Cryptozoology, a field teetering between science and folklore, seeks to prove the existence of creatures considered mythical or unverified by mainstream biology. This discipline emerged prominently in the 20th century, though its roots extend back to ancient civilizations' legends and myths. The term "cryptozoology" was coined in the 1950s by Belgian zoologist Bernard Heuvelmans, inspired by tales of unclassified animals like the Mokele-mbembe in the Congo. Heuvelmans' work, especially his book "On the Track of Unknown Animals," laid the foundational principles for cryptozoology, advocating for a systematic approach to investigating reports of mysterious creatures. The mid-20th century, often considered the golden age of cryptozoology, was marked by heightened public interest and numerous expeditions in search of entities like the Yeti, Loch Ness Monster, and Bigfoot. These quests, fueled by both genuine scientific curiosity and a flair for the sensational, captured the global imagination. The discovery of the coelacanth in 1938, a fish thought extinct for millions of years, bolstered the cryptozoological argument that other presumed-mythical creatures might also exist in unexplored or inaccessible parts of the world.