8 Crazy Cryptids That Could Exist

This story stems from the people of the Congo River Basin. Very similar to tales of the Loch Ness Monster, Mokele-mbembe (mo-keel-m-bem-bay) is said to be a water dwelling dinosaur-like creature. The name Mokele-mbembe means “one who stops the flow of rivers”. Therefore, it is likely that this creature was once attributed to times of great strife when rivers in the area would dry up.

The first reports surrounding this animal came in the early 1900s, when a big game hunter had been told of an elephant-dragon by two different, unconnected native people in Rhodesia (modern Zimbabwe). Further reports soon came out of other similar creatures around the Congo River Basin. As the descriptions were similar to that of dinosaurs, which were the craze at the time, these reports caused a sensation across the media the world over. This was further enhanced by stories of an unidentified animal that was killing hippos, elephants, and crocodiles alike.

Further information by many top governmental officials soon led many to believe in its existence. Many large hunts for the creature have since been launched till today, with even the BBC series “Congo” taking part in the expedition.

However, due to many socio-political problems in the countries where sightings are commonly reported, it is almost impossible to survey and search the entire area. Many believe that if it does exist, Mokele-mbembe stays in areas not explored by modern humans.