Wednesday, January 27, 2010

10 mysterious cryptids of Asia (Part 2)

by Joan Seth

Here's the second part of the article.

1) Almas



The Almas is a hominid cryptid said to inhabit the Caucasus and Pamir Mountains of central Asia, and the Altai Mountains of southern Mongolia.

Through alleged eyewitness accounts, alleged footprint discoveries and interpretations of long-standing native traditions that have been anthropologically collected.

Experts have declared that they are either just mythological creatures or a relict population of Neanderthals. Others have claimed that they are humans, but with mental disorders and thus discarded from society.

2) Buru



Said to have lived in a certain province of India in the past, the Buru was an aquatic reptile-like cryptid. This reptile was reportedly hunted to extinction by the locals.

Traditional speculation was that the Buru was actually a crocodile. However, the locals describe the Buru as having characteristics such as an elongated neck and a forked tongue. This would place it looking similar to a monitor lizard.

Some experts claim it to be a large species of lungfish instead.

3) The Devil Bird



The Devil Bird or commonly known as the Ulama, is a cryptid that dwells in the Sri Lankan jungles. It is said to emit a blood thirsty scream at night while flying. It is said that its scream is a portent of death.

From local witnesses descriptions, it would closely resemble an owl actually. In 2001, a Spot-Bellied Eagle Owl was captured and was believed to be the mythical Devil Bird in question.

4) Kting Voar



Also known as the Snake Eating Cow, the Kting Voar is a cryptid from Cambodia and Vietnam.

The creature is normally described as a cow-like animal with peculiar twisting horns about 45 centimetres long. The local myths attribute a number of feats to this animal; most particularly, snakes are part of its diet.

Specimens collected and tested were either fake or found out to belong to a normal cow. Many experts do believe in the existence of this animal, and it is actually listed as Endangered in the IUCN list.

5) Ropen



The Ropen is a flying cryptid from the jungles of Papua New Guinea. It is described as featherless and having a tail length of 25% of its wingspan.

Various accounts either describe it as a demonic spirit, a bat-like animal or a Pterosaur. It is believed to be nocturnal and exhibits bioluminescence and thrives on a diet of fish and sometimes human flesh.

Many expeditions to the Papua New Guinea to observe the creature have reported seeing weird flying lights in the jungle at night. Till date, no explanation can be given for such phenomena.

6) Akkorokamui



Akkorokamui is a water cryptid from Japan. It is said to resemble either a giant octopus or a giant squid. Its most striking feature is its red coloured skin.

Although it is said to grow to an enormous size and despite is striking skin colouration, so far, it has only been spotted from far distances.

The locals are understandably afraid of it, as it has been known to capsize boats. They would bring along sickles in their boats to protect themselves from this creature.

7) Veo



The Veo is a cryptid said to dwell on the island of Rinca, Indonesia. It is describe to resemble a scaly ant-eater or pangolin, and has the size of a horse.

No modern pangolins grow to that size, but there was evidence that a large pangolin that grew up to 8 feet lived on the nearby islands of Java and Borneo.

The Veo is described as being a nocturnal, mountain-dwelling creature, subsisting on a diet of ants and termites. Cryptozoologists have suggested that the Veo may represent a relict population of the extinct Manis paleojavanicus.

8) Lake Van Monster



Living in Lake Van in Eastern Turkey, comes the appropriately named Lake Van Monster. Similar to other lake monsters in other parts of the world, it has been described to be either a Plesiosaur or Ichthyosaurus.

In 1997, a man reportedly shot a video of the monster swimming in the lake. After careful examination by experts, many have questioned its authenticity. It is likely to be a hoax.

Skecptics also point out that such a hoax would bring tourist revenue to this region of Turkey.

9) Mande Barung



The Mande Barung is said to inhibit within the remote forests of North East India and Bangladesh.

It is generally described as a large, hairy bipedal hominoid, similar to its cousins the Bigfoot, Yeti, Orang Pendek, etc.

Most scientific experts consider the Mande Barung to be a combination of folklore and hoaxes.

10) Simurgh



The Simurgh is a mythical flying creature similar to a griffin or phoenix. It is commonly found in Persian myths and legends.

The Simurgh has been described as having the foreparts of a dog, the wings and tail of a peacock and the claws of a lion, gigantic enough to carry off an elephant or a whale.

Ultimately, experts believe it to be just a mythological and legendary creature, rather than an actual animal.

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