|
Mokele-mbembe |
|
Although odd claw-marks found in the Congo have been reported as early as 1776, it was not until 1910 that they were described in full detail. Captain Freiherr von Stein zu Lausnitz spoke of a creature, of which he had been shown footprints, that was the size of an elephant, with smooth skin of a brownish-gray color. A long neck and a horn is mentioned as well. Three years later, another German expedition into the Congo confirmed these accounts and translated the name that the natives had bestowed upon this creature: Mokele-mbembe, which translates into "The one that stops the flow of rivers." This sparked interest in the media, as well as the entire world, and numerous expeditions scattered towards the area. Nicolas Mondongo, an African hunter had an encounter with this creature, and added detail to the early descriptions. He told of the long neck, the bulky body and thick legs, and added a long, tapering tail. There was no horn present in his description. Numerous expeditions later, bearing little more than droppings, irregular footprints, and fuzzy photographs, a Japaneese crew set out in 1992 and flew to the area to film a documentary rather than to hunt for this creature. They caught sight of something moving across the lake, and filmed it. What came out is certainly fascinating, but still to vague to distinguish: a dark blob moving across the lake, before it sinks and disappears. Too fast for an elephant, and the sinking rules out a boat. What is this beast? The popular belief is that is a dinosaur, a long-necked sauropod. However, there is strong evidence to suggest that it is a rhinocerous. Or perhaps it is something totally new to science. - entry provided by Nik Petsev, nikpetsev@hotmail.com
|