Asia

Vishap of the Dragon Stones Told story

Water monster · Geghama Mountains and Mount Aragats, Armenia · first reported c. 4200-4000 BCE (stones) · also called Vishapakar, dragon stones

In Armenian myth the vishap is a dragon tied to water, and its great enemy is the hero-god Vahagn, the dragon slayer. The legend has an unusual physical trace: the vishapakar, or dragon stones. These are tall single blocks of basalt or andesite, from about 1 to 5.5 m high, carved into cigar-like shapes with fish heads or snake forms, and some show a stretched cattle hide. Around 150 are known, about 90 of them in Armenia, mostly high in the Geghama Mountains, on the slopes of Mount Aragats, near Garni and by Lake Sevan. They usually stand near springs and old water channels. A 2025 study dated them to roughly 4200-4000 BCE. Scholars see them as water-ritual markers rather than proof of a living beast.

• 1909On the record Study of the dragon stones began in 1909, and by 1910 Nicholas Marr and Yakov Smirnov had recorded 27 of them in the Armenian Highlands. About 150 are now known across Armenia, southern Georgia and eastern Turkey, most standing near springs and old water channels in high pastures. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 2025On the record A 2025 study by Gurzadyan and Bobokhyan, supported by radiocarbon evidence from the Tirinkatar site on Mount Aragats, placed the stones in the Chalcolithic period, around 4200 to 4000 BCE. Scholars read them as markers of water rituals rather than records of a living animal. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: Vishap stones can be seen on high pastures of the Geghama range and Aragats, and near Garni.

Migoi of Sakteng Told story

Ape-like · Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary, Trashigang District, eastern Bhutan · first reported Old Tibetan and Bhutanese texts · also called Migoi, strong man

In eastern Bhutan the yeti goes by the name migoi, which High Country News translated as 'strong man'. According to local belief, it is an ape-like being about eight feet tall that walks backward to throw off trackers and can make itself invisible. The creature is said to appear in ancient Tibetan and Bhutanese texts. Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary, covering about 253 square miles of eastern blue pine and rhododendron forest, has been described as the only reserve in the world created specifically to protect yeti habitat. Daily Bhutan adds that locals tell of a smaller cousin called the michum, or 'little man'. Skeptics suggest the migoi may be a Tibetan bear, a rare relative of the grizzly. In snow it can place its back feet in its front prints, leaving a track that looks two-legged.

Full story: Yeti →

• 2005Told story High Country News described Sakteng as Bhutan's newest protected area and said it was the only reserve in the world created to protect yeti habitat. It reported local beliefs that the eight-foot migoi walks backward to fool trackers and can turn invisible. Source: hcn.org

Kting Voar Proven hoax

Beast · Forests of Cambodia (horns also sold in Vietnam) · first reported 1994 (described) · also called khting vor, snake-eating cow, linh duong

Kting voar, also written khting vor, is a Khmer name usually rendered 'snake-eating cow', for a wild bovine said to roam the forests of Cambodia and Vietnam. Its fame rests on oddly twisted horns. Biologist Wolfgang Peter found a set in a market in Ho Chi Minh City and, with Feiler, described them in 1994 as a possible new species. Through the late 1990s scientists argued over the horns. American mammalogist Robert Timm suggested a real wild cattle species, such as the kouprey, might lie at the root of the folklore. Then the case unravelled. Studies showed the horns had been reworked by hand, and confusing DNA results were traced to contamination. Every specimen tested so far has turned out to be cattle horn shaped by people. In 2003 Galbreath and Melville published what has been called the species' epitaph.

• 1994On the record Biologist Wolfgang Peter found unusual twisted horns for sale in a market in Ho Chi Minh City. With Feiler, he described them in 1994 as possibly belonging to a wild bovid unknown to science, which set off nearly a decade of scientific argument. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 2002-2003On the record In 2002 Feiler and colleagues showed that most of the horn sheaths, including the type specimen, had been artificially reworked, and Hassanin showed that earlier DNA results were contaminated. Every specimen tested proved to be shaped cattle horn. In 2003 Galbreath and Melville effectively closed the case. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Kanas Lake Monster On the record

Water monster · Kanas Lake, Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang · first reported 13th century (legend); 1980s sightings · also called Hanas Lake monster

Kanas Lake is a crescent-shaped lake in the Altai Mountains of northern Xinjiang, close to the borders with Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. It is up to about 188 m deep. Legends of a lake god there are old; a 13th-century rumour claimed Genghis Khan's tomb lay at the bottom, guarded by a fierce lake god. Modern reports describe huge reddish fish or shapes. On August 1, 1980, forest ranger Jin Gang said he saw a giant red object over 15 m long, and in 1985 researcher Yuan Guoying of Xinjiang University reported giant fish 10 to 15 m long. Reports grew in the 21st century as tourism developed. Many Chinese scholars think the 'monsters' are giant taimen, a large salmon-like fish, while researcher Ren Mulian argued the lake was too small to hold a 10 m taimen.

• 1985Investigated report A Xinjiang University team led by Yuan Guoying reported a large, blood-red fish estimated at over 10 m long. A big fishing net they set disappeared and was later found two kilometres upstream with a large rip. Professor Huang Renxin suggested the animal was a taimen. Source: theworldofchinese.com
• 2007On the record A CCTV documentary team placed underwater cameras in the lake and filmed a taimen about 3 m long. The footage supported the view of Chinese scholars that giant taimen, a huge salmon-like fish, lie behind many of the monster reports. Source: theworldofchinese.com
• 2012On the record Wang Hongqiao filmed what he said were lake monsters throwing up spray in the water. Television hosts who reviewed the clip concluded that it most likely showed a school of large fish hunting, rather than three giant animals. Some online commenters suspected the scenic area of encouraging sightings for tourism. Source: theworldofchinese.com

Visiting: Kanas is a major scenic area with boardwalks and lake boat tours.

Lake Tianchi Monster On the record

Water monster · Heaven Lake (Tianchi), Changbai / Paektu Mountain, China-North Korea border · first reported 1903 · also called Heaven Lake monster, Cheonji monster

Heaven Lake fills the crater of a volcano on the border between China's Jilin Province and North Korea. The lake has its own monster stories. The first, from 1903, tells of a large buffalo-like animal that attacked three people and swam off after being shot six times. In August 1962 a man with a telescope reported two creatures chasing each other, and over 100 people backed the sighting. In 2007 a Chinese TV reporter said he filmed six seal-like animals with long fins moving fast and in step. Scientists doubt a recently active volcanic lake could feed large animals. Skeptics suggest floating volcanic rock or simple mistakes.

• 1903Told story A buffalo-like creature reportedly attacked three people and retreated into the lake after being shot six times. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• August 21-23, 1962On the record An observer with a telescope reported two creatures chasing each other in the lake. More than 100 people are said to have seen them too. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• September 6, 2007On the record TV reporter Zhuo Yongsheng said he filmed six seal-like creatures with fins longer than their bodies, moving in sync at high speed. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: Changbaishan scenic area on the Chinese side has viewpoints over Heaven Lake.

Luoyang Pond Creature On the record

Water monster · A pond near Luoyang, Henan · first reported July 2020

In July 2020 villagers near the city of Luoyang in Henan province filmed something they could not name moving through a pond. The footage shows a long, slim shape, guessed at about 10 feet, surging up and down through the water at speed. The villagers passed the clip to local media, and some of them wondered whether it might be a legendary lake monster. Online commenters were more down to earth. They suggested a crocodile, a large water snake, or simply a shoal of fish swimming close together. One viewer said it was a group of fish swimming together and that he saw it all the time. According to ARY News, the creature has not been officially identified.

• July 10, 2020On the record Villagers filmed a slender form, roughly 10 feet long, moving fast up and down through a pond near Luoyang, and shared the clip with local media. Suggested explanations included a crocodile, a large water snake or a tightly packed school of fish. It has not been officially identified. Source: arynews.tv

Yeren Investigated report

Ape-like · Shennongjia Forestry District, Hubei, China · first reported 1555 (written); modern wave 1970s · also called Chinese Wildman, Hairy man of Shennongjia

The Yeren, or 'wild man', is China's hairy giant of the Shennongjia forests in Hubei Province. Written stories go back centuries; a Ming-era local record from Fang County describes wild men living in mountain caves. In 1945 an official named Li Jian began collecting local testimony, earning the nickname 'the Minister of Yeren'. Interest peaked in the late 1970s, when the Chinese Academy of Sciences sent a major expedition led by paleoanthropologist Zhou Guoxing. In 1981 a China Wildman Research Society formed and offered cash rewards for a body or a live capture. Skeptics note that every piece of physical evidence examined so far has been traced to known animals such as bears, monkeys and serow.

• 1555Told story A Ming-dynasty record from Fang County, north of Shennongjia, told of yeren living in mountain caves. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 1977Investigated report Zhou Guoxing led a large Chinese Academy of Sciences expedition into Shennongjia to look for the creature. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 1981On the record The China Wildman Research Society was founded and offered ¥5,000 for a dead yeren and ¥10,000 for a live one. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: Shennongjia is a national nature reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site open to tourists.

Zana of Tkhina On the record

Humanoid · Tkhina village, Ochamchira district, Abkhazia · first reported 19th century (collected 1962) · also called Zana, the Abkhazian almasty

Zana is the most famous 'wild woman' story of the Caucasus. In the 19th century, the tale goes, a very tall, dark-skinned woman covered in reddish hair was captured by hunters in the forests of Abkhazia and sold into slavery. She passed through several owners before nobleman Edgi Genaba took her to his estate at Tkhina, where she died in the 1880s. Locals linked her to the abnauayu, the Abkhaz version of the wild-man figure. She had at least four children with local men. Boris Porshnev and Alexander Mashkovtsev began collecting the story in 1962, her son Khwit was exhumed in 1971, and in 1974 Porshnev and Bernard Heuvelmans argued she was a surviving Neanderthal. A 2021 DNA study told a different story: she was fully human, of mostly East African descent. See the Almas dossier for the wider legend.

Full story: Almas →

• 1962-1974On the record Boris Porshnev and Alexander Mashkovtsev began gathering village memories of Zana in 1962. The remains of her son Khwit were exhumed in 1971, and in 1974 Porshnev and Bernard Heuvelmans published a book arguing that Zana had been a surviving Neanderthal. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 2021On the record Margaryan and colleagues sequenced Khwit and a female skeleton from the Genaba family cemetery. Zana's ancestry was mostly East African, with some West African admixture. The authors suggested she may have had a rare genetic condition such as congenital generalised hypertrichosis. Source: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Buru Told story

Water monster · Ziro (Apatani) Valley, Lower Subansiri, Arunachal Pradesh · first reported Apatani tradition; recorded 1945-1947

The buru is a large, crocodile-like water creature from the traditions of the Apatani people of the Ziro Valley in Arunachal Pradesh. Apatani elders said that when their ancestors arrived, the valley was a swamp full of these fierce animals. To make paddy fields and get rid of the dangerous creatures, the people drained the marsh. Many burus were said to have gone underground into springs. One story tells of a young woman who saw the last buru in a spring while fetching water at night and told her father; the village then filled the spring with stones and clay. British officials James Philip Mills and Charles Stonor recorded the accounts in 1945-46, and anthropologist Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf documented the legend in 1947. The story is now a well-known part of Apatani lore.

• 1945-1946Told story British officials James Philip Mills and Charles Stonor gathered descriptions of the buru from Apatani elders in the Ziro Valley. The elders described fierce, crocodile-like animals that had lived in the swamp before their ancestors drained it to grow rice. Source: en.bharatpedia.org
• 1947Told story Anthropologist Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf documented the buru legend in 1947. It included the story of the last buru, seen by a young woman in a spring at night. After she told her father, the village filled the spring with stones and clay so the creature could not return. Source: en.bharatpedia.org

Mande Burung Told story

Ape-like · Garo Hills, Meghalaya · first reported Folklore; modern reports · also called Garo Hills forest man

Mande Burung is the name given in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya, in northeast India, to a large, hairy creature said to walk upright through the region's subtropical forests. Writers compare it with the yeti of Tibet and Nepal, the ban-manush of Bangladesh and Bigfoot in North America. The hills include wild places such as Balpakram National Park in South Garo Hills, close to the Bangladesh border, where local people believe spirits rest on their way to the land of the dead. Local filmmaker Dipu Marak has looked into the creature for years. Hair samples collected by a BBC team around 2007-2008 were tested in the UK and found to resemble Himalayan goral, an animal not normally found in the Garo Hills. Zoologists in India note that no hair or droppings have ever been tied to an unknown animal.

• 2019 (comment)On the record After the Indian Army's yeti footprint post, Dipu Marak told Down to Earth that new species are still being found and that absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Zoological Survey of India scientists said cryptids lack physical evidence such as hair or droppings. Source: downtoearth.org.in

Visiting: Balpakram National Park in South Garo Hills is the wildest part of the region.

Monkey-man of Delhi On the record

Humanoid · New Delhi and Old Delhi · first reported April 2001 · also called Kala Bandar

In the spring of 2001 a wave of fear swept Delhi as people reported night attacks by a strange 'monkey-man'. The first report dates to early April, and the scare peaked in May. Over 350 sightings were logged and about 60 people reported injuries. Accounts varied widely. Many said it stood four to eight feet tall, with thick black hair, glowing red eyes, metal claws and a metal helmet; some added three buttons on its chest or roller-skates. Others described a muscular figure with a fox-like snout that leapt between buildings. Two or three people died after falling from roofs or down stairwells in a panic. Police released sketches based on witness descriptions. Monkey-man incidents were also reported in Kanpur in February 2002. The episode has been described as an example of mass hysteria, and doctors published a study of victims in East Delhi.

• May 2001On the record Hundreds of residents across New Delhi and Old Delhi reported night attacks by a monkey-like figure. Over 350 sightings were logged and around 60 people claimed injuries. Two or three people died in panicked falls from rooftops or down stairwells while fleeing. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 2002On the record In mid-2002 police picked up four teenagers from Nizamuddin East who had dressed in monkey costumes to rob vegetable sellers, and let them go with a warning. A similar monkey-man scare was reported in Kanpur that February. Studies described the whole episode as mass hysteria. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Muhnochwa On the record

Lights · Rural Kanpur, Barabanki and Sultanpur districts, Uttar Pradesh · first reported August 2002 · also called face scratcher

In the summer of 2002 villages in eastern Uttar Pradesh were gripped by fear of the muhnochwa, meaning 'face scratcher'. People said it attacked at night, scratching faces. The descriptions were strange: a thing about half a metre tall with the face of a dog or cat, able to fly, with a red light that flashed when it struck and a green light as it left. Families barricaded themselves indoors at sunset, and groups of men, often armed, kept watch through the night. The panic turned deadly. A youth in Sultanpur district was lynched by people who mistook him for the attacker, a man firing at a light killed his own mother, and police opened fire on a mob attacking a police station, killing one person. The scare was debated in the state assembly, where opposition parties blamed the government.

• August 22-23, 2002On the record Reports from rural Kanpur, Barabanki and Sultanpur described a small flying thing with an animal face and coloured lights. In Sultanpur a youth was lynched on suspicion, and a mother was shot dead by her son aiming at a light. Source: dawn.com

Ahool Told story

Winged · Mount Salak, West Java · first reported c. 1925 · also called Athol

The ahool is said to be a giant bat of the Javan rainforest. Its name is onomatopoeic, imitating the creature's call, which sounds like 'a-hool'. Descriptions give it the features of a large bat combined with ape-like traits. The first Western report is usually credited to naturalist Ernst Bartels, who is said to have seen it around 1925 while climbing Mount Salak in West Java. Cryptozoologists Ivan Sanderson and Bernard Heuvelmans both credited Bartels with that first Western report in their writing. Writers often group it with other reported winged creatures, such as the orang bati of Seram in Indonesia and the ropen of Papua New Guinea, and compare it with the Batsquatch of North America. Beyond Bartels' account, the sources opened give few dated details.

• c. 1925Told story Naturalist Ernst Bartels is said to have met the creature around 1925 while climbing Mount Salak in West Java. Cryptozoologists Ivan Sanderson and Bernard Heuvelmans later credited him with the first Western report of the giant bat-like animal named for its call. Source: hatch.kookscience.com

Ebu Gogo Told story

Humanoid · Central Flores, Indonesia (Nage people) · first reported Nage oral tradition

The Ebu Gogo are small, hairy, wild people in the stories of the Nage people of central Flores, Indonesia. In the Nage language the name means roughly 'grandparent who eats anything'. They were said to be about 1.5 metres tall, with flat noses, wide faces, big mouths and hairy bodies. They walked and ran well and could parrot human speech. The stories drew world attention after scientists described bones of a tiny extinct human, Homo floresiensis, from the same island. Ethnologist Gregory Forth suggested the tales might preserve memories of real encounters. Later dating put the species' end around 50,000 years ago, which weakened that idea for many scientists.

• TraditionalTold story Nage elders described the Ebu Gogo as fast, hairy little people who mimicked speech. Some tellings explain them as monkeys. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 2008On the record Ethnologist Gregory Forth proposed that Ebu Gogo stories might rest on memories of encounters with Homo floresiensis. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Orang Bati Told story

Winged · Mount Kairatu, western Seram, Maluku · first reported Traditional; 1987 missionary account · also called men with wings

On the island of Seram in Indonesia's Maluku province, people tell of the orang bati, a name that means 'men with wings'. The creature is said to sleep by day in the caves of Mount Kairatu, a dormant volcano, and fly out at night. Descriptions give it a red-skinned, ape-like body 4 to 5 feet tall, large black leathery wings, a monkey-like face and a long tail. Its arrival is said to be marked by a shrill wail. The darkest part of the legend claims it raids villages at night and carries off infants and small children. English missionary Tyson Hughes, who went to Seram in 1987 to help with farming, is said to have arrived a skeptic and left convinced by the villagers' accounts. Writers have suggested an unknown giant bat, and similar winged creatures are reported elsewhere in the region.

• 1987Told story English missionary Tyson Hughes went to Seram in 1987 to help with farming systems. Accounts say he started out skeptical of the villagers' stories of winged child-snatchers, but by the end of his 18-month stay he and his team had come to accept them. Source: seasia.co

Orang Pendek Told story

Ape-like · Kerinci Seblat, Sumatra, Indonesia

The short, upright 'little man' of Sumatra's forests. See the main Orang Pendek dossier.

Full story: Orang Pendek →

Kiryat Yam Mermaid On the record

Water monster · Kiryat Yam beach, near Haifa · first reported 2009 · also called Haifa mermaid

In 2009 the seaside town of Kiryat Yam, just north of Haifa, found itself at the center of 'mermaid fever'. Over several months, residents and visitors reported seeing a mermaid-like figure in the water off the town's beach. The town council's spokesman, Natti Zilberman, told reporters that many people were sure of what they had seen and that the reports came from people who did not know each other. The municipality then offered a reward of one million dollars to anyone who could prove a mermaid lived there, which brought crowds and press from around the world. A group calling itself the Mermaid Medical Association even threatened a mock lawsuit. No photo or proof ever came forward. Skeptics saw it as a tourism stunt mixed with seals, dolphins or waves.

• Summer 2009On the record Over several months, dozens of people reported a mermaid off the beach at Kiryat Yam. Council spokesman Natti Zilberman said many witnesses were sure of what they had seen and did not know one another. The town then offered a one-million-dollar prize for proof. Source: jta.org
• August 2009On the record A Brooklyn group calling itself the Mermaid Medical Association sent the town a letter saying the prize badly damaged the 'mermaid legacy'. It demanded the offer be withdrawn within ten days or it would go to The Hague. Many doubted the letter was serious. Source: jta.org

Visiting: Kiryat Yam's public beach on Haifa Bay.

Giant Snake of Mount Tsurugi On the record

Beast · Mount Tsurugi, Tokushima Prefecture, Shikoku · first reported May 1973 · also called Tsurugi daija

Mount Tsurugi is the second-highest peak on the island of Shikoku and a mountain steeped in legend. In May 1973 a group of four forestry workers reported meeting an enormous snake there, said to be about 10 m long, as thick as a telephone pole and covered in shiny black scales. The snake was also said to make a chirping sound. The report caused a stir, and searches followed. Searchers reported tracks about 40 cm wide across the ground, but the snake was never captured or identified. A jawbone about 34 cm across, said to come from a giant snake, is kept in a local history museum.

• May 1973On the record Four forestry workers on Mount Tsurugi said they saw a snake around 10 m long, as thick as a telephone pole, with shiny black scales. Searches followed. Searchers reported tracks about 40 cm wide, but the snake was never captured or definitively identified. Source: pinktentacle.com

Hibagon On the record

Ape-like · Mount Hiba, northern Hiroshima Prefecture · first reported July 1970 · also called Hinagon

Hibagon is Japan's best-known ape-man, named after Mount Hiba in the hills of northern Hiroshima Prefecture. The first sighting was reported on July 20, 1970, and about a dozen more followed that year, with many more in the summers up to 1973 and a few in 1980 and 1982. Witnesses described an animal about 1.5 to 1.7 m tall, perhaps 80 to 90 kg, with thick black or brown fur, a large head and intelligent, human-like eyes, a bit like a gorilla. Footprints were found in snow in December 1970, and on August 15, 1974 the creature was photographed hiding behind a persimmon tree. In a 1972 account it fled from four armed residents who meant to hunt it. Ideas include an escaped gorilla, a wild person or deserter, and darker talk of someone harmed by radiation from the Hiroshima bomb.

• July 20, 1970On the record The first Hibagon report came from the Mount Hiba area on July 20, 1970. About a dozen sightings were logged that year, describing a dark-furred, gorilla-like animal around 1.5 m tall. Footprints about 20 cm long were found in the snow in December 1970. Source: pinktentacle.com
• August 15, 1974On the record According to Pink Tentacle, the Hibagon was photographed on August 15, 1974 as it hid behind a persimmon tree. It is the best-known image linked to the creature. Sightings around Mount Hiba continued through the summers of the early 1970s, with further reports in 1980 and 1982. Source: pinktentacle.com

Visiting: The town of Saijo has adopted the Hibagon as a mascot and sells Hibagon-themed goods.

Issie On the record

Water monster · Lake Ikeda, Kagoshima Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan · first reported 1978 · also called Isshii, Lake Ikeda monster

Issie is the lake monster of Lake Ikeda, a round caldera lake about 40 kilometres south of Kagoshima on Japan's island of Kyushu. The lake fills the Ikeda Caldera, a volcanic crater. No specimen, carcass or clear film has ever been produced, so the case rests on eyewitness reports and a single photograph. Its fame dates to 1978, when about twenty people reported seeing a large black animal with two humps swimming in the lake. A photographer named Matsubara reportedly took a picture that same year. Lake Ikeda is known for very large eels, some around six feet long. Skeptics point to them as the likely source of the sightings.

• 1978On the record Around twenty people reported a black creature with two humps, each about five metres long, swimming in the lake. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 1978On the record A photographer named Matsubara is credited with taking a photo of the creature. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: Lake Ikeda has a lakeshore road and viewpoints with views of Mount Kaimon.

Kappa Told story

Water monster · Rivers and ponds across Japan; Tōno, Iwate is a well-known home · first reported Edo-period folklore and earlier · also called Kawatarō, Garappa, Enkō

The kappa is Japan's river imp, a figure of folklore rather than a modern cryptid. It is about the size of a child, often green, with webbed hands, a turtle-like shell and a dish-shaped hollow on top of its head. That hollow holds water, and if it spills the kappa grows weak. Kappa love sumo and cucumbers. They also drown people and pull horses and cattle into rivers. Japan has at least eighty local names for them. Early pictures show furry, monkey-like kappa; by the 1800s they looked more like turtles and frogs. Scholars suggest giant salamanders, soft-shelled turtles and otters fed the legend. A temple in Tokyo's Kappabashi district is linked to a kappa mummy.

• TraditionalTold story In Tōno, Iwate, local lore describes a red-skinned kappa, different from the green kappa of most regions. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• ModernTold story Shrines in Fukuoka Prefecture keep kappa traditions alive, including an annual water festival in Kurume and a kappa sumo event in Ukiha. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: Sōgen-ji temple in Tokyo's Kappabashi district; Tōno in Iwate; Suitengū shrine in Kurume.

Kussie On the record

Water monster · Lake Kussharo, Akan-Mashu National Park, eastern Hokkaido · first reported 1973 · also called Kusshii

Kussie is the lake monster of Lake Kussharo, a large caldera lake in Akan National Park in eastern Hokkaido. The lake's name comes from an Ainu phrase describing the place where a lake becomes a river and flows out. The nickname is a playful nod to Nessie of Loch Ness. Interest grew in 1973, when a 40-member biology team from Hokkaido University was reported to have seen the creature. In 1974 tourists filed 15 more reports. Witnesses described an animal 10 to 20 m long with humps on its back, a long neck and even a pair of horns. Wikipedia notes the creature's prominence in local culture, and a statue of Kussie now stands on the lake's shore. Akan National Park is home to the lake, which formed in the crater of a volcano.

• 1973On the record A 40-member biology team from Hokkaido University was reported to have seen a large unknown creature in Lake Kussharo in 1973. Their report is the best-known Kussie sighting and helped make the monster a lasting part of local culture around the lake. Source: pinktentacle.com
• 1974On the record Tourists logged fifteen separate sighting reports at Lake Kussharo in 1974. Witnesses described a humped animal with a long neck and a pair of horn-like features, estimated at 10 to 20 m long. The reports came a year after the Hokkaido University sighting. Source: pinktentacle.com

Visiting: A Kussie statue stands on the shore of Lake Kussharo.

Takitaro On the record

Water monster · Lake Otoriike, Asahi Mountains, Yamagata Prefecture · first reported 1917

Takitaro is the giant fish of Lake Otoriike, a mountain lake nearly 1,000 m above sea level in the Asahi range of Yamagata Prefecture. Local stories say it can reach 3 m long. According to Pink Tentacle, a fish of about 1.5 m was reportedly caught there in 1917. In 1982 mountain climbers said they saw a fish over 2 m long in the lake, which renewed interest in the legend. In 1985 a scientific team investigated the lake with sonar. Smaller fish found there were identified as relatives of ancient salmon, and many see these as the real animals behind the legend, with size exaggerated by eye.

• 1982On the record Mountain climbers at Lake Otoriike reported seeing a fish more than 2 m long in 1982, renewing interest in the old Takitaro legend. Stories describe fish up to 3 m long living in the cold mountain lake, well beyond the size of known local fish. Source: pinktentacle.com
• 1985Investigated report A scientific team investigated Lake Otoriike with sonar in 1985 to look for Takitaro. Smaller fish found in the lake were identified as relatives of ancient salmon, which many see as the real animals behind the legend of the giant fish. Source: pinktentacle.com

Tsuchinoko Told story

Beast · Western Japan; Shimokitayama village, Nara Prefecture · first reported Folklore; bounty boom 1980s · also called Bachi hebi

The tsuchinoko is Japan's chubby snake, 30 to 80 centimetres long with a fat middle and a viper's fangs. It is said to jump a metre, and to grip its tail in its mouth and roll away like a wheel. Old tales add that it can talk, likes to lie and enjoys a drink. In northeast Japan it goes by bachi hebi. Towns have offered big bounties for one, up to 20 million yen in Yoshii, Okayama. From 1988 to 1990 a hunt drew about 200 searchers chasing a million-yen prize. In 2007 a snake of the right shape was reportedly found in imported hay and then lost.

• 1988-1990Investigated report Kazuo Nozaki's Tsuchinoko Expedition offered 1 million yen for a live animal and 300,000 yen for skin. About 200 people searched until the bubble economy collapsed. Nothing was found. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• April 4, 2007On the record A dead, tsuchinoko-shaped snake was reportedly found in imported hay in Ōkura, Yamagata. It later went missing. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 2023On the record Shimokitayama village in Nara opened Tsuchinoko Park, honoring local sightings. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: Shimokitayama Tsuchinoko Park in Nara Prefecture (opened 2023).

Aidakhar of Kok-Kol Told story

Water monster · Kok-Kol Lake, Karakystak Valley, about 32 km from Merke, Zhambyl Region · first reported Folklore; 1970s research · also called Kok-Kol lake monster, Kol-Kol monster

Kok-Kol is a small blue mountain lake in the Karakystak Valley of southern Kazakhstan's Zhambyl Region, about 250 m long. Locals say parts of it are bottomless, and its level stays the same in dry weather and heavy rain, even though no river feeds it. Folklore places a dragon-like water spirit called Aidakhar in its depths. Witnesses have described a huge serpent up to 15 m long, and people speak of whistling, hissing and even roaring from the water. The surface is said to seethe and swirl into whirlpools, and debris that floats up can simply vanish. Swimming is discouraged. A 1976 expedition offered a natural explanation: the lake is glacial, sitting on rock moraine, and channels and caves in its bottom draw in water, forming waves and funnels.

• Undated local accountsTold story Local stories tell of a diver caught in a sudden whirlpool during an expedition, who was later found alive on the bank of a nearby river. A hydrologist is said to have watched birds and seen strange zigzag patterns on the water. No dates are given for either. Source: eurasia.travel
• 1976On the record A scientific expedition concluded that Kok-Kol is a glacial lake on rock moraine. Channels and caves in its bottom periodically draw in water, which researchers said could create the waves and funnels people report. Minerals from these cavities were also offered as the reason for the water's supposed healing qualities. Source: astanatimes.com

Visiting: Reachable from Merke; the last few kilometers are on unpaved road.

Naga Seri Gumum Told story

Water monster · Tasik Chini (Lake Chini), Pekan District, Pahang · first reported Jakun oral tradition · also called Seri Gumum, Tasik Chini dragon

Tasik Chini in Pahang is a chain of 12 connected lakes, the second largest natural freshwater lake in Peninsular Malaysia and a UNESCO biosphere reserve. The Jakun, an Orang Asli people who live along its shores, tell of a great dragon, Naga Seri Gumum, that lives in the water. It is sometimes called Malaysia's Loch Ness Monster. Another local belief says the ruins of an ancient Khmer city lie at the bottom of the lake. Today the lake is better known for the thousands of white and pink lotus flowers that cover it in August and September. It is also known for the hardship Jakun communities have faced from logging and ore mining around the lake, including water pollution and contaminated fish. The government halted mining around the lake in 2021 amid warnings the ecosystem could collapse.

• TraditionTold story Jakun tradition places the dragon Naga Seri Gumum in the waters of Tasik Chini. Local belief also links the lake with an ancient Khmer city said to lie sunken at the bottom. Wikipedia records both legends; the sources opened give no dated modern sighting of the creature. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: Tasik Chini is visited for boat trips and its lotus season in August and September.

Orang Mawas of Johor On the record

Ape-like · Endau-Rompin National Park, Johor · first reported 1871 · also called Mawas, Hantu Jarang Gigi, Johor Bigfoot

In the southern Malaysian state of Johor, stories of a tall, black-haired forest giant go back at least to 1871. The Orang Asli call it hantu jarang gigi, often translated as 'snaggle-toothed ghost'. It is said to walk upright, stand around 2.5 to 3 m tall, catch fish and raid orchards. Worldwide attention came in late 2005, when three fish-farm workers clearing jungle near Endau-Rompin National Park said they had seen a family of the creatures: two adults and a young one. Footprints up to 45 cm long and brown hair were reported nearby. The park director surveyed the site and wildlife officials planned to set up cameras. In January 2006 Johor's Chief Minister announced an expedition and urged that the animals not be harmed. Scientists mostly put such reports down to misidentified sun bears.

• November-December 2005On the record Three workers clearing jungle for a fish pond reported seeing a family of large hairy creatures. Investigators reported footprints up to 45 cm, brown hair with a strong smell and a snapped branch suggesting great height. Park director Hashim Yusof surveyed the site. Source: aljazeera.com
• January 2006On the record Johor Chief Minister Abdul Ghani Othman announced a dedicated search of likely areas around Endau-Rompin. He stressed that the creatures should not be harmed if they were found. Orang Asli living in the region were also reported to have seen the animals over the years. Source: theregister.com

Almas Told story

Humanoid · Altai and western Mongolia (also the Caucasus) · also called Almasty

A wild, human-like being reported in Mongolia and Central Asia. See the main Almas dossier.

Full story: Almas →

Mongolian Death Worm Told story

Beast · Gobi Desert, Mongolia · also called Olgoi-khorkhoi

The 'olgoi-khorkhoi', a red, sausage-shaped worm said to kill from a distance in the Gobi. See the main dossier.

Full story: Mongolian Death Worm →

Luwun Told story

Ape-like · Kachin State highlands near Putao · first reported 1910 (recorded) · also called Myanmar wild man, man bear

In the mountains of northern Myanmar people speak of the luwun, a Burmese term meaning 'man bear'. It describes a hairy, upright creature living in high forest. In 2015 biologists Steven Platt and Thomas Rainwater pulled together colonial-era and later reports from Kachin State and nearby areas. They list a 1910 case on the upper Chindwin River where a forest officer reportedly shot a large primate, an upright tawny-haired animal in Bhamo District in 1912, tracks in the snow in 1939, human-like tracks and odd calls in the Chaukan Range in 1942, prints and a strong smell near Konglu in 1946, a snow trackway at a pass in 1956 and a hunter's meeting near Putao in 1968. The authors argued an unknown primate may live there; no specimen has been produced.

• 1942Told story In the Chaukan Range, at about 2,700 m, travelers reported fresh human-like tracks in the forest and unfamiliar calls they could not place. Platt and Rainwater included the case in their 2015 review of wild man reports from northern Myanmar. Source: anthro.isu.edu
• 1968Told story A hunter working the forests near Putao in Kachin State described a meeting with a hairy creature walking on two legs. It is one of the later accounts gathered in the 2015 review, which also lists earlier tracks and sightings from 1910 onward. Source: anthro.isu.edu

Makalu Yeti Footprints On the record

Ape-like · Makalu Base Camp, Sankhuwasabha District · first reported April 2019 · also called Indian Army yeti tracks

This short entry marks a new Nepal location for the yeti, covered in full in the main Yeti dossier. On April 9, 2019, an Indian Army mountaineering expedition near Makalu Base Camp in the Nepal Himalaya came across a line of very large prints in the snow. When the Army posted photos on April 29, it said the prints measured 32 by 15 inches and described this as the first such sighting by one of its expeditions. The post drew wide attention in India and revived talk of cryptozoology. Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India responded that the field rests largely on folklore, and one noted that most biology demands physical evidence, while cryptids have no hair or faecal samples to study.

Full story: Yeti →

• April 9, 2019On the record An Indian Army mountaineering expedition near Makalu Base Camp found giant prints measuring about 32 by 15 inches. The Army shared the images on Twitter on April 29, 2019, describing it as the first sighting of 'mysterious yeti footprints' by one of its expedition teams. Source: downtoearth.org.in

Yeti Told story

Ape-like · Khumbu region, Nepal Himalaya · also called Abominable Snowman

The 'Abominable Snowman' of the Himalaya, known from Sherpa tradition and mountaineers' footprints. Full story in the main Yeti dossier.

Full story: Yeti →

Barmanu Investigated report

Ape-like · Shishi Kuh valley, Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa · first reported 1980s research (older folklore) · also called Barmanou

The barmanu, also spelled barmanou, is a wild man said to live in the mountains of northern Pakistan, in the Chitral and Karakoram ranges between the Pamirs and the Himalayas. The name comes from the Khowar language and is used across several local languages. People describe a being with both human and ape-like traits that wears animal skins on its back and head, and stories say it abducts women. Spanish zoologist Jordi Magraner, based in France, led the first search for it in Pakistan from 1987 to 1990. He gathered more than fifty eyewitness accounts, and witnesses picked out an ape-like humanoid figure, which he called 'homo pongoides', as the best match. In May 1994 his team in the Shishi Kuh valley heard odd guttural sounds. Magraner was murdered in Afghanistan in 2002.

• 1987-1990Investigated report Spanish zoologist Jordi Magraner, based in France, led the first search for the barmanu in Pakistan from 1987 to 1990. He gathered more than fifty eyewitness accounts. Witnesses identified the creature with an ape-like humanoid figure, which Magraner called 'homo pongoides'. His later fieldwork continued in the Chitral area. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• May 1994Investigated report On an expedition into the Shishi Kuh valley, Magraner, Anne Mallasseand and an associate said they heard unusual guttural sounds. They felt only a primitive voice box could have produced them. The trip produced no further findings. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Amomongo On the record

Ape-like · La Castellana, Negros Occidental (foot of Mount Kanlaon) · first reported June 2008

The amomongo is a hairy, ape-like creature from the folklore of Negros in the Philippines, said to live in caves near the base of Mount Kanlaon volcano. In June 2008 it made national news. Residents of La Castellana, Negros Occidental, reported that a creature attacked people and livestock over two nights. Two men, Elias Galvez and Salvador Aguilar, were treated for many scratches on their faces, backs and abdomens, and goats and chickens were found disembowelled. Witnesses described a hairy white ape about 5 feet 4 inches tall with long, sharp nails. Residents spoke of it as a wild animal rather than an intelligent supernatural being such as an aswang. Some have compared it with Bigfoot and the yeti. According to Wikipedia, the scientific community regards it as a legend mixed with mistaken identity.

• June 9-10, 2008On the record In La Castellana, Elias Galvez and Salvador Aguilar said they were attacked by a hairy, ape-like creature with long sharp nails and were treated for scratches on their faces, backs and stomachs. Goats and chickens were found killed and gutted during the same nights. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Manananggal of Talisay On the record

Winged · Sitio Mangga, Barangay Dumlog, Talisay City, Cebu · first reported February 2023 · also called manananggal

The manananggal is one of the most feared beings in Philippine folklore: a creature whose upper body separates from its lower body at night and flies off on bat-like wings. In February 2023 the legend sparked a local panic in Talisay City, Cebu. Two young girls in Sitio Mangga, Barangay Dumlog, said that at about 8 pm they saw a manananggal on a neighbour's roof. Police questioned the 71-year-old neighbour, Albert Samson, who said he noticed nothing unusual but heard the girls shouting and crying; another neighbour also heard them. Police Lieutenant Colonel Randy Caballes, the city police chief, said officers were trying to shed light on the event and were hoping for answers too. Mayor Gerald Anthony Gullas said the girls would receive a stress debriefing from the city's social welfare office.

• February 7, 2023On the record Two girls reported seeing a manananggal on a neighbour's roof in Barangay Dumlog at about 8 pm. Police questioned the 71-year-old neighbour, who heard them shouting and crying but noticed nothing unusual. Lt. Col. Randy Caballes said police were working to shed light on the event. Source: goodreads.com

Tikbalang of Bansalan On the record

Humanoid · Barangay New Cebu, Bansalan, Davao del Sur · first reported November 2019 · also called tikbalang

The tikbalang is a creature of Philippine folklore usually pictured with a human-like lower body, hooves and the face of a horse. Most tikbalang stories are general, but in November 2019 one was tied to a specific barangay in Mindanao. In New Cebu, Bansalan, Davao del Sur, a resident said that on a Thursday evening the neighbourhood dogs barked nonstop and residents saw a creature matching the tikbalang's description, which sped away. Some locals suspected it had been trying to steal a motorcycle. The report came after earlier community talk about other folk creatures, including the wakwak, sigbin and ungo. Police looked into the report and warned that people with criminal motives might use such stories as cover for their plans. They urged residents to stay alert at night.

• November 21, 2019On the record A 42-year-old resident named Mercy said that after the dogs barked again and again, residents saw a creature matching the tikbalang's description in Barangay New Cebu. It sped away. Some believed it was after a motorcycle, and police warned that people with criminal motives might use such stories as cover. Source: sunstar.com.ph

Brosno Dragon Told story

Water monster · Lake Brosno, near Andreapol, Tver Oblast · first reported 13th century (legend) · also called Brosnya

Lake Brosno lies near the small town of Andreapol in Tver Oblast, in western Russia. It reaches about 43 m at its deepest point and holds fish such as perch and burbot. Local tradition says a dragon-like animal, sometimes called Brosnya, lives in its depths, and the stories are said to date back to the 13th century. Rumours from the 18th and 19th centuries told of a giant creature that rose to the surface in the evening and sank again when people came close. One popular tale claims the beast swallowed a German aircraft during World War II. The lake also has a submerged church in its western part, which adds to its air of mystery. Skeptics have suggested that a beaver or a giant pike could lie behind the sightings.

• 18th-19th centuriesTold story Old local accounts from the 18th and 19th centuries describe a creature that rose to the surface of Lake Brosno in the evenings. Whenever people came closer to get a better look, it is said to have slipped back under the water and vanished. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• World War IITold story A popular local tale holds that during World War II the beast swallowed a German airplane at the lake. Wikipedia reports this only as something that "is said", with no date, place or record attached. It is best treated as wartime folklore rather than a documented event. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Chuchunaa Told story

Ape-like · Sakha Republic (Yakutia), northeastern Siberia · first reported Soviet era (reports collected 1960s-1970s) · also called Chuchuna, Chuchunya

Chuchunaa is the Evenk name for a tall, hairy wild man said to roam the remote north of Siberia, especially Yakutia. Other northern peoples have their own names for a similar being. Descriptions collected in the Soviet era tell of a figure over 2 m tall, covered in thick but short fur, with very long arms that hang below the knees and a strange way of walking. Some witnesses said it wore reindeer skins or went barefoot. Soviet geologist and biologist Vladimir Pushkarev gathered many such stories across Yakutia, Chukotka, Komi and Yamal and printed witness statements in popular magazines in the 1970s. He never saw the creature himself, despite years of searching. The chuchunaa remains a story told in the far north, and no physical evidence of it has been confirmed by scientists.

• 1960s-1970sTold story Vladimir Pushkarev recorded descriptions from northern peoples, including Evenks who used the name chuchunaa. They described a hairy giant over two meters tall, with arms hanging below the knees and an unusual walk. One witness said the creature's eyes seemed to spark on seeing people. Source: gw2ru.com

Irkuiem Told story

Beast · Northern Kamchatka Peninsula (Vetrovaya River area) · first reported 20th century (hunter reports 1968-1982) · also called Kainyn-kutkho, Kamchatka giant bear

The irkuiem is a reported giant bear of Kamchatka in Russia's far east. Its name, from the Koryak or Chukot language, is usually translated as 'trousers pulled down', a nod to the sagging fat said to hang around its hind legs. Another name, kainyn-kutkho, means 'god bear'. Hunters describe a huge white or grey animal with a small head, short back legs and a hanging belly. It is said to move with a slow, caterpillar-like gait, heaving its back legs up to meet its front paws. Reindeer hunters claimed to have killed such bears in 1968, 1976, 1980 and 1982. Rodion Sivolobov obtained a pelt in 1987 that was shown at a museum in Saint Petersburg, and a skull was collected at the Vetrovaya River. Ideas range from an odd brown bear or a polar bear hybrid to a surviving Ice Age bear.

• 1968-1982Told story Reindeer hunters in Kamchatka claimed to have killed huge pale bears with small heads, short hind legs and drooping bellies in 1968, 1976, 1980 and 1982. They described a slow, clumsy animal with a heaving, caterpillar-like gait that made it hard for it to escape hunters. Source: cryptidarchives.fandom.com
• 1987On the record After about ten years of looking into the stories, Rodion Sivolobov obtained a pelt said to belong to an irkuiem; it was later shown at a Saint Petersburg museum. A skull collected by his assistant at the Vetrovaya River could not be retrieved after 1991. Source: cryptidarchives.fandom.com

Labynkyr Devil Told story

Water monster · Lake Labynkyr, Oymyakonsky District, Sakha Republic (Yakutia) · first reported 1953 · also called Labynkyrsky Chert

Lake Labynkyr sits on a high plateau in Oymyakonsky District, one of the coldest inhabited corners of Siberia. The lake is about 14 km long and up to 75 m deep, and it is known for staying partly open in winter, which some scientists link to warm springs below. Local stories tell of a large animal, the 'Labynkyr Devil', that rocks or even sinks small boats from below. Interest grew after geologist Viktor Tverdokhlebov reported in 1953 that he had found the jaws and bones of an animal he could not name. Later expeditions used sonar and under-ice divers. Divers found only big fish, and Russian scientists have argued that a hidden breeding population of large animals in such a cold lake is unlikely. The legend remains one of Russia's best-known lake monster stories.

• 1953On the record Geologist Viktor Tverdokhlebov reported finding the remains of jaws and a skeleton from an animal he could not identify near the lake. His report is usually cited as the start of modern interest in the Labynkyr creature, though nothing he described was kept for study. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• March 2013Investigated report A Russian Geographical Society team with divers Dmitry Shiller and Alexander Gubin made record-depth dives under the ice and took around 20 samples. They reported only large fish. One outlet said a scanner picked up large bones on the bottom, but nothing was brought up and the claim was disputed. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 2013 (comment)On the record Yury Gerasimov of the Russian Academy of Sciences said pike could not grow or live long enough to match reported sizes of 7 to 8 m. Diver Shiller suggested Arctic mirages and floating ice could explain odd sightings on the water. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Lake Khaiyr Monster Proven hoax

Water monster · Lake Khaiyr, near the settlement of Khaiyr, northern Sakha Republic · first reported 1964

Lake Khaiyr is a small lake of about 29 hectares in the far north of Yakutia, roughly 5 km south of a settlement of the same name. In 1964 a Moscow University team was there surveying mineral deposits. N. Gladkikh, described as the deputy leader of the party, said he saw a creature that had crawled onto the shore, with a small head on a long, gleaming neck, a huge jet-black body and an upright fin. The expedition leader and others were said to back him up, and writers compared the animal to a plesiosaur. Cryptozoologist Karl Shuker later found the whole episode was made up. Gladkikh was a hired migrant worker, not a scientist, and admitted inventing the story to entertain himself and friends or to avoid work. Claims that the lake had no fish and an old monster tradition also proved false.

• 1964Proven hoax Gladkikh described a creature with a small head on a long, gleaming neck, a bulky body with jet-black skin and a fin running along its back. In later retellings, other members of the party saw a head and fin break the surface and a long tail beat the water. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• Later investigationOn the record Cryptozoologist Karl Shuker found that the story had been fabricated. Gladkikh had been a migrant worker hired to help the expedition, not a scientist. He admitted inventing the sighting to amuse himself and his friends or as an excuse to dodge his duties. Claims about a fishless lake and a local tradition were false. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Vorota Beast On the record

Water monster · Lake Vorota, about 20 km from Lake Labynkyr, Sakha Republic · first reported 1953 · also called Lake Vorota monster

Lake Vorota is a smaller lake about 20 km from the better-known Lake Labynkyr in Yakutia. According to Wikipedia, the two lakes sit at the same water level, and some people suspect an underground tunnel joins them, though no such link has been shown. Vorota earned its own place in Siberian monster lore through a 1953 report. Viktor Tverdokhlebov, who led a geology team in the area, said he saw a large animal, about the size of an orca, swimming near the lake's surface. Later monster hunting has focused on neighbouring Labynkyr, where a Moscow State University team said in 2012 that its echo sounder picked up very large underwater objects. Scientist Yury Gerasimov has questioned whether these cold lakes could support a giant animal, pointing to water temperature and food.

• 1953On the record Viktor Tverdokhlebov, the leader of a geology team working in the region, reported seeing a large underwater animal swimming near the surface of Lake Vorota. He compared its size to that of an orca. His account is the best-known report from this lake and is often linked with the Labynkyr stories. Source: livescience.com

Yag-mort and Pushkarev's Wild Man Told story

Ape-like · Komi Republic and Yamal, Russian far north · first reported 1970s (reports collected) · also called Yag mort, Kul, Tungu

Across Russia's far north, several peoples have their own name for a hairy forest giant: the Komi speak of the Yag-mort, the Khanty of the Kul and the Nenets of the Tungu. Soviet geologist and biologist Vladimir Pushkarev (1939-1978) spent years collecting these stories. In Salekhard he surveyed about 60 students from reindeer-herding families. Almost all said they believed in the creature, and some reported their own or a relative's encounter. In October 1978 he set out on an expedition in the Yamal region, travelling from Salekhard to Muzhi and then by boat toward a lake near the Khanty-Mansi border. He never came back. Searchers later found his sleeping bag and belongings but no trace of him. His disappearance has become part of the legend he spent his career recording.

• 1970sTold story Pushkarev questioned around 60 students from nomadic reindeer-herding families in Salekhard. All used the name Tungu, and almost all said the creature was real; some described their own sightings or encounters in their families. He published testimonies in Vokrug Sveta (1975) and Technics of Youth (1978). Source: gw2ru.com
• October 1978On the record Pushkarev travelled from Salekhard to Muzhi and then by boat toward a lake on the border of the Khanty-Mansi district to search for the creature. He never returned. Rescuers found his sleeping bag and belongings in late 1978, but no trace of the man himself. Source: gw2ru.com

Yeti of Mountain Shoria On the record

Ape-like · Azasskaya Cave area, Mountain Shoria, Kemerovo Oblast · first reported 2011 (conference) · also called Kemerovo yeti, Azasskaya Cave yeti

Mountain Shoria is a forested, hilly district in the south of Kemerovo Oblast in southern Siberia. In October 2011 the region drew world headlines when a yeti conference, set up at the urging of researcher Igor Burtsev, brought together people from Russia, the United States, Canada, Spain, Sweden and Mongolia. A field trip visited the Azasskaya cave. Afterward, according to the regional press release, the group said it had found footprints, a supposed sleeping place and markers the creature uses to mark its territory, and declared it was 95 percent certain a yeti lived there. Russian scientist Anatoly Fokin collected hair strands for analysis. Some media outlets called the event a publicity stunt to bring tourists to a region dominated by coal and metal industries. Officials also floated the idea of a yeti research centre.

• October 2011Investigated report Conference members visited the Azasskaya cave and reported footprints, a supposed bed and territorial markers. Igor Burtsev argued the creatures could talk and communicate with people and might be surviving Neanderthals. Anatoly Fokin collected several strands of hair that were to be analysed. Source: news.mongabay.com
• October 2011 (reaction)On the record The group said it was 95 percent certain a yeti lived in the area. Coverage noted that the region, dominated by coal and metal industries, hoped to attract tourists, and some outlets dismissed the conference as largely a publicity stunt. Source: news.mongabay.com

Bukit Timah Monkey Man Told story

Ape-like · Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Singapore · first reported c. 1805 · also called BTM

Even crowded Singapore has its own cryptid. The Bukit Timah Monkey Man is said to haunt the forest of Bukit Timah, the island's highest hill and one of its last patches of primary rainforest. Witnesses describe a grey, hominid-like figure about 1.75 m tall with a monkey's face that walks upright like a man. The earliest story dates to around 1805, when a Malay elder claimed to see such a creature. Japanese soldiers are said to have reported it during World War II, local media revisited it in 2007 and 2008, and a night hiker claimed a sighting in 2020. Wildlife officials point to the long-tailed macaques common in the reserve, noting that darkness and distance can make them seem much larger. It remains a beloved local legend.

• c. 1805Told story Around 1805 a Malay elder said he saw a creature at Bukit Timah with the face of a monkey that walked upright like a man. It is the earliest story linked to the legend, which later picked up reports from Japanese soldiers in World War II. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 2020Told story A night hiker reported a sighting in the reserve in 2020, following renewed media interest in 2007 and 2008. Wildlife officials continue to favour crab-eating macaques, saying darkness and perspective can make these much smaller monkeys look far larger than they really are. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: Bukit Timah Nature Reserve has public trails to the summit.

Nittaewo Told story

Humanoid · Southeastern dry-zone forests (Kudimbigala area, Panama Pattu), Sri Lanka · first reported 1887 (recorded) · also called Nittevo

The nittaewo were said to be a race of small, hairy people living in the forests of southeastern Sri Lanka. In the stories they stood only 3 to 4 feet tall, walked upright without tails, had reddish hair, short powerful arms and long hooked claws, lived in caves or nests of leaves in trees and ate raw game. Their enemies were the Vedda, the island's Indigenous forest people, some of whom are said to have understood their twittering speech. Explorer Hugh Nevill wrote down the tale in 1887, and Frederick Lewis heard similar accounts in 1915. The legend ends with the Vedda driving the last nittaewo into a cave and setting brushwood alight at the entrance, perhaps between 1775 and 1800. Suggested explanations range from bears or gibbons to Negritos or an archaic human such as Homo floresiensis.

• 1887Told story Explorer Hugh Nevill wrote down the story of the nittaewo and their destruction in 1887. It reached him fourth-hand: a Sinhalese hunter had it from an elderly Vedda, who had heard it from a relative named Koraleya. It told of small hairy people trapped in a cave and burned out with brushwood. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 1915Told story Frederick Lewis made inquiries in two villages in 1915 and was given the same story. One informant said his grandfather's generation, five generations back, had taken part in killing the last nittaewo. Later writers placed the event in the late 18th century, about 1775 to 1800. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Ulama (Devil Bird) Told story

Winged · Forests of Sri Lanka · first reported Traditional · also called Devil Bird

Few sounds in Sri Lankan folklore are as dreaded as the cry of the ulama, the 'devil bird'. People describe blood-curdling, human-sounding shrieks coming from the jungle at night. In folklore, hearing the cry is an omen of death. The bird itself is not usually seen, and its call has mostly been described in vague terms, which makes identifying it difficult. Naturalists have long tried to match the scream to a real bird. Candidates have included the crested honey buzzard, the brown wood owl, the Ceylon highland nightjar and various eagles. According to Wikipedia, a 2001 finding concluded that the spot-bellied eagle-owl matches the devil bird's profile to a large extent, and it is now the leading candidate.

• 2001On the record For generations the source of the devil bird's human-like night screams was argued over, with owls, eagles, a honey buzzard and a nightjar all proposed. In 2001 the spot-bellied eagle-owl was found to match the ulama's profile to a large degree, making it the leading candidate. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Pamir Snowman On the record

Ape-like · Pamir Mountains near the Afghan border (Gorno-Badakhshan) · first reported Soviet era; 1987 report · also called Gul-biavan, Pamir yeti

The high Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan, close to the Afghan border, have long been one of the places where Soviet researchers hunted for a 'snowman'. The best-known modern claim came from Igor Tatsl, a Soviet scientist who led a multi-year expedition to one site in the Pamirs. In January 1988 news agencies reported that Tatsl said he had seen the creature in December 1987 at dusk from about 90 feet away. He described it as shy but friendly and said the team had several night-time sightings, as if it were curious about their camp. Around this time the Christian Science Monitor noted an official society within the Soviet Ministry of Culture set up to find the snowman. Local names such as gul-biavan are sometimes used for the Pamir wild man. Skeptics note that no photograph or sample came from the trips.

• December 1987Investigated report Expedition leader Igor Tatsl reported seeing the creature at twilight from roughly 90 feet away and called it friendly but shy. He said the team logged several night sightings and that its repeated visits near the camp suggested curiosity about the researchers. Source: upi.com

Naga Fireballs of the Mekong On the record

Lights · Mekong River, Phon Phisai District, Nong Khai Province · first reported Traditional · also called Bang Fai Phaya Nak

Along a roughly 250 km stretch of the Mekong River between Thailand and Laos, people gather each year to watch glowing balls rise silently from the water. Local belief holds that the naga, the great serpent spirits of the river, send them up. The lights are most often reported around Wan Ok Phansa, at the end of Buddhist Lent in late October, and counts range from tens to thousands in a night, especially near Phon Phisai. The Phayanak festival has grown around them. Explanations are hotly argued. A 2002 Thai TV documentary showed Lao soldiers firing tracer rounds across the river, while a Thai biologist blamed flare guns. Skeptic Brian Dunning has called the popular phosphine gas idea implausible. Scientists at Chulalongkorn University have pointed to standing waves and compared naga belief to legends such as the Loch Ness Monster.

• 2002On the record A Thai iTV documentary showed Lao soldiers firing tracer rounds across the river during the festival, suggesting a human source. Skeptic Brian Dunning noted that across a half-mile river a gunshot would be heard about 2.5 seconds after the light. Biologist Jessada Denduangboripant concluded flare guns fired from the far bank were responsible. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 2021On the record Lao officials stated it was extremely unlikely that anyone could have fired weapons or flare ammunition from their bank without their knowledge on the night of the festival. They pointed to the heavy police presence along the river during the event. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: The Phayanak (Naga Fireball) Festival is held each October around Phon Phisai.

Lake Van Monster On the record

Water monster · Lake Van, Van Province, eastern Turkey · first reported 1889 · also called Van Gölü Canavarı

Lake Van is a huge, salty lake in eastern Turkey, and since the 1990s it has had its own monster. An Ottoman newspaper reported in 1889 that a creature dragged a man into the lake. An official survey team went to look and found nothing. Modern sightings began in the 1990s. In 1997 a local man, Ünal Kozak, released a video he said showed the creature. He later co-wrote a book on it with an academic. Critics pointed to odd camera work, stiff movement and a 'breath' that looked like an air hose. Some suspect a hoax to draw tourists. Scholars also note a link to old Armenian dragon lore. Van has since put up a statue of the monster.

• April 29, 1889On the record The Ottoman newspaper Saadet reported that a creature had dragged a man into Lake Van. An official survey team found nothing. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 1997On the record Ünal Kozak released video he said showed the creature. Analysts questioned its authenticity, and critics suspected a tourism hoax. Source: cnn.com

Visiting: The city of Van has a four-metre statue of the Lake Van Monster.

Şahmeran Told story

Other · Tarsus, Mersin Province (also Mardin) · first reported Medieval folklore · also called Shahmaran, Queen of Snakes

Şahmeran, whose Persian name means 'king of snakes', is a half-woman, half-serpent being from the folklore of Anatolia and Iran. In the usual tale a young man, usually called Jamasp, stumbles into her underground realm and falls in love with her. After he returns home and reveals where she lives, a sick king demands her flesh as a cure. Through her own instructions the hero gains her wisdom and healing power while the villain dies. The story is strongly tied to real places. In Tarsus a historic bathhouse, the Şahmeran Hamamı, is said to be where she was killed, and Mardin in the southeast is famous for Şahmeran art. Her image appears on embroidery, metalwork, glass and jewelry across Kurdish, Arab, Assyrian and Turkish communities.

• FolkloreTold story In the common version the young man Jamasp finds Şahmeran in her realm beneath the earth and falls in love with her. He later betrays her hiding place to a sick king. She tells him how her body should be used, so the hero gains wisdom and healing while the villain dies. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• Tarsus traditionTold story Local tradition in Tarsus points to the Şahmeran Hamamı, a historic Turkish bathhouse, as the place where Şahmeran was killed. The tale is also told as starting in Tarsus with the king's illness, firmly tying the legend to the city's streets and buildings. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: Şahmeran Hamamı in Tarsus; Şahmeran craft art is sold widely in Mardin.

Hoan Kiem Turtle On the record

Water monster · Hoan Kiem Lake, central Hanoi · first reported 15th century (legend) · also called Cu Rua, Golden Turtle God

Hoan Kiem Lake, the 'Lake of the Returned Sword', sits in the heart of Hanoi and carries one of Vietnam's best-loved legends. In the 15th century, the story goes, the Golden Turtle God gave Emperor Le Loi a magic sword to drive out invaders. After victory, while boating on the lake, Le Loi met the turtle again and returned the blade, and the creature sank out of sight with it. Remarkably, real giant softshell turtles did live in the lake. One that died in 1967 weighed about 200 kg and was 1.9 m long; it is preserved at the Temple of the Jade Mountain. The last known turtle, called Cu Rua ('great-grandfather turtle'), died on January 26, 2016. Scientists still debate whether it was a distinct species.

• 1967On the record A giant turtle found dead in the lake in 1967 measured about 1.9 m long and weighed around 200 kg. Its body was preserved and is displayed at the Temple of the Jade Mountain on Jade Island, linking the old legend to a real animal. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 2016On the record The last known Hoan Kiem turtle, nicknamed Cu Rua, was last seen alive on December 28, 2015, and found dead on January 26, 2016. Biologist Ha Dinh Duc had long argued it was its own species, Rafetus leloii, though most experts disagree. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: Temple of the Jade Mountain on Hoan Kiem Lake displays a preserved giant turtle.

Người Rừng Investigated report

Ape-like · Chư Mom Ray area, Kon Tum Province, Vietnam (also Laos and Borneo) · first reported 1947 · also called Batutut, Forest people, Ujit

Người Rừng, 'forest people', are hairy, upright beings reported in the highland forests of Vietnam, with similar tales from Laos and northern Borneo. A French colonist described a 'wild man' in 1947. In 1971 local people reportedly caught two of them in Đắk Lắk Province. In 1974 North Vietnamese General Hoàng Minh Thảo sent an expedition to find proof, without success. In 1982 Professor Trần Hồng Việt of Hanoi's Pedagogic University reported footprints 28 by 16 centimetres in the Chư Mom Ray area and made plaster casts. A TV team later had prints examined by anthropologist Jeff Meldrum. No body or clear photo has turned up.

• 1947On the record A French colonist recorded an encounter with what he called 'L'Homme Sauvage', the wild man. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 1971Told story Local tribesmen reportedly captured two of the creatures near Đắk Lắk Province. No follow-up evidence is known. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 1974Investigated report General Hoàng Minh Thảo organized a search for physical evidence. It found none. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 1982Investigated report Professor Trần Hồng Việt found footprints measuring 28 by 16 cm in the Chư Mom Ray area and cast them in plaster. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: Chư Mom Ray National Park in Kon Tum Province covers the area of the 1982 prints.