What Is Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster?

In 1975, the UK Parliament had just passed a law known as the Conservation of Wild Creatures and Wild Plants Act. According to this law, in order for wild animals to receive legal protection, they needed to have both a scientific and a common name. Nessie, the Loch Ness monster, obviously had a common name, but it didn't have a scientific name. So now it wasn't legally protected and people could hunt and kill the creatures. Only a small breeding population of them could live in Loch Ness.