What is the burrunjor?
The burrunjor is an unidentified creature said to live in Arnhem Land and elsewhere in northern Australia. It is described as a giant reptile walking upright on its hind legs and is said to be a surviving carnivorous dinosaur.
Aboriginal folklore and sightings
The burrunjor is based on a monster in the folklore of Australia’s Aboriginal peoples. Even in the 20th century, stories were told of cattle on ranches being attacked and giant footprints being found. Its appearance is also said to closely resemble the megaraptorans, a group of carnivorous dinosaurs whose fossils have been found in Australia.
What is the burrunjor really?
No evidence has been found that dinosaurs survive to this day. The burrunjor is thought to be large lizards or crocodiles mistaken for something else, or Indigenous folklore that became linked with the image of dinosaurs among settlers. Along with Africa’s Mokele-mbembe, it is one of the dinosaur-type cryptids.
