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ROBERT SHEAFFER

Psychic Vibrations
OR SEVERAL months a pair of escapees from the San Francisco zoo made monkeys of the local psychic community and, some would say, one of the members of the city Board of Supervisors as well. A female patas monkey and her 4-month-old baby escaped from the zoo's new Primate Center last July II. Because the monkeys can move very quickly and are adept at foraging nuts and fruits high in backyard treetops, they evaded attempts at recapture. Enter San Francisco City Supervisor Louise Renne. While on a visit to Cork, Ireland, she was told by a city councilman there that, when a monkey escaped from the zoo in Cork, "they couldn't find a traee of him" until a psychic was called in, who allegedly located the monkey's hiding place within minutes. Renne, obviously believing the San Francisco psychic community to be second to none, issued a call for help to local psychics in tracking down
the monkeys.

although the VICtim of the supposed accident was nowhere to be seen. Another man called in who declined to identify himself, claiming to be a psychic from nearby Stanford University. After two phone calls to Renne's office requesting a map of the area and other information, he caiied back with his finding: The monkeys were hanging out

Assistance was immediately forthcoming. Harold Hooper, a local seer who claims to have heiped the poiice find bodies and who lives in the area where the monkeys had last been spotted, was among the first to respond. He reported that he feared the baby monkey had been run over by his own son riding his "Big Wheel" tricycle,

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self "Art Wallace," who has since been in a Sunset District bar, eating ravioli. One caJJer, who thought the whole mat= revealed to be former airman Larry ter was absurd, asked, "Are you people Warren. MUFON, the largest UFO idiots or what?" Renne's aide replied, , Group in the United States, strongly "No, we're not. This is the Board of supports the case, even though MUFON Supervisors." director Walt Andrus declined Philip Throughout the escapade, zoo offi- J. Klass's offer to help fund a polygraph cials emphasized that psychic assistance test for Warren, admitting that Warren was not required. "We don't need a psy- would probably fail if asked to reconfirm his earlier statements, since he chic. We've caiied in a primatoiogist and an expert trapper," said zoo "tends to embellish his story" each time spokeswoman Ellen Newman. Besides, it is told. J. Allen Hynek, reviewing a she said, the problem was not finding book on the incident (Sky Crash: A the monkeys, the problem was catching Cosmic Conspiracy by Brenda Butler, the monkeys. Despite the proximity of Dot Street, and Jenny Randles) in his several world-class parapsychology International UFO Reporter, said that research centers, including SRI, Delphi the Rendlesham case "may come to Associates, and John F. Kennedy Uni- rank as one of the most significant UFO versity, not one shred of useful extra- events of all time." He said the book sensory information was received. The was "destined to become a classic work escapees continued to romp in the city's in the UFO literature," which it may, treetops for a month, until the zoo's but not for the reasons he suggests. When UFO commentator and gadtrappers successfully lured them into a fly James Moseley shocked and upset cage baited with fresh fruit. many readers of his newsletter, Saucer * Smear, by announcing that he was "losing the faith," the well-known UFO and Fortean researcher Jerome Clark sugThe case of an alleged UFO landing, alien contact, and Men In Black harass- gested that he might regain some of his ment in the Rendlesham Forest, near lost "faith" if he were to look into a the U.S. Air Force base in Suffolk, really excellent UFO case, such as England, in December 1980, continues Rendlesham. Moseley did, and the to intrigue UFO believers and to greatly result eroded his confidence in UFOlogy entertain the skeptics. According to even further. He found that two British initial reports, a brilliant light was seen researchers from the Swindon Centre hovering in the woods, leaving behind for UFO Research and Investigation made a brief preliminary investigation markings on the ground. This was investigated by Ian Ridpath of and found five major discrepancies in CSICOP/U.K., who found that the the published reports. Moseley also position of the reported light coincided found that MUFON appeared to be exactly with the beam from the !ightc keeping damaging information about house at Orford Ness and that the the case from its members and now refers to the whole matter as "Rendleground markings attributed to the UFO SHAM." Jerome Ciark, however, were in fact rabbit diggings, which could reviewing Sky Crash for Fate, says that be seen scattered throughout the woods. Then stories began circulating that "this story is different" from other UFO yarns, being based upon "a large body contact had been made between UFO of testimony." He concludes that aliens and U.S. Air Force personnel. "something very important, it is cleai, The initial source of these stories was an anonymous U.S. airman calling him- took place in Rendlesham forest late in

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1980," providing yet another illustration

of how UFO proponents cling to im-

that its readers, while easily persuaded,

are not exactly affluent and couldn'i

plausible tales of saucer crashes and afford to buy advertisers' products even contact, even as the pillars supporting if they wanted to. To project a more their claims crumble at their feet. "upscale" image to its advertisers, and hopefully snare more affluent readers, the Enquirer reportedly wi!! be publishing less celebrity gossip and fewer The Wall Street Journal reports- sensationalized stories about UFOs and believe it or not-that the supermarket the like. Owner Generoso Pope says that tabloid National Enquirer is "going the paper has no choice but to be straight-or at least going straighter." "groping" toward a new identity beIt seems that the Enquirer is having cause of the crowded field for gossip trouble selling ads to large national sheets and the increasing cost of defendadvertisers because of the perception ing against libel lawsuits.

A Reminder

...

All suhscrip1iun correspondence (new subscriptions. renewals. back-issue orders. billing problems) should be addressed to the Subscription, Headquarters office in Buffalo: . Skeplical/nquirer: Bux 229. Cemral Park Sw1ion. Buf{alu. N r 14215 All edilorial correspondence (manuscripts. letters to the editor. books for review. author's queries) should be addressed to the Editor's office in Albuquerque: Kendrick Frazier. EdiiUr. 3025 Palo Alto Dr. N.E.. Albuquerque. NM
87111

Inquiries concerning CSICOP programs or policies should be addressed to Dr. Paul Kurtz. chairman. at the Buffalo address.

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