblivion.
In the video, Galante and other researchers can be seen and heard gasping in astonishment, using some choice phrases in awe, and then cheering at the prospect that they have rediscovered an animal that was actually starting to gain interest from crytozoologists because of its legendary "lost" status. What's your take on the video? Let us know at the Coast to Coast AM Facebook page.