Mythical Creature – Mokele-Mbembe
The legends surrounding the Mokele-mbembe (AKA the “Long-necked Terror”) are as long as they are fascinating. This mythical creature has been thought to be a very long-necked, very long-tailed sauropod dinosaur that lived during the Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction. Although it is no longer alive, the remains of its long neck and tail are believed to be in the Congo River basin.
Legends
Mokele-mbembe is a legend of the Congo River Basin. This legendary creature, whose name means “one who stops the flow of rivers,” is said to be an elephant-like water beast. It is often described as a large herbivore with a long neck and a fat belly.
Some people believe that the animal is a relic of the dinosaur era. However, the earliest known sauropods, which were large, four-legged creatures, went extinct 65 million years ago. In addition, they would have been lousy swimmers, since they were trapped in air-filled spaces.
The animal has been seen in various parts of the Congo River basin. Some reports suggest that it lives in deep channels of river banks. Others claim that it resides in forests or caves. Sometimes, it kills crocodiles and other large aquatic animals.
Extant sauropod dinosaur
In the early 1900s, there was a fad for dino-mania. This fad had an interesting side effect: it led to the theory that there were sauropods in Africa.
The concept of African sauropods originated in the colonial period, when European attitudes toward Africa as the “Dark Continent” and African people as prehistoric gave rise to a number of cryptid sightings. It was also believed that there were crocodilians in the jungle.
One of these cryptids was the Mokele-mbembe. This large, four-legged, sauropod-like creature was said to be between an elephant and a hippopotamus. However, its body was said to be short and its neck long.
It is possible that the mokele-mbembe was an actual sauropod, but the prevailing scientific hypothesis is that the mokele-mbembe arose from an asteroid impact that wiped out most of the dinosaurs on Earth.
Long neck and tail
The Mokele-mbembe is a mythical, aquatic, herbivorous creature with a long neck and tail. It is also known as the “rainbow” in some local languages.
There are a number of reports of sightings of the Mokele-mbembe in Africa. These reports have been made by locals and fishermen. However, expeditions have been unsuccessful in locating the creature.
One of the first descriptions of the creature was in the book Beasts and Men by Carl Hagenbeck. He described the creature as a large quadrupedal herbivore with a long neck and tail.
A number of cryptozoologists have also come forward to identify the animal. One of these is James Powell. In the early 1980s, he led two expeditions to the Likouala swamp in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Survivor of the Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction
Mokele-mbembe is a mythical creature that has been alleged to live in the Congo. It is a large water monster with a long, muscular tail and spikes on its back.
It is believed to have resembled the sauropod Apatosaurus, a dinosaur that went extinct 65 million years ago. Some have also argued that the flesh of mokele-mbembe is poisonous, but this is disputed by cryptozoologists.
The first Western report of mokele-mbembe was in 1776. Since then, scientists have tried to find this mysterious animal. Over 50 expeditions have been conducted for the purpose.
In 1909, a man named Carl Hagenbeck published an article promoting the idea of a relic dinosaur in Africa. But this report was later criticized by Karl Shuker.
The first reported sighting of mokele-mbembe came from a French missionary named Lievin-Bonaventure Proyart. He reportedly saw large footprints in the Congo River basin.
Remains in the Congo River basin
The mokele-mbembe is a large, aquatic, herbivorous animal that is said to live in the Congo River basin in Central Africa. Its name is derived from the Lingala language, which means “the one who stops the flow of rivers.” Mokele-mbembe has been referred to as the “African Loch Ness Monster”.
According to cryptozoologists, the mokele-mbembe may be a dinosaur. Some say that it is an alligator-like creature, while others claim it is a sauropod. There have been several reports of the animal in the Congo, but no physical evidence has been found.
Mokele-mbembe is said to have a long neck and a tail that resembles an alligator’s. It is a ferocious, foul-tempered animal that is known to kill crocodiles and elephants. It is also reported to live in forests and caves.