Police hunt for PNG dinosaur

AAP/Ninemsn ^ | 12 Mar 2004

[Piefloater]

Reports a live dinosaur had been sighted on a volcanic island of Papua New Guinea prompted the deployment of heavily-armed police in search of the mystery creature.

Villagers in the superstitious island province of East New Britain this week said they fled in terror after seeing a three-metre tall, grey-coloured creature with a head like a dog and a tail like a crocodile.

They said the creature was living among thick green plants in a mosquito-ridden marsh just outside the provincial capital Kokopo, near the devastated town of Rabaul which was buried by a volcanic eruption in 1994.

Kokopo's Mayor Albert Buanga said the dinosaur would make a great a tourist attraction, if it existed.

A government official confirmed police carrying M-16s and shotguns searched the area but found no trace of the creature.

Eyewitness Christine Samei told reporters she ran for her life after seeing a three-metre tall, grey creature with a head like a dog and a tail like a crocodile which was as fat as a 900-litre water tank.

"It's a very huge and ugly looking animal," Samei told local media.

A government official said the villagers had identified the creature from books and movies about dinosaurs.

"They told us it was a dinosaur," the official told AAP.

Although police found no trace of the creature, Senior Sergeant Leuth Nidung warned villagers to take extra precautions when going about their daily business, amid reports it had eaten three dogs.

Villagers were told to report any further sightings immediately to police, who were already organising a more thorough search of the area.

Black magic and other superstitions are common in many parts of PNG's predominantly village-based society.

Each year large numbers of foreigners visit the area to see World War II relics as well as the devastated town of Rabaul - the only urban centre in the world built inside the crater of a giant volcano.

[Piefloater]

I am absolutely convinced that this will turn out to be a real dinosaur. They are not extinct after all!

[correctthought]

Go go Godzilla

[farmfriend]

Non-indexed GGG ping.

[Esther Ruth]

Probably just an overgrown frog.

[isthisnickcool]

Not a dinosaur. I'm almost positive it's my first wife. They better be careful because it's probably hungry for cash and surrounded by lawyers.

[Kenny Bunk]

This just in:

Kerry Claims Papuan Ancestry.
Criticizes George Bush Attempt to Kill Dinosaur

[Nick Danger]

the devastated town of Rabaul - the only urban centre in the world built inside the crater of a giant volcano.

[blam]

I was watching Animal Cops (Miami) last night on the Animal Planet channel and you would not believe how some black folks were 'carrying-on' when they discovered three bats living in a tree in their neighborhood. I expect this will turn out to be a case of hysteria too.

[BipolarBob]

As the dominant species it is our God-given duty to kill this thing.

[Ken H]

I'd say this is hoax, hysteria, or some bad grain was consumed.

Hard to imagine that 10 feet tall creatures with a population large enough to sustain breeding could go unnoticed, even in the wilds of New Guinea.

[Blue Scourge]

Cool...our own little Jurassic park..

[DBrow]

"the only urban centre in the world built inside the crater of a giant volcano."

Other than Mexico City. Did they mean active volcano?

[farmfriend]

No doubt.

[GATOR NAVY]

Each year large numbers of foreigners visit the area to see World War II relics as well as the devastated town of Rabaul - the only urban centre in the world built inside the crater of a giant volcano.

[VadeRetro]

It should be a skull-shaped island with some kind of big log wall across one part.

[Slings and Arrows]

Police have released this composite sketch of the ferocious beast:

[BenLurkin]

"grey-coloured creature with a head like a dog and a tail like a crocodile."

[DonaldDuke]

Probably just an overgrown frog.

Must be Chiraq. They better shoot it at once, before it runs up a ten-million grocery bill.

[js1138]

They would not like my cat, which brought in two live bats and turned them loose. And I think there's still a rat loose from another non-lethal hunt.

[Ken H]

It should be a skull-shaped island with some kind of big log wall across one part.

And a buxom blonde tied to the gate!