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Mokele mbembe
Description
A creature, thought to live in the lakes and swamps of the Congo, whose existence has long been disputed between scientists and local Pygmies alike. The name mokele m'bembe translates as the one that stops the flow of rivers.
The monster is thought to be a sea-dweller, though can also move inland. Its main distinctive feature is a solitary horn on its head. Fishermen who inhabit the area often run from waters and land near the water edge in fear of the alleged creature, describing its ability to kill humans. Sightings are regular locally.
Explanation
The creature has often been likened to the Loch Ness Monster thought to be a plesiosaur. Some scholars suppose that the creature might be a type of dinosaur that could have survived the mass extinction of the dinosaurs that is believed to have occurred about 65 million years ago. It has even been described as a member of the sauropoda species, and has survived the mass extinction.
It is usually seen as predatorial. Tales of the mokele mbembe have existed for millenia within the Pygmy groups, due to the passing down of stories in an oral fashion. These peoples have an intimate relationship with the rainforests, using it for all their needs, providing all required resources. They perhaps know these lands the best, and their views are therefore respected.
Reports of the Bantu tribesmen, pygmies and other natives living in parts of Cameroon and Republic of the Congo describe sightings of long-necked, water-dwelling animals of gigantic size that occasionally kill people and hippopotami that venture too close. Recently cryptzoologists from the Western world have visited the Congo with wildlife books, and many local populations have identified the animal as being or having the likeness of a rhinoceros.
Possibility of Existence
So far, scientists have failed to find evidence of a creature corresponding to the native legend, although casts of inexplicable footprints have reportedly been taken, which some say were made by the mokele.
The Congo has wide expanses of marshland and swamps, including several large lakes, that have
not been explored by European explorers. The chances of its existence is thought by many scientists to be significantly higher than the Loch Ness monster because of the large amount of unchartered territory. Other large creatures, such as elephants, exist in large open clearings in the rainforests, each called a bai, as well as in thicker wooded areas, so the existence of the mokele mbembe is a possiblity when taking into account its local environment. However, it is often thought to be even bigger than an elephant.
According to other reports, a South American variant might also exist.
See also
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