  
Kongamato
Location of Sightings:
Zambia, Angola, and the Congo as well as in the surrounding regions
Earliest - Latest Reported Sighting:
1923 to present
Description:
This creature has been reported as looking like a prehistoric Pterosaur. It is reddish in color, with a wingspan of about: 4 to 6
feet and it's body as long as 4 ˝ feet from beak to tail. It is reported to have a long thin tail and an elongated snout that is similar to that of a dog.
Odors described during or right after
encounters with this creature:
None reported
Sounds - Speech:
None reported
Interesting Sighting Details:
The name ‘Kongamato’ translates into ‘Breaker of Boats’. Sightings of this creature have been reported in Zambia, Angola, and Congo as well as in the surrounding regions. The Kongamato is said to be a Pterosaur-Like creature. Natives, who have been asked to describe it, tell of a giant reddish brown leather winged bird that has a pointed beak with lots of sharp teeth. When these natives were shown pictures of the Pterodactyl, they immediately identified it as the Kongamato; however, when they were shown pictures of other prehistoric creatures, they dismissed it as something they have not seen before and that it was only the image of the Pterodactyl that caught their attention.
Frank Melland, describes the Kongamato in his 1923 book “In Witchbound Africa”. He paints a picture of the Kongamato as creatures that lived along certain rivers and who are very dangerous, often attacking small boats. Melland further describe the creature to be red and with an estimated wingspan of 4 to 7 feet. One of the most striking reports on the Kongamato was a report by the well known zoologist Ivan T. Sanderson. Sanderson and his team were on the Percy Salden Expedition to West Africa. They had made camp and were in the process of hunting and Sanderson had managed to take down a large fruit eating bat and it fell into the water. Sanderson was making his way through the fast current, when he lost his balance and fell into the water. He then went on to face the creature that lunge for him the first time and disappeared. As he had made his way onto the River bank, the creature came back again and this time swooped towards Sandrson’s companion. It managed to miss them both and then permanently disappeared into the night.
It is the Kongamato’s resemblance to the Pterosaurs that have stirred speculation that prehistoric creatures may still exist in the thick forest of Africa. It is sightings of prehistoric like creatures that inspired spin off tales of Dinosaurs, Pterosaurs and other creatures living in deep pits in the heart of the African forest.
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