Mokele-mbembe
Mokèlé-mbèmbé, means "one who stops the flow of rivers" in the Lingala language. It is claimed to be a living sauropod dinosaur found at Likouala Swamp in Africa. According to the tribes of the Congo River basin the Mokèlé-mbèmbé is a rarely seen, large territorial herbivore. They say he lives in the shallows of the swamp and comes out in the early morning and at dusk. It is said to dwell in Lake Télé and the surrounding area, with a preference for deep water. It is usually described as being gray-brown in color. Since 1776, there have been about 40 expeditions in search of the creature. No one yet has provided a clear photograph, but indirect evidence like footprints have been found.
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The pygmies in the area even claim to have killed and eaten one before. You can read the story here.
The Mokele-mbembe is said to live in Likouala Swamp, which is one of the largest swamps in the world. It is roughly the size of Alabama and is 80% unexplored. Walking through this swamp is almost impossible. The depth of swamp sometimes exceeds several meters and walking (or swimming) is made more complicated by dense vegetation. People here are constantly attacked by fierce bees, other venom spitting insects, leeches and countless other vermins - many are unknown to science. Area is known for its numerous diseases, including such feared infectious diseases as Ebola virus and lesser known maladies. Extremely hostile climatic conditions make unusable almost any kind of equipment in a few days time.
In 1992, a Japanese documentary film crew allegedly filmed a video of the Mokele-mbembe moving through the water of Lake Tele, in the Likouala Swamps. The footage was taken from a seaplane since this area is very hard to access. View a map of the lake here.
Because the footage is not very clear, no one can conclusively say that this is the Mokele-mbembe. In this same area, tribes have reported stories of ceratops animals like a Triceratops that they call emela-ntouka ("killer of elephants"). |
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Ropen
The “Ropen” of Papua New Guinea is the local name of a nocturnal creature on Umboi Island. Eyewitness testimonies suggest that the ropen is a Rhamphorhynchoid or Dorygnathus (long-tailed) pterosaur. According to the investigators this criteria is based on several consistent patterns such as the featherless appearance, long tail that ends in a flange or diamond shape and fishing habits. Descriptions of a giant size, leathery skin, and a long tail--these cross cultural boundaries: Australians, an American, and natives of Papua New Guinea mention a pterosaur-like appearance; knowledge or ignorance of fossils or Western beliefs about extinction seem to be irrelevant to these eyewitness descriptions. The creature is even said to have a bioluminescent ability to glow while flying.
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Ambungi Island
Swimming With A Sauropod?
A local man named Alphones Likky (interviewed on 15th January 2012) claimed to have seen a sauropod-like creature in 1995 while he was spearfishing on the reef on the south side (unpopulated) of Ambungi Island. Alphones was facing south at the bottom of the reef stalking fish when, he says, he heard the sound of something crashing into the coral behind him. When Alphones turned around he was startled to see a large animal at close range, a distance of approximately five meters (c. 15 feet), fully submersed in the water. He says it moved slowly past from left to right and entered the left of two underwater caves located on the south side of Ambungi Island. Alphones described the animal as having a long neck and tail and four legs, with the hind legs being longer than the front legs and the feet resembling those of a duck. The length of the animal was estimated to be four meters from the front legs to the end of the tail, with a height of two to three meters. The animal’s skin was stated to be dark brown, the texture of the skin could not be determined. The head of the creature was described as being small and similar to a snake’s head; no teeth were observed and the eye was described as being similar to the eyes of other animals. Dermal frills were observed on the animal’s back and tail, but not on the neck. The creature’s movement was described as being slow, with the tail moving noticeably. The neck of the creature was horizontal for the duration of the sighting, which lasted about 10 seconds. Seeing the creature at such close range and being in the water with it, Alphones was terrified. Wanting to escape with his life from this ordeal, Alphones promptly surfaced to reach his canoe and left the area quickly. He certainly didn’t hang around in hope of getting a glimpse of the creature’s body above the water! |
The two underwater caves on the south side of Ambungi Island are separated by a distance of approximately 20 meters. The left cave has a circular entrance and has a height of about 2.5 meters. The right cave has a triangular entrance and also has a height of about 2.5 meters and appears from the outside to be considerably larger than the left cave. Neither cave has been explored because of the unavailability of sophisticated diving and lighting equipment.
A Dinosaur In The Garden?
In 1999 the second good sighting of one of these creatures occurred, however on this occasion the animal was observed on the land. Alice Pasington (interviewed on 14th January 2012) was working alone in the garden on the south side of the island when she claims to have had an unusual encounter. From a distance of about 40 meters, Alice observed one of the creatures and estimated the total length to be about three meters. The color of the animal’s skin was reddish-brown and white around the breast area. The texture of the skin appeared smooth and dermal frills were seen only on the tail. The animal moved slowly with its neck nearly vertical and Alice saw it feeding on a plant with a rough-textured leaf. Alice then observed the animal turn around and walk to a small cliff, where it dived into the sea. During this time, the creature was followed at a distance and did not seem aware of Alice’s presence. After the animal had left the garden, Alice observed the five-toed footprints in the ground and later showed these footprints to other residents of Ambungi Island. The animal may have entered the garden from the beach on the western side of the island during the night. From the above description, it is possible that it may have been a juvenile specimen of the same type of creature as the other sightings, based on its size, color, footprint and smooth skin texture. |
Sleeping On A Rock
In 2007, Jasinta Pitim, another resident of Ambungi Island, observed the profile of a large animal sleeping on a rock on a reef on the south side of Ambungi Island. The animal was described as having a long neck that was curved back near its body, which was dark-brown, with skin described as being like a crocodile, and with dermal frills. Jasinta hurried home and told her husband Joe (interviewed on 14th January 2012), who traveled to the location, where he saw it too. Once the animal heard the sound of people, it moved from the rock back into the sea. Back in 1997 Joe and Jasinta observed a similar animal while traveling from Ambungi Island to Malengo Island in a canoe. From a distance of approximately eight meters the head and neck of the creature were visible for a short period of time. Similar animals have also been observed on islands close to Ambungi Island. |
Gasmata sighting
A creature similar to the one(s) observed around Ambungi Island has also been seen once near Gasmata. One afternoon in August 2004, three adults—Fabian Amon, Simon Patolkit and Margaret Patolkit—along with some children observed a sauropod-like creature on the south side of Dililo Island, an unpopulated island used mainly for farming by the local people from Gasmata.
Simon was interviewed on 13th January 2012 at the location of the sighting and Fabian was interviewed on 18th January 2012. Both of their accounts of the sighting were very similar. Simon, Margaret and Fabian were diving for fish on the reef on the south side of Dililo Island when they heard an unusual sound in the water and noticed that the fish were scattering. They became somewhat frightened by this incident and left the water for the safety of the land. A short time later, while sitting on some rocks, they observed part of an unknown animal above the water about 40–50 meters away and traveling in an east-west direction parallel to the coast. The creature had a large body and a neck estimated to be three meters long that was horizontal and close to the water. No tail or legs were visible and the total length of the visible portion of the animal was about eight meters. The head was like a crocodile or lizard and the eye was described as being ‘big’. The color of the animal was uniform brown and the skin had a rough texture. The animal was described as having a ‘saw’ in the middle of its back, which consisted of 4 or 5 dermal frills. Observation time lasted about one minute during which time the creature moved slowly until it submersed itself fully in the water. |
Theropod in West New Britain
A small theropod-like creature that local people have dubbed ‘Doren’ has been repeatedly observed around Benaule Village, which is located approximately 25 km east of Kimbe on the north coast of West New Britain. The creature has been seen quite frequently for many years, with a close encounter reported in November 2010.
Pastor Ken-John was sitting on an ‘outhouse’ toilet at the Tabernacle Of Worship church during the day when he observed the profile of the head and upper torso of the ‘Doren’ appear only one meter away, just outside. The head was described as being like that of an aircraft (presumably like the profile of the nose of a jet, such as a 747) and the color was medium brown. The animal has also been seen on the seashore near the church grounds by local people, where it comes ashore during high tide and travels back to the sea during low tide. A distinctive footprint of the ‘Doren’, which is described as being about 25cm long, is often seen in the sand by the sea. The left foot of the creature was drawn in the sand by a local person. During the wet season, the ‘Doren’ travels inland along a creek to a mountain. The ‘Doren’ has been observed eating crabs and digging up vegetables from a garden near the church—apparently looking for worms and other invertebrates to eat, as it doesn’t normally eat the vegetables it unearths. When walking, the ‘Doren’ uses four legs. However, when running the creature is reported as using rear legs only and as being able to outrun a human. It seems from the descriptions that the ‘Doren’ might be best identified as a Herrerasaurus. Even the footprints match fossilized Herrerasaurus footprints. |
Large sEA mONSTER
Entered in the permanent log of the British steamship Mereddio; Captain Clark's' record of a sea monster sighted while, the ship, was on a passage between Penarth and Santos.
San Francisco Call, Volume 106, Number 21, 21 June 1909
Chief- Officer Neil S. Murray was in charge of the bridge at the time, and a, Greek quartermaster was at the wheel. The quartermaster, who first sighted the monster, was almost petrified with fear and, was at the point of permitting the big freighter to take her own course.
It was like: this, explained the chief officer when the Mereddio docked at East Boston yesterday. "The ship was 500 miles from Santos. I saw the Greek, acting strangely and followed the direction he was looking.
"My: hair nearly stood on end at the sight. Swimming parallel to the ship, was a monster lizard. It was as big as a whale. The ocean fairly seethed as it propelled itself with enormous dragon's claws.
A head as big as a pilot house and one coil of the beast's neck were above the water. "For a distance of nearly 300 feet the sea heaved and was lashed into foam".
I think the lizard was fully the Mereddio's length, and I feared for the safety of the steamship as the creature, malled in huge bony scales of a dark, green color swerved as if to come alongside.
It had a sawlike ridge on its back and its girth was fully as great as that of a whale.
"After, the serpent had raced the ship several minutes it, humped its back and sounded. The swash from, its commotion shook the ship and sent spray over the starboard rail.
"I have followed the sea many years and mind you, I am not given to fancies. That creature so impressed me that I entered the incident In the "scrap log" and later made a permanent record of it."
The Mereddio's crew substantiates Officer Murray, while the Greek quartermaster admits he did not recover from the shock for several days. — Boston Herald.
San Francisco Call, Volume 106, Number 21, 21 June 1909
Chief- Officer Neil S. Murray was in charge of the bridge at the time, and a, Greek quartermaster was at the wheel. The quartermaster, who first sighted the monster, was almost petrified with fear and, was at the point of permitting the big freighter to take her own course.
It was like: this, explained the chief officer when the Mereddio docked at East Boston yesterday. "The ship was 500 miles from Santos. I saw the Greek, acting strangely and followed the direction he was looking.
"My: hair nearly stood on end at the sight. Swimming parallel to the ship, was a monster lizard. It was as big as a whale. The ocean fairly seethed as it propelled itself with enormous dragon's claws.
A head as big as a pilot house and one coil of the beast's neck were above the water. "For a distance of nearly 300 feet the sea heaved and was lashed into foam".
I think the lizard was fully the Mereddio's length, and I feared for the safety of the steamship as the creature, malled in huge bony scales of a dark, green color swerved as if to come alongside.
It had a sawlike ridge on its back and its girth was fully as great as that of a whale.
"After, the serpent had raced the ship several minutes it, humped its back and sounded. The swash from, its commotion shook the ship and sent spray over the starboard rail.
"I have followed the sea many years and mind you, I am not given to fancies. That creature so impressed me that I entered the incident In the "scrap log" and later made a permanent record of it."
The Mereddio's crew substantiates Officer Murray, while the Greek quartermaster admits he did not recover from the shock for several days. — Boston Herald.
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