Emela-ntouka

Emela-ntouka
Artistic representation of the emela-ntouka
Emela-ntouka
Parent Ceratopsian
First sighting 1954

The emela-ntouka is a cryptozoological animal believed to live in Central Africa. Its name means "elephant killer" in Lingala. In other languages, the animal is known as Aseka-moke, Njago-gunda, Ngamba-namae, Chipekwe, or Irizima.[1][2]

Description

The emela-ntouka is said to be the size of an African savanna elephant, brownish-gray in color, and possessing a long, heavy tail. It is also said to have the shape of a rhinoceros and a single long horn on its nose. Its large body likely requires muscular legs. The animal is also said to have ridges along its neck. The emela-ntouka is said to live both on land and in water and feeds on, among other things, the Malombo plant. The creature is said to make a grunting, snoring, and rumbling sound.[3]

The structure of its horn is debated among writers on the subject. The debate centers on: if the "horn" is ivory, then it would be a tusk (tooth) and not a horn. Some rhinoceroses have tusks, especially the Asian type of one-horned rhinoceros; these are not yet known to inhabit Africa. If the horn was bone, then the creature is a reptile, like so many groups of fossil reptiles, such as ceratopsians, which had horns made of bone. Finally, the horn could be keratin, like the horns of African rhinoceroses. However, without a specimen to examine, any attempt to classify emela-ntouka by this method can only be speculative.

Habitat

This cryptid is believed to primarily inhabit the vast shallow waters of the swamps and lakes of the Congo Basin, especially the Likouala Swamps in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and possibly Cameroon.[4] It is also said to inhabit Lake Bangweulu in Zambia. They are said to be solitary, herbivorous animals The inhabitants of the area are said to treat the creature with great fear.

History

J. E. Hughes published his book Eighteen Years on Lake Bangweulu in 1933, reporting that an animal fitting the description of an emela-ntouka (although not mentioned by that name) was killed by Wa-Ushi natives on the banks of the Luapula River, which connects Lake Bangweulu with Lake Mweru.[5]

The emela-ntouka was first mentioned by name in 1954, in an article in the journal Mammalia, written by former Likouala game ranger Lucien Blancou. He stated that the emela-ntouka was "larger than a buffalo" and lived throughout the Likouala wetlands. It was also Blancou who first mentioned that an emela-ntouka would kill elephants, buffalo or hippos when disturbed,[6] similar to the mokele-mbembe's alleged clear aversion to hippos. While both animals are supposedly herbivorous, they also supposedly share a fierce sense of territoriality, and it is for this reason that it is claimed that the pygmies fear it more than any other dangerous animal. Around 1930, an emela-ntouka was allegedly killed near Dongou.

Further evidence was provided by Dr. Roy P. Mackal, who led two expeditions to the Congo in 1980 and 1981. He collected details of several other cryptids. In 1987 he published his book, A Living Dinosaur, summarizing the expeditions.[7]

Possible explanations

Author Loren Coleman suggests that emela-ntouka is a new species of semiaquatic rhinoceros.[8] Another popular speculation by cryptozoologists is that the mythical monster is a relict population of a ceratopsian. Proponents of this idea believe that the Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to prehistoric animals such as living dinosaurs, including mokele-mbembe (claimed to be a sauropod) and mbielu-mbielu-mbielu (claimed to be a stegosaur) . In 1981, Dr. Roy Mackal, while searching for mokele-mbembe in the Congo, collected references to emela-ntouka. Mackal initially considered emela-ntouka to be a monoclonius, or a centrosaurus, both ceratopsids. As such, they may be related to ngoubou, which may have been a six-horned styracosaur.[9] However, Mackal also noted that the pygmies did not speak of a collar, as would be expected of a ceratopsid.[10] Furthermore, ceratopsids are absent from the African fossil record and have been extinct for 66 million years.[11]

References

  1. ^ "The Cryptid Zoo: Emela-ntouka (or "Killer of Elephants")". Retrieved 2009-12-29.
  2. ^ "Emela-Ntouka". Archived from the original on 2001-08-09. Retrieved 2009-12-29.
  3. ^ "The Emela-ntouka of the Congo". Genesis Park.
  4. ^ "EMELA-NTOUKA: (DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO)". Cryptopia.us.
  5. ^ "Emela-ntouka, A Dinosaur in The Congo". Monster Fuzz Podcast. 18 June 2021.
  6. ^ Stuckwish, Dale (2009). Biblical Cryptozoology Revealed Cryptids of The Bible. Xlibris Corporation. p. 44. ISBN 978-1441522672.
  7. ^ Roy P. Mackal (1987). A Living Dinosaur? In Search of Mokele-Mbembe. E.J. Brill, Leiden.
  8. ^ Loren Coleman & Jerome Clark. Cryptozoology A-Z. Nova York: Simon & Schuster, 1999. p. 83
  9. ^ "THE EMELA-NTOUKA – NEW CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE FOR THE CONGO'S CRYPTIC 'KILLER OF ELEPHANTS'?". ShukerNature. 5 July 2014.
  10. ^ "Emela-Ntouka: Africa's Killer of Elephants". Cryptomundo. Retrieved 2009-12-29.
  11. ^ Wood, Drew (2022-12-15). "Ceratopsian". A-Z Animals. Retrieved 2026-01-30.

Bibliography

  • Karl Shuker (1995). In Search of Prehistoric Survivors. Blandford, Londres. ISBN 0-7137-2469-2
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