Though there are reports of millions of monsters sprinkled throughout African history, these are just some of the more popular monsters known to most in Africa and around the world.
1. Grootslang
Grootslang is an
Afrikaans word meaning "great snake." The monster of that name lives
in a cave called the Wonder Hole in the Richtersveld area of South Africa. The
story is that the original Grootslang was found to be too powerful, so the gods
subdivided the animal into two species: the elephant and the snake. However, a
Grootslang or two escaped this fate and reproduced. The monster can grow up to
60 feet long. Supposedly, its cave is full of diamonds, but no one knows for
sure because the Grootslang guards it well.
2. Inkanyamba
The Inkanyamba is a huge
carnivorous eel-like animal in the legends of the Zulu and Xhosa people of
South Africa. The ancient legends say Inkanyambas can control the weather. They
are said to have fins and/or flippers and grow to tremendous size. There are
actually freshwater eels abundant in South Africa that grow to around six feet
long, but that pales in comparison to the stories of the Inkanyamba.
3. Kongamato
A flying monster called
Kongamato in Zambia, Angola, and Congo is described as a flying reptile we may
recognize as a pterosaur. It was first described in English by explorer Frank
Welland in 1932, although local legend goes back much further. This cryptid
lives in rivers and swamps and has a huge wingspan, but no feathers. A similar
creature goes by other names in other parts of Africa. Theories on Kongomato
sightings range from bad lighting to the possibility that an unknown species
may exist in inaccessible places.
4. Impundulu
The Impundulu or
Lightning Bird is a supernatural bird from Pondo, Zulu, and Xhosa folklore. The
South African bird is as big as a human and can summon lightning and storms,
hence the name. The bird is sometimes a shapeshifter that can appear as a
human and sometimes said to be a supernatural familiar that guards a witch or
witch doctor. It will attack people and drink their blood. However, parts of
the Impundulu or its eggs have medicinal powers.
5. Adze
The Adze is a vampire in
the legends of the Ewe people of Ghana and Togo. It takes the form of a
firefly, but if you capture one, it will revert to human appearance. This can
be dangerous in itself, because in its human form the adze may attack and eat
your organs, but it can be defeated. However, in the insect form, the adze will
suck your blood while you sleep and spread disease, which is a possible
explanation for malarial outbreaks. Its preferred victims are young children.
The victim of an adze becomes a witch who is possessed by the adze’s spirit.
6. Bili Ape
There are plenty of
legends of mysterious unknown ape species in Africa. Many of these cryptids are
described as something between a chimpanzee and a gorilla. A ghost ape fitting
this description is called Ufiti in Malawi. In other areas it became known as
the Bondo Mystery Ape, leading to speculation that there was an unknown species
waiting to be discovered. Reports led researchers to believe it was a large
chimpanzee species that behaved more like gorillas. Various expeditions tried
to find this species in Central Africa since skulls were found near the village
of Bili in 1908. In the 21st century, evidence of a large subspecies of
chimpanzees was found and the apes were later observed in the Bili forest of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo. Now called the Bili Ape, they are classified
as a subspecies of chimp.
7. Gbahali
The Gbahali is a
reptilian creature of Liberia, resembling a crocodile. It grows to 30 feet
long, has a snout shorter than a croc's, and somewhat longer legs. Although
this species is not confirmed by science, it is not considered a legendary
monster among Liberian hunters, but a real creature they have caught and eaten.
It is possible, however, that descriptions are exaggerated. Witnesses were
shown a picture of the extinct animal Postosuchus, and they recognized it as
the Gbahali.
8. Ninki Nanka
Ninki Nanka is a monster
that lives in the Gambia River in Gambia. It is a dragon-like creature with the
body of a crocodile, the head of a horse (with horns) and a long neck like a
giraffe. And it's huge - 30 to 50 feet long! An expedition in 2006 yielded an
object said to be a scale from the monster.
9. Popobawa
The Popobawa is a fairly
recent manifestation reported in Zanzibar and Tanzania. The creature is a demon
who appears as a normal human by day, and a one-eyed, bat-winged monster at
night. The Popobawa attacks and sodomizes both men and women in the dark of
night, and is particularly vicious to those who don't believe in him. Attacks
were first reported in 1965 on the island of Pemba. Reports of attacks come
every few years, with a large number in 1995 attributed to mass hysteria. Some
think that the attacks of the Popobawa can be traced to "waking
dreams" or "night terrors," in which the person experiences hallucinations
somewhere in between lucidity and sleep. The name Popobawa in Swahili
translates to "bat wing."
10. Mokèlé-mbèmbé
The Mokèlé-mbèmbé is a
cryptid resembling a dinosaur from the Congo River region. The name means
"one who stops the flow of rivers" referring to its size. Dozens of
expeditions have sought to find this huge creature, but come back with only
secondhand accounts and mysterious footprints. The 1995 1985 Disney film Baby
is based on the legend of the Mokèlé-mbèmbé.
11. Tikoloshe
A Tikoloshe (or
Tokoloshe) is an evil-spirited gremlin in Zulu mythology. A shaman may send a
Tikoloshe to vex his enemies, causing anything from harmless fright to illness
or death. Tikoloshes are described as short hairy humanoid figures that can
render themselves invisible by swallowing a pebble - all the better to sneak up
on their victims.
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