Cryptozoologist

Although your parents insisted they weren’t real, if you’re like most people, you believed in monsters when you were a kid. And if you’re a Cryptozoologist, you still do.

That’s because Cryptozoologists practice cryptozoology, which is the study of hidden or unknown animals, including creatures deemed “imaginary” by mainstream Scientists. If you’re a Cryptozoologist, therefore, that makes you — simply put — a monster hunter.

That doesn’t mean you believe in ghosts and witches, however, or vampires and werewolves. You leave the supernatural to Paranormal Investigators and Folklorists. Instead, you’re interested in discovering new, fantastical species of animals — often called “cryptids” — such as yetis, mermaids and sea serpents.

Because most Scientists reject the idea of cryptids, including Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster, your job is proving their existence. To do that, you may lead expeditions to habitats where cryptids are rumored to live. More often, however, you’ll spend your days gathering and assembling evidence — including photos, videos, and verbal or written accounts — in hopes of turning myths, legends and rumors into facts.

Although mainstream Scientists are quick to dismiss your profession, you remain committed to it based on the work of fellow Cryptozoologists, who previously have proven the existence of the Komodo dragon, once known as a mythical “land crocodile;” the okapi, which looks like a cross between a giraffe and a zebra; and the coelacanth, a prehistoric fish once thought to be extinct.

Ultimately, your goal is collecting enough evidence to attract the attention of Zoologists and Biologists, who’ll deliver the final verdict: True or false?