Posted on 01/11/2005 7:48:52 PM PST by IllumiNaughtyByNature
ROFL! That reminds me, somewhere there's a thread where I pointed out the similarity between Teresa Heinz-Kerry's hairstyle and Dr. Zira's :)
:'D I can see it...
Great ape? Oh... I thought you said Grape Ape.
I loved that book but the movie was terrible
Another example is the Okapi. It is a very weird antelope species that seems to be a mix of several animals. It has the hindparts of a zebra, the foreparts of a kudu, and a medley of other stuff. The natives would speak of the beast but the naturalists would always say that was impossible. Until the Okapi was 'discovered' (i always laugh at that word) in the 50s or 60s.
There are other examples where the natives (from all around the world) would say certain beasts existed, but naturalists (who had never even set foot in those places) would always say that was a farce or a hoax or mind-numbed delirium! Australia alone (eg the platypus and the thylacine were originally thought to be the result of Aborigines drinking too much honeywine) had so many such cases that naturalists went to the other extreme after some time and started accepting all sorts of creatures as real even when they weren't.
Anyways, i am certain that there is some sort of beast in Central Africa that is larger than the known apes. It might be a different species from those that we already know, or it could be a much larger variant (but same species) of the 'normal' chimp or 'rilla. For example in the Virunga mountain range (also known as the 'mountains of the moon') both plant and animals get really big (the plants getting much bigger. Possies the size of two fingers get to the size of half a human torso, and small grasses get up to ten feet tall. Animals, due to their morphology, do not get to be nearly as big. Thus no giant animals .....but leopards the size of lions have been caught, and elephants are slightly larger than the largest 'normal' bush and forest elephants. Not nearly as big as the plant divergence, but noticeable nonetheless. Scientists say the volcanic soil has to do something with the plant size). Thus something similar may occur when it comes to these apes.
But i would not be surprised if it was an entirely new species.
Now, for something truly terrifying, do a search for a creature called Mokelele Mbembe. Now, that is terrifying. Here is a picture taken of a footprint left by the Mokelele.
Another favorite of mine are reports of giant snakes. The longest snake in the world is the Reticulated Python of Asia (a reported 33 feet in the largest captured), and the largest/heaviest is the South American Anaconda (that can be up to twice as heavy as a Reticulated of the same size, although no Anaconda has ever been captured that matches the longest Reticulated in length). The African Rock python is said to be the third or fourth longest, but (again) we are talking of captured specimens. For example, if i was an alien being and i capture a human, chances are he would be a little under 6ft in height (unless i land in Scandinavia where the average is above 6 ft). But there are millions of individuals above 6ft (eg me), and thousands around the world above 6.5, and hundreds above 7ft. And there are a few above 8 ft. Hence the alien might say the largest human captured for anal probing was 6 ft 3 inches, BUT there are chaps out there that make 6.3 seem small.
Anyways, this picture was taken by a helicopter pilot over the Congo in 1958 (again ...the Congo!). It shows a python of great size (estimates of 40-50 feet), and the photo was authenticated.
The picture above was taken in 1959 by a Belgium helicopter pilot, Col. Remy Van Lierde, while on patrol over the congo. The snake he saw measured approximately 40 to 50 feet in length, dark brown/green with a white belly. It had triangle shaped jaws and a head about 3 ft x 2 ft. Experts have analyzed the pictures and have verified them as authentic. They also have verified the size of the creature by matching ground features to the snake. As the helicopter flew in lower the snake raised up 10 feet and looked as if it would strike at the helicopter if they flew any closer.
Do these creatures exist? I would say a BIG NO so that people do not think i am nuts. HOWEVER, i would never ever think of trudging alone through the Congo. There are things in this world i'd rather not find out. I have the same maxim for the Lochness monster, i.e, though i may not believe in it i will NOT go boating on that loch in a single-man kayak!
"Mokelele Mbembe"
Thanks. I did look that up. Very interesting.
Bigfoot Sasquatch:
Evidence
by Dr. Grover KrantzCryptozoology A To Z:
The Encyclopedia Of Loch Monsters
Sasquatch Chupacabras
And Other Authentic Mysteries of Nature
by Loren Coleman
and Jerome Clark
Commonly called the Mongolian death worm, the Olgoi-Khorkhoi reportedly can reach up to lengths of 4 feet, is dark red in color, and spends much of its time buried beneath the desert sands. Yet, its most notorious attribute is it's apparent ability to kill at a distance. When threatened, the Olgoi-Khorkhoi spits a highly corrosive poison at its attacker, which is said to kill almost instantly. It is also said that the Olgoi-Khorkhoi can deliver an electric shock capable of killing animals as large as a camel! It's obvious why locals avoid one when it's encountered. It has been speculated that the Olgoi-Khorkhoi may be an undiscovered type of amphibian, a type of specialized burrowing reptile, or possibly even an undiscovered form of spitting cobra. Additionally, while the ability to generate electricity is known in several forms of marine life, it's wholly unknown in terrestrial animals, which suggests that Olgoi-Khorkhoi may in fact be a truly unique animal. Yet, it seems more likely that its ability to electrocute may simply be an exaggerated attribute based on fear for the creature.
I think it is some form of spitting cobra that has been given exaggerated qualities (eg the electrocution ability is just not judicious for a terrestrial creature). And anyways, there is a red species of spitting cobra in Africa (Naja Pallida) that is short in length (around 3-4 feet - which is NOT long for a cobra), and is extremely aggressive. Maybe the Mongolian Deathworm is an Asiatic cousin of the Red, obviously not a direct relation but a species that has developed the same adaptations that gave the Red its attributes. The African Red lives in arid and semi-arid regions - Mongolia is largely an arid and semi-arid region. The African Red is short so as to conserve energy due to its environment - a snake in Mongolia would have to be short for the same reasons. The venom of the Red Spitting Cobra is quite virulent since the snake wouldn't want to expend too much energy wrestling with attackers or chasing down prey in such environments - the Gobi desert in Mongolia would require similar virulent venom (as an aside the Fierce Snake of Australia has the most virulent venom of any land snake, and it dwells in the desert. In Africa the Cape Cobra, one of that continents most potent snakes, and the cobra species with the most powerful venom, lives in the Namib desert and surrounding areas. Thus arid regions necessitate virulent venoms. The other basis for super virulence is when the snake hunts fast moving prey. For example Mamba and Boomslang venom is extremely potent due to the fact that they hunt fast prey. I once saw a boomslang tag a weaver bird in mid-flight).
Anyways, i think the Mongolian deathworm is an Asiatic spitting cobra species that has similar attributes to the African Red spitting cobra. And all the 'extra powers' it has are only due to locals adding 'flavor.'
On the other hand, i would not go trekking the Gobi by myself! LOL.
Here is the obligatory picture of the African Red Spitter. Enjoy (as an aside, if you look at its eyes you will notice they are dusky. This means that the snake is about to shed its skin -sloughing- and hence the normally transparent eye scale is now translucent. This is the most dangerous time to be around a venomous snake, particularly 'exotics.' At this stage the snake would be striking any moving object, and in the case of the spitter shooting venom at anything that is close and moving. They can't see very well just before they slough and thus are very jumpy)
Take your hand off of me you damn dirty ape!
MAN if Peter Jackson was smart he would fund an expedition to find some of these. Peter Jackson is working on the remake of King Kong.
I know a guy who did 2 stints in the Peace Corp over in that area and he met a westerner there who had actually seen Mokelele Mbembe but was forbidden to photograph it because it was considered a "god". Said from the description it was some type of relic marine reptile (i.e. pleisiosaur) or small apatosaur type creature...
See post 34.
-page 2
The first scientist to see the Bili apes was Shelly Williams, an independent primatologist who visited the region at Ammann's invitation in the summers of 2002 and 2003. She says she documented separate groups of East and West African chimpanzee subspecies and what she calls the "mystery ape." The larger animal had a much flatter face and straight-across brow like gorillas and turned gray early in life. Females lacked chimps' genital swelling. Two or three would nest on the ground, with others low in nearby branches. They made a distinct vocalization like a howl and were louder when the full moon rose and set. "The unique characteristics they exhibit just don't fit into the other groups of great apes," says Williams. The apes, she argues, could be a new species unknown to science, a new subspecies of chimpanzee or a hybrid of the gorilla and the chimp. "At the very least, we have a unique, isolated chimp culture that's unlike any that's been studied," she says.
That last, least dramatic theory is the one preferred by most scientists who have visited the region, including Harvard ape expert Richard Wrangham, who thinks the ground nests are built by chimps looking to escape dampness during the day. When Hicks and Ammann describe the animal they are studying, they use "mystery ape" only with irony. Ammann is worried that Williams' sensational pronouncements have brought ridicule to his project. "If there's scientific data, that's one thing," he says. "But basing all of this on anecdotal stuff ..." Recently, he was emailed pictures of a chimp with a pug-dog's head and a seal sprouting a gorilla's face. "Clearly, someone thinks we're a joke," he says. An analysis of hairs found in the ground nests identified their mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) as East African chimpanzee. Williams counters that finding with three arguments: the DNA could have been contaminated, the use of human genetic markers might mask hidden differences, and mtDNA would not show variation in the paternal line. "Until we know the father's lineage, we can't say if it's a new species or not," Williams insists. No longer welcome in Ammann's camp, she says she will return to the area in March to set up her own project.
"I think people are going to be disappointed with the yeti in the forest," warns Hicks, who says the apes he has seen are clearly chimps, although some are strangely oversize. "The evidence doesn't point to [a new species]. I think what needs to be focused on is the cultural differences." In addition to building ground nests, the apes fish for ants with tools that are several times longer than those used by known chimp populations. For now, Hicks is concentrating on habituating the animals, getting them accustomed to the noisy, nosy presence of researchers. The science--and the videotapes--will come later.
"Genetically, they're not even a subspecies," says Hicks. "But behaviorally, we may be seeing the beginning of a departure from chimpanzee norms. We could actually be catching evolution in the act. That is, if they're allowed to survive."
-page 3
That's an open question. The forests here have been hit hard by commercial poaching. Kalashnikov-wielding hunters stage raids from the Central African Republic and central Congo. Pontier, the missionary pilot, used to see herds of a hundred elephants when he first flew over the region in 1983. Now three together is a rare sighting. And with the big animals nearly gone, Ammann, who has set up a conservation project in the area, says the poachers are turning to hogs, antelopes, monkeys and chimpanzees. "The pressure on smaller game is increasing now that the elephants are gone," he says. If there's one thing all the scientists can agree on, it's that if this part of Congo goes the way of other African wild lands, the great apes could soon disappear. All that will be left of the Bili ape is the mystery.
I totally agree with you. My father is actually the pilot who saw the "giant ape" when he was flying over. It is very interesting to see that picture of the snake and to hear what you have to say. I have heard the people in my home in Zemio (C.A.R.) talking about the oversized gorillas. Thank you for that interesting read.
Mystgirl
I totally agree with you. My father is actually the pilot who saw the "giant thing" when he was flying over. It is very interesting to see that picture of the snake and to hear what you have to say. I have heard the people in my home in Zemio (C.A.R.) talking about the oversized gorillas. Thank you for that interesting read.
Mystgirl
mystgirl, I am glad you mixed me up with spetznaz! I remember reading about the account of the pilot reporting his sighting about the big ape and I will take his account and the natives accounts over the so called scientists any day! I also remember reading a pilot's account of the snake in a book called The book of lists. I hate snakes but I found it facinating and I couldn't help thinking that I hoped that these discoveries were left alone. A few years ago, I read that some of the zoos were trying to one up each other by finding the longest snake so they could capture it and put it on display. I felt sad.
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