SYRACUSE, N.Y. – A one-eyed, noseless kitten that stirred debate last year over whether it was a hoax will be the centerpiece of a new museum intended to promote the theory of creationism.
John Adolfi plans to feature Cy's remains at The Lost World Museum when it opens later this year. The Phoenix, N.Y., museum will feature such oddities as giant plants and eggs, deformed animal remains and unique archaeological finds, he said.
Adolfi believes in creationism — a literal reading of the Bible's story of creation.
He wrote on the museum's Web site that the theory of evolution states that "environmental pressures can lift species from the ape-like creature ... to us today. My question is this. Are there really positive mutations?
"All I can see are neutral or negative," said Adolfi, a real estate agent from Granby, N.Y.
Owner Traci Allen, of Redmond, Ore., said she sold Cy's remains to Adolfi because she believes "creationism should be an option for people to consider." She said she turned down other offers, including from Ripley's Believe It or Not!.
Neither Adolfi nor Allen would say how much he paid for the remains.
The 1 1/2-ounce Cy was born Dec. 28 but died a day later. It had one oversized eye in the center of its face, no eyelid and no nose.
The cat's authenticity was widely debated on the Internet. Veterinarians said it suffered from a rare disorder called holoprosencephaly.
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