Dec 08, 2017

10 Mysterious Monsters of Africa

Africa has an extensive history of monster stories. There are the stories which would be told to children as they sat by the fireside, just before they retired to bed.

Children would get threatened that a particular monster would visit them at night if they failed to fulfill a specific obligation and they would comply with the requests. Such stories live on to this day.

Check out some of the monsters which gave children sleepless nights and helped shape them into responsible adults.

Grootslang

This name is Afrikaans for a big snake, and it refers to a cryptid which lives in a deep cave down in Richtersveld in South Africa. Also known as ‘The Great Snake of the Orange River,' this creature can also be found in swamps and freshwater sources.

According to the South African legend, this creature is as old as the world we live in, and its story starts at creation. It gets said that as the gods created the world, they created this creature. However, they made a mistake in making the Grootslang, and they gave it way too much intellect and strength.

Having realized their mistake, the gods began creating other creatures out of the Grootslang to minimize their strength. One of the Grootslangs escaped and gave rise to other animals of its kind. The Grootslang can lure elephants to its cave where it devours them.

This cave is said to connect to the sea and is full of gems. The Grootslang’s love for treasures is so high that locals believe that victims can buy their way out of getting eaten by offering it diamonds.

Adjule

Also known as the Bush Dog, this cryptid canine is believed to be a phantom with the ability to take the form of a dog or a wolf. It is said to stand at two and a half feet, and its coat is crimson with a blue tint.

It also has webbed feet. Locals claim that the creature uses pheromones to cause discord among its prey to make hunting easier. These animals get found in arid regions, and they hunt in packs.

Dingonek

This cryptid is believed to live in the Congolese jungles and can get found in rivers and lakes. It measures three to six meters in length and has a square head. The tail of the Dingonek is said to contain poison which it secretes to weaken its prey. This scaly creature is very territorial, and it will kill any animal that wanders into its habitat, including fishers.

Jba Fofi

Also known as the giant spider, this creature is believed to be a new kind of arachnids which inhabits the Congo forests. It has gotten sighted in other parts of the world as well.

The Baka, locals of the Congo, say that the creature can spin a web between two trees which it uses to capture animals such as birds and small game creatures. The creatures are said to be strong enough to overpower human beings. Other areas where it has gotten spotted include Vietnam, the United States, Zimbabwe, and Uganda.

Marozi

Unlike most cryptid creatures, the Marozi is biologically plausible. It has the appearance of a lion and has spots similar to those of a leopard. According to folklore, this creature inhabited the Aberdare Mountains until about three decades ago when they got killed.

There is proof of their existence in the form of skulls and skins. Some people claim that the Marozi is a cross-breed of a lion and a hyena, but this argument is disputed based on the natural rivalry between the two species.

Agogwe

This creature is said to be human-like, and it dwells in East African forests. With a height of up to one point seven meters, five-inch feet and long arms, it resembles a human being.

It differs from human beings in that it has yellowish skin beneath its woolly hair. It got first sighted at the beginning of the twentieth century by Captain William Hichens.

Inkanyamba

This legendary serpent dwells at the base of the Howick Falls in South Africa and is believed to have a horse head. It is mainly active during the warm seasons, and locals claim that when angered, the creature can stir up a storm. This lake monster is believed to be some form of eel.

Mamlambo

Also referred to as the ‘Goddess of Rivers,' the Mamlambo is a sizeable snake-like creature. Locals state that it measures twenty meters in length and has a lower body of a fish, the head of a horse and the neck of a snake. Locals believe that the creature emits a green light at night. Owing to the discovery of mutilated bodies near the snake’s habitat, it got dubbed ‘The Brain Sucker.'

Trunko

This ‘Fish like a Polar Bear’ creature got spotted in the year 1994 by locals as it was battling two killer whales using its tail. After the fight, the beast got exhausted, and it washed up on the beach unconscious where locals were able to get a glimpse of its features.

It is described to have white fur on its body, a large trunk, a tail similar to that of a crab and a body devoid of blood. Its measurements are fourteen meters in length, three meters in width and one and a half meters in height.

The trunk is attached directly to its torso, thus the name ‘Trunko.' Locals say that the creature later swam away ten days after the incident, never to be seen again.

Nandi Bear

Also known as the Duba, this bear has a muscular build with bulging shoulders. It stands at over four feet in height and has a sloping back like that of a hyena. It feeds on animals and is believed to be an Ice Age survivor.

Parting Words

Africa, the "Dark Continent" as it was known for years, is filled with mysterious creatures on which cryptologists are dying to get their hands. These stories make for great tales to tell around the bonfire.

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