Big Bounty

For any photograph that leads to the live capture of Bigfoot, the abominable snowman or the Loch Ness Monster.

"It's the time for something like this," said Loren Coleman, a professor at the University of Southern Maine. "Back in the 1960s, hardly anybody was talking about this. Today, it's phenomenal."

The bounty would be paid for by an unnamed company with more details released at a cryptozoology symposium over the Halloween weekend. Yeah, a teaser. For diehard fans and those in need of the one million, the three-day Cryptozoology symposium will be held at the Bates College Museum of Art.

For those of an un-Fortean bent, cryptozoology may be a new vocabulary word. The term Cryptozoology was coined by Dr. Bernard Heuvelmans. Crypto comes from the Greek word kryptos, which means hidden or unknown, and zoology refers to the study of animals. Thus is Coleman considered one of the world's leading experts on Bigfoot, Chupacabras, Missouri Monster, Mokele-mbembe, Ogopogo and other Oddities.

If you're gunning for the million, know this: "We don't want people running around with guns trying to kill something to get the money. It's not a contest, either. It's a very specific bounty that depends on the permanent capture of a live specimen, with emphasis on 'live.'"

The event will include panel discussions about the science of fantastic creatures and artistic interpretations of their stories. It will feature two movies, including "The Legend of Boggy Creek," a 1972 film about a small Arkansas town terrorized by a swamp monster.

If your curiosity is piqued or you're just plain bored, check out Coleman's book: Cryptozoology A To Z : The Encyclopedia Of Loch Monsters Sasquatch Chupacabras And Other Authentic Mysteries. Or check out Coleman's blog.