Many animal species have been considered extinct or their existence uncertain, yet they persist in various cultures around the world.
Below is a list of 12 legendary animals that many believe to still exist:
12. The Kraken
The Kraken is a legendary sea monster, immensely famous in the cultures of many countries around the world. With a body length (including its tentacles) of up to 13-15 meters, this creature could easily sink a large ship and capture crews to feast upon. One of the earliest records of this creature comes from the book “Orvar-Oddr,” written around the late 13th century, which tells of two sea monsters, Hafgufa and Lyngbakr. Many believe that these two gigantic sea monsters, which caused countless terrifying nightmares for sailors, are the embodiment of the Kraken.
According to scientists, it is likely that the Kraken legend was based on the existence of giant squids. However, researchers do not deny that the vast ocean harbors many marine species that remain unknown, including the Kraken.
11. The Chupacabra
The Chupacabra, also known as “the goat-sucker” (in Spanish), is a bizarre creature described as resembling a kangaroo, with sharp fangs and blood-red eyes. The first report of this creature originated from Puerto Rico in the 1990s and spread to the Americas and around the world.
In 1995, the bodies of eight goats were discovered in Puerto Rico, found curled up and pale. Notably, they bore deep wounds on their bodies, especially on their chests, and were drained of blood. Initially, cults were suspected of being behind the brutal attacks on livestock, but as more pets were killed in a similar fashion, concerns arose about a mysterious beast previously unknown. Many farmers even requested local priests to hold blessing ceremonies to protect their livestock. Thus began the legend of the blood-sucking Chupacabra.
Witnesses describe the Chupacabra as reptilian, with scaly skin, red eyes, and a row of sharp spines running down its back. Most people who have seen this creature agree that it stands between 1.2 to 1.5 meters tall when moving on all fours.
10. The Ilkai
Ilkai is a term used by tribes in Papua New Guinea to refer to a humanoid sea creature.
Ilkai is the term used by tribes in Papua New Guinea to describe a humanoid sea creature similar to the mermaids often mentioned in the West. Although the existence of such beings may seem implausible from an evolutionary perspective, many writings and rumors persist from locals.
In 1983, zoologist Richard Greenwell and anthropologist Roy Wagner from the U.S. organized an expedition to an area known for sightings of Ilkai, hoping to uncover the mysteries of these sea beings described in local legends. Initially, they believed these creatures to be dugongs, seals, or dolphins that the locals mistook.
However, after witnessing these mysterious creatures chase small fish in a bay, Greenwell and Wagner concluded that Ilkai is indeed an unknown species, and the indigenous people could clearly distinguish between this sea creature and other marine mammals. Unfortunately, due to the remoteness of the area and lack of funding, the expedition had to be abruptly ended, leaving the sea people of Papua New Guinea a mystery to this day.
9. The Almas
The Almas are small, muscular, hairy beings without language.
The Almas are a “wild man-beast” living in the mountain ranges of Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Described somewhat like prehistoric humans, they are small, muscular, hairy, and without language. Tales of the Almas have circulated for centuries, and locals regard them as a tribe inhabiting the region.
In 1925, a cavalry unit of the Red Army, led by General Mikhail Stephanovitch Topilski, passed by a cave in the area. After the military fired several rounds into the cave, suspecting enemies were hiding there, a creature resembling a naked human emerged, screaming, and soon died from gunshot wounds. Topilski documented the encounter, describing the hairy, muscular body and monkey-like face of the creature.
A credible case involves Zana, a female Almas captured by a hunter in a remote village in the Zadan mountains of Georgia. Zana was tamed, lived with the hunter, and bore three sons, all of whom exhibited extraordinary strength. Zana died in 1880, and her children also died long ago without leaving descendants. The grave of the youngest son was excavated, and Soviet scientists analyzed his DNA, finding significant differences from human genes.
8. The Agogve
Many believe that the Agogve are remnants of the Australopithecus species.
The Agogve in Kenya and Uganda share some similarities with the Almas but are smaller in stature and are often described as upright bonobos with some human-like features such as long arms and slender bodies. British explorer and hunter J. Cottnay attempted to hunt the Agogve, but local residents firmly refused to assist him, providing neither locations nor any information they possessed.
A similar situation occurred in 1983 when a group of British zoologists was prevented by locals from capturing a villager who had a bizarre appearance referred to as the “ancestor of men.” Many believe that the Agogve are remnants of the Australopithecus species that lived in Africa around 4 million years ago.
7. The Yeren (Wild Man)
The Yeren has dark orange fur.
You need not imagine what a Yeti (Bigfoot) is like. China also has its own version of an elusive creature, resembling a giant ape, that hides in deep forests and mountains, known as the Yeren (wild man).
Unlike the Bigfoot in North America, the Yeren has dark orange fur. According to locals, the Yeren is not as shy as its North American counterpart. In a report from 1942, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, Liu Jikuan, then a child, witnessed a military regiment passing through his village that captured two Yeren, chaining and dragging them away. Even today, there are occasional reports of Yeren sightings in remote areas of China.
6. The Megalania Prisca
Although extinct for a long time, there are frequent reports of sightings of this giant lizard.
The giant lizard Megalania Prisca, formerly known as Varanus Priscus, is a prehistoric lizard much larger than Indonesia’s Komodo dragon, often roaming the remote areas of Australia, terrorizing local wildlife. Although it is known that Megalania has been extinct for a long time, there are still frequent reports to authorities of sightings of this giant lizard (known as goanna in Australia) that is about the size of a saltwater crocodile.
For example, in 1939, a train passing through New South Wales had to stop because it encountered a large crowd gathered on the tracks. It was reported that the crowd was searching for a giant lizard estimated to be about 8 meters long.
Recently, in 1979, an Australian doctor named Frank Gordon encountered a giant lizard running in front of his jeep at a tremendous speed while he was traveling alone in the mountains of northern New South Wales.
5. The Kongamato
The Kongamato is an enigmatic creature that inhabits the deep swamps and tropical rainforests of equatorial Africa.
The Kongamato is an enigmatic creature residing in the deep swamps and tropical rainforests of equatorial Africa, a region particularly of interest to cryptozoologists due to frequent reports of strange animal sightings. The Kongamato resembles a prehistoric bird (pterodactyl) with a wingspan of about 2 meters and is regarded as an endemic species of this area. It is incredibly strong, with sharp teeth, and cannot be mistaken for a known bird species; rather, it is an undiscovered avian creature.
In 1932, renowned explorer Ivan Sanderson led an expedition into the remote regions of Cameroon. One day, he and his team shot down an unusual creature that flew over them. According to descriptions, it resembled a mix of a bat, a bird, and a reptile. Shortly after, the strange animal attacked the explorers, forcing them to flee in panic.
Local tribes reported living in fear of the Kongamato, which they viewed as a harbinger of death, far more dangerous than lions, leopards, or the highly venomous black mamba. Field surveys have proven to be extremely challenging, and the data collected about this dinosaur-like creature have been published in the journal of equatorial African science.
4. The Pendek
This creature resembles both a monkey and a human (small stature, extraordinary strength), and it is shy, avoiding contact with people.
The creature living in Sumatra, referred to as Orang Pendek, somewhat resembles a Sasquatch, though it is not very large. It dwells deep within the pristine forests of Sumatra and has characteristics of both monkeys and humans (small stature, extraordinary strength), and it is shy, avoiding contact with humans. Dutch colonizers in the area during the early 20th century described it as a short-haired creature, unlike orangutans or gibbons but quite similar to humans and capable of walking upright.
3. The Yowie
The Yowie is often considered the Australian version of Bigfoot.
The Yowie is frequently regarded as the Australian version of Bigfoot, meaning it is a “cousin” to the legendary creature known worldwide but residing on a different continent. This is due to the environment in Australia seemingly being unsuitable for such large omnivorous primates to exist.
However, rumors of the creature’s sightings occasionally resurface. One of the most sensational reports was made by Senator Bill O’Chee of the National Party of Queensland, Australia.
In 1977, while O’Chee was still in school, during a two-day tour near Springbrook, he and his friends encountered a creature approximately 3 meters tall, with a face resembling that of a gorilla, effortlessly uprooting trees from the ground. His group spotted the creature multiple times over the two days, and O’Chee vividly remembers what he witnessed.
For him and many other Australians who have seen this creature, the mythical Yowie is real and continues to inhabit the remote areas of Australia’s Gold Coast.
2. The Nunda
The Nunda is believed to be a giant cat lurking in the forests of Tanzania.
The Nunda is believed to be a giant cat, hiding in the forests of Tanzania, larger and stronger than any lion. Notably, fur samples collected from the area confirm that it is indeed a previously unknown carnivorous species.
In 1922, William Hichens, a native from Lindi, first brought attention to this creature in European news agencies based on accounts from acquaintances who claimed to have been attacked by it. In 1920, a Scottish hunter, Patrick Bowen, attempted to track down the Nunda but did not succeed. However, he recognized its footprints and fur samples, belonging to a species unknown to science. Despite numerous reported attacks by the Nunda in the region, many hunting parties have ventured out in search, but none have succeeded.
1. The Acurinis Tribe
This mysterious tribe is completely different from the tall, blond Europeans in the dense rainforest of the tropical rainforest.
The existence of mysterious tribes entirely different from the tall, blond Europeans in the dense tropical rainforest, where no civilized person has ever set foot, has earned the Acurinis a place on the list of “mysterious peoples.” It wasn’t until 1977 that the first contacts were made with this unvisited tribe near the springs of the Araguaya River, where an Anglo-Brazilian expedition found themselves surrounded by tall, blond, naked natives speaking a dialect unlike any Native American tribe. In 1979, another brief encounter with the Acurinis occurred, and members of the second expedition were also shocked by the stature and skin color of the tribe members.
One may ask: Why is there so little data about these tribes? One possible answer is that the Brazilian government is attempting to conceal their existence to continue reclaiming land from the indigenous people without drawing the world’s attention.
