Mokele-Mbembe (cryptozoology)

The Mokele-mbembe is an alleged large aquatic creature said to live in the largely unexplored Congo River basin area. It is sometimes claimed to appear as a spirit and sometimes as a living creature of varying description; the most common interpretation is that it is a type of sauropod dinosaur that survived extinction. It has been compared to the Loch Ness Monster, and, like that more famous monster, is not accepted as real by mainstream science.

Like other legendary and rumored animals, or cryptids, the Mokele-mbembe is studied in cryptozoology, a field generally considered to be pseudoscience, though some have argued for its validity. While native folklore in the Congo Basin has longstanding traditions regarding a massive aquatic beast, the connection to sauropod dinosaurs seems to have only appeared beginning in the early twentieth century, and skeptics claim that myth and legend have simply been entwined with pseudoscience and tourism promotion. The idea of humans encountering living dinosaurs has proven highly popular virtually since the modern conception of dinosaurs emerged. There have been a number of expeditions to find the Mokele-mbembe since the early twentieth century, and all of these have failed to produce any credible specimens, photographs or footage, or other evidence. Despite this, the legend of the Mokele-mbembe endures, and many people still believe in its existence.

Background

Many of the early accounts of the legend of the Mokele-mbembe came from French missionaries in the Congo during the late eighteenth century. One report described tracks of a colossal unknown creature and assumed that these tracks belonged to an unknown species substantially larger than an elephant. In the early 1900s European expeditions into the Congo River region became more frequent, and with them came further reports of huge beasts. Several explorers began to connect these stories and legends with dinosaurs, particularly the massive, long-necked sauropods. Public fascination with both dinosaurs and the exoticism of Africa soon led to newspaper reports of living prehistoric creatures deep in the jungle, sometimes framed as fact rather than theory.

Widespread media coverage inspired heavy interest in the existence of the Mokele-mbembe. Most famously, the Smithsonian Institution sent an expedition to Africa between the years of 1919 and 1920. The expedition was meant primarily to secure samples and specimens of undiscovered plants and animals for display at some of the Smithsonian museums, but also took an interest in reports of unknown large animals. It was later reported that the team and their guides came across large, unidentifiable tracks and even heard roars that could not be connected to any known species. The expedition also discovered an entire village who claimed to have seen the Mokele-mbembe.

Herpetologist James H. Powell, Jr. and biologist Roy P. Mackal, both noted cryptozoology enthusiasts, each went on multiple expeditions to the Congo in the 1970s and 1980s, where they collected many eyewitness accounts of the Mokele-mbembe and did much to publicize the legend. Powell claimed to have spoken to an eyewitness who called the creature the "n’yamala". Other reports they collected, including a story of a Mokele-mbembe that was killed near Lake Tele in 1959, insinuated that there were multiple creatures of the same type in the region. Mackal later wrote about his experiences in a book called A Living Dinosaur? In Search of Mokele-Mbembe. A 1992 expedition by a Japanese film crew filmed something swimming that was alleged to be the creature, but the quality was too poor to prove useful.

Mokele-mbembe Today

Despite the many expeditions in the Congo Basin, including several specifically intended to document cryptids, no hard evidence of a Mokele-mbembe has emerged. Further complicating the issue, many reports have been conflicting as to the specific features of the alleged animal. Some claim it is a spirit rather than a physical creature; some say it has a horn, while others do not. Still, most descriptions agree that it is aquatic, had a long neck and tail, often attacked other large animals despite being herbivorous, and would quickly attack humans if approached. Yet skeptics note that these features stem from historic discoveries of dinosaur fossils, which they claim have been conflated with nearly universal myths regarding dangerous creatures in uninhabited areas. Some scientists suggest that the creatures variously reported as Mokele-mbembe may be misinterpretations of real animals, including possible folk memories of rhinoceroses (which are not native to the Congo) mixed with images of elephants and hippopotamuses.

Cryptozoological interest in the Mokele-mbembe continues to persist. National Geographic has sent several crews to the Congo to find evidence of the Mokele-mbembe for shows such as Dangerous Encounters and Beast Man. An expedition to the Congo region by amateur cryptozoologists, funded through an online campaign in April 2012, also gained media coverage—and scientific scorn—before ultimately failing. Logistical and financial difficulties continue to prevent many would-be monster hunters from mounting similar expeditions, and few reputable organizations are willing to fund such undertakings. Yet the very remoteness that makes it so difficult to explore the Congo Basin inspires hope that the region could harbor the Mokele-mbembe, hidden from even the most advanced satellite imagery and other means of detection.

The Mokele-mbembe has also proven popular with a particular subset of the cryptozoological community: Young Earth creationists, who believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible and the formation of the earth only a few thousand years ago. Adherents of creationism oppose the theory of evolution and believe that at one time dinosaurs and humans coexisted. The possibility of a remnant population of dinosaurs, as the Mokele-mbembe is claimed to be, is therefore held as proof of their theory. The mainstream scientific community dismisses creationism as even more farfetched than cryptozoology. However, a lack of concrete evidence does not deter believers, who believe that eyewitness and historical accounts are sufficient evidence to promote the Mokele-mbembe’s existence.

Bibliography

Emmer, Rick. Mokele-Mbembe: Fact or Fiction? New York: Chelsea House, 2010. Print.

Hebblethwaite, Cordelia. "The Hunt for Mokele-Mbembe: Congo’s Loch Ness Monster." BBC News. BBC, 28 Dec. 2011. Web. 1 Aug. 2016.

Jacobs, Louis L. Quest for the African Dinosaurs: Ancient Roots of the Modern World. New York: Villard, 1993. Print.

Loxton, Daniel, and Donald Prothero. Abominable Science! Origins of the Yeti, Nessie, and Other Famous Cryptids. New York: Columbia UP, 2015. Print.

Mackal, Roy P. A Living Dinosaur? In Search of Mokele-Mbembe. New York: Brill, 1987. Print.

Nugent, Rory. Drums along the Congo: On the Trail of the Mokele-Mbembe, the Last Living Dinosaur. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1993. Print.

Radford, Benjamin. "Mokele-Mbembe: The Search for a Living Dinosaur." LiveScience. Purch, 13 Aug. 2013. Web. 1 Aug. 2016.

Switek, Brian. "A Dinosaur Expedition Doomed from the Start." Smithsonian.com. Smithsonian Institution, 23 May 2012. Web. 1 Aug. 2016.