Orang Pendek
A small, bipedal hominid-type cryptid about 1 m tall said to live in the forests of Sumatra, Indonesia. The name means "short person." It drew renewed attention when fossils of a small early human were found in 2003.
Mystery Timeline｜1946–1988
Mysteries of the Postwar Showa
The UFO boom, the tsuchinoko and lake monster crazes, the Slit-Mouthed Woman, and other mysteries that captivated Japan from the postwar years to the end of the Showa era.
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20th century onward
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20th century onward
Grassman
A hominid-type cryptid said to live in the forests and grasslands of Ohio. Considered a relative of Bigfoot, it is said to leave nest-like structures made of grass.
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20th century onward
Skunk Ape
A hominid-type cryptid said to live in the swamps of Florida. It is named for the powerful skunk-like stench it gives off. An unidentified photo sent in 2000 caused a stir.
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20th century (introduced as local folklore)
Mahamba
A giant crocodile cryptid up to 15 m long, said to live in the swamps and rivers of the Congo in central Africa. Told of among local people, it is said to swallow people boat and all. One theory holds that it is a surviving prehistoric giant crocodile.
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20th century
Mokele-mbembe
A dinosaur-like cryptid said to live in the lakes and rivers of the jungles of the Republic of the Congo. Rumored to be a surviving sauropod, it was investigated on site in 1988 by a team from Waseda University in Japan.
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20th century onward
Ropen
A flying cryptid that looks like a pterosaur, sighted on the islands of Papua New Guinea. It has a long tail and is said to glow at night. It drew attention as a possible surviving pterosaur.
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20th century onward
Ndendeki
A giant turtle cryptid with a shell several meters across, said to live in the lakes and swamps of the Congo in central Africa. It is told of in the same region as Mokele-mbembe.
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1955 and 1972
Loveland Frogman
A bipedal creature with a frog-like face sighted in Loveland, Ohio. It became famous in 1972 when police officers reported seeing it on a road.
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1958 (name popularized)
Bigfoot
A hairy, ape-like cryptid two to three meters tall said to live in the forests of North America. The name spread with news of giant footprints in 1958, and it became world-famous with film footage in 1967.
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1960s onward
Alien Big Cats
Large cats like leopards or pumas sighted in regions where they should not live. Especially common in Britain, with the "Beast of Bodmin Moor" in Cornwall the most famous.
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Widely known in the Showa era
Takitaro
A giant-fish cryptid said to live in Lake Otori in Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture. There are sightings of fish over 2 meters long, and surveys have been carried out many times. The leading theory is that it is an unusually large char or similar fish.
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Showa era
Namitaro
A giant-fish cryptid said to live in Takanami Pond in Itoigawa, Niigata Prefecture. It is said to be 2 to 4 meters long and is seen as a carp-like fish. One theory is that it is a carp that has lived long and grown huge.
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1966–1967
Mothman
A humanoid cryptid with glowing red eyes and large wings, sighted in West Virginia in 1966. It is said by some to have foretold a bridge collapse the following year. One explanation is a large bird.
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1970s onward (investigations)
Yeren
A hominid-type cryptid with reddish-brown hair said to live in mountainous areas such as Shennongjia in Hubei Province, China. The name means "wild man" in Chinese. In the 1970s, Chinese research institutions carried out large-scale investigations.
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1970s
Kussie
A lake cryptid said to live in Lake Kussharo, Hokkaido. Sightings followed one after another in the 1970s, and it was named after Nessie. Theories say it is driftwood, swimming deer or waterfowl mistaken for a creature.
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Recorded in Edo-period texts; boom in the 1970s
Tsuchinoko
A Japanese cryptid described as a snake with a short, fat body that moves by jumping. It goes by many local names and became the subject of a nationwide boom in the 1970s.
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1970
Hibagon
An ape-like cryptid repeatedly sighted around the Hiba mountains of Hiroshima Prefecture in 1970. The uproar was so great that the local town office set up a desk to deal with it.
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1970s–1990s
Migo
A plesiosaur-like cryptid said to live in Lake Dakataua on New Britain island, Papua New Guinea. A Japanese TV program filmed footage in 1994, but analysis suggests it showed saltwater crocodiles.
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1972
Missouri Monster (Momo)
A hominid-type cryptid sighted repeatedly around the town of Louisiana, Missouri, in 1972, nicknamed "Momo." It was described as a hairy creature with a large head that gave off a powerful stench.
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1976
Owlman
An owl-like monster as big as a human, sighted near the church in the village of Mawnan in Cornwall, England, in 1976. It was said to have glowing red eyes and sharp claws.
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1977
Dover Demon
A small humanoid creature with a large head and glowing eyes seen by young people in Dover, Massachusetts, in 1977. It was sighted for only two days, and its identity remains a mystery.
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1977
New Nessie (Zuiyo-maru Carcass)
The carcass of a huge long-necked creature hauled up by a Japanese fishing boat off New Zealand in 1977. It caused a sensation as a possible surviving plesiosaur, but the leading theory is that it was the rotting carcass of a basking shark.
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1978
Issie
A giant aquatic cryptid said to live in Lake Ikeda, Kagoshima Prefecture. It became famous after a group sighting in 1978. The leading theory is that it is a giant mottled eel. We explain the sightings and the theories about its identity.
