What is the ndendeki?
The ndendeki is a giant turtle, an unidentified creature said to live in the lakes and swamps of the Republic of the Congo and neighboring areas in central Africa. Its shell is said to be 3–4 m across, far larger than any turtle known today.
A cryptid of the Congo rainforest
Stories of the ndendeki come from explorers who traveled into the remote Congo to investigate the long-necked monster Mokele-mbembe and heard them from local people. It has been thought that unknown giant creatures may live in the vast wetlands, such as those around Lake Tele, where people rarely go.
What is the ndendeki really?
The ndendeki is thought to be an exaggerated account of real large turtles, such as the softshell turtles of Africa. On the other hand, it is known that giant turtles with shells more than 2 m long once lived on Earth, and some imagine it could be a survivor of them.
