Africa News
Most of you by now would have heard about this years CFZ expedition to Gambia, in search of Dragons!
[singlepic=84,220,220,,right]One of the dragon-like beast they are searching for is locally known as Ninki-Nanka, which apparently translates as Dragon-Devil, but there is also some reference to suggest it could just mean Snake, that’s if you search around on the Internet and browse a few dusty cryptozoology books!
River and lake monsters are nothing new in Africa, in the Congo there are stories of a lake monster called Mokèlé-mbèmbé, in Zimbabwe there is the Chipekwe and in northern Angola there is the Isiququmadevu. But apart from a few sketchy descriptions, nobody really seems to know what the Ninki Nanka looks like. So below, we have collected together some info to try and help explain what the Ninki-Nanka really looks like.
As mentioned above, the local name for the Gambian river and swamp monster is Ninki Nanka, which roughly translate as Dragon-Devil. It’s reputed to live along the Gambia River and in the uninhabited mangrove swamps and is usually only seen at night, when it is said to emerge from its lair and eat whatever lies in its path!
The World Conservation Union (IUCN ) fears the West African black rhino may have become extinct.
Beelzebub 'Devil' Frog
While most subspecies of Africa’s two rhinos, the black and white rhino, continue on the road to recovery, this is not true for two of Africa’s most threatened rhino subspecies: the West African black
(Diceros bicornis longipes ) and the northern white (
Ceratotherium simum cottoni ).
The West African black rhino is now feared extinct and numbers of the northern white rhino have reached an all time low in the wild. In both cases, poaching for rhino horn is the main cause of their demise.
This is according to new estimates announced by the African Rhino Specialist Group (AfRSG) of the IUCN’s Species Survival Commission. An intensive survey earlier this year of the West African black rhino has failed to locate any sign of their continued presence in their last refuges in northern Cameroon.
[singlepic=30,220,,,right]The CFZ (Centre for Fortean Zoology) have left the UK and arrived safely in Gambia for their 2006 expedition. The six man (4 male and 2 female) team are looking for the dragon-like creature, known by locals as the Ninki-Nanka.
The Ninki-Nanka is said to be a giant reptile, possibly as large as 30 ft (9m) long living in the mangrove swamps and rivers of Gambia. The beast is said to have the body of a crocodile, the neck of a giraffe, the head of horse with three horns, one right in the middle of its head. The reclusive monster spends most of its time submerged in the mud in the sparsely-populated and infrequently visited regions of inland swamps and upriver from the coast.
“I think the Ninki-Nanka is a straggler from further south in Africa. It may well be a species of colossal monitor lizard. Whatever the truth, this will be the first dedicated expedition to search for this animal” says Richard Freeman, zoological director or the CFZ.
This is the forth year-running that the CFZ have put on a major expedition looking for monsters. Last year (2005) Cryptoworld travelled with the CFZ on a joint expedition to Mongolia looking for the Allghoi Khorkhoi (Mongolian Deathworm). A fabled giant poisonous worm or snake that resembles a living cow’s intestine - nice!
[inspic=41,right,,0]After nearly 50 years, the okapi - the closest known relative to the giraffe - has been rediscovered in Virunga National Park in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The okapi, can be found in zoos across the world, but hasn't been seen in the wild for 47 years. The rediscovery is fantastic news, but the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) has urged the DRC government to take appropriate measures to ensure the long-term protection and conservation of the Virunga National Park. Otherwise, the okapi's return to the area may be short-lived.
What is the okapi?
The okapi (Okapia johnstoni) is an unusual mammal of the Ituri Rainforest in central Africa. Although it bears striped markings reminiscent of the zebra, it is the only living close relative of the giraffe. The resemblance it bears to both the zebra and giraffe led some to believe it is a cross between the two, but despite the appearance of certain similarities, it is in fact not closely related to the zebra. Native just to the Ituri forests situated in the north east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it was known only to the local people until 1901.
The CFZ are almost ready for this years adventure to Gambia, in search of Ninki-nanka. Unfortunately Cryptoworld will not be travelling with them this time, but we will definitely keep track of their progress and let you know if they find what they are looking for!
English Monster Hunters in search for Killer Dragon
- [inspic=13,right,,thumb]30-foot killer dragons lurking in swamps?
- A sea monster carcass buried on an African beach, with a map marking the spot?
Are these plot lines for the next series of Doctor Who? No, they are real-life accounts that have drawn the world's only full-time monster hunters to West Africa for their latest expedition.
In early July, a six-person team from the North Devon based Centre for Fortean Zoology is travelling to the Gambia to investigate these weird tales.
[inspic=45,right,,thumb]South Africa’s News 24 web site was bombarded by 30,000+ visitors over the weekend after it published a story of an alleged UFO crash off the coast of Port Shepstone (see map).
Witnesses, including pupils and teachers at a school sports event, even fishermen were convinced they saw an Unidentified Flying Object crash into the just behind the breaker line.
Some witnesses even claim to have seen flames and smoke coming from the object. One reliable source (News 24 words not mine), who was on a nearby hill overlooking the sea, said the object trailed smoke behind it, and even after crashing, a column of smoke was visible for several minutes.
