Democratic Republic of Congo Reports of "Mystery Apes" in the North-central forest of Africa's Democratic Republic of Congo are characterized by the specific habits of the enigmatic mammals. In the early 2000s, primatologist Shelly Williams captured video of a mother and her baby Mystery Ape, which she described as looking like neither chimpanzee nor gorilla. More after the jump.
Williams claimed the creatures also differ from other primates by hooting at the moon and resting in ground nests. The yet-to-be-classified creatures also seem to have a taste for flesh, as a group of them responded to Williams's team's luring call intended to sound like a wounded antelope.
The apes, which stand five to six feet (1.8-meters) tall and have feet nearly 14 inches (36 centimeters) long. They have bodies similar to those of gorillas, but generally the facial characteristics of a chimpanzee. Williams said the animals sleep on the ground at night like gorillas, but eat a fruit-rich diet like chimpanzees.
"I can't speculate yet as to what they are. Their behavior is so unusual. It's a puzzle. ... I feel like Dr. Doolittle in the land of Oz," said Williams, who has captured some video of the animals but no photographs.
Because of their size and elusiveness, the apes have no predators -- not even poachers hunt them, Williams said. With no fear of lions, leopards or hyenas, the large animals hoot at the moon as it rises and sets, which is extremely unusual for apes, she said.
"The people are very afraid of them. They call them the 'lion killers' because they are huge creatures," Williams said. "The folklore is they could kill lions."
The apes, which stand five to six feet (1.8-meters) tall and have feet nearly 14 inches (36 centimeters) long. They have bodies similar to those of gorillas, but generally the facial characteristics of a chimpanzee. Williams said the animals sleep on the ground at night like gorillas, but eat a fruit-rich diet like chimpanzees.
"I can't speculate yet as to what they are. Their behavior is so unusual. It's a puzzle. ... I feel like Dr. Doolittle in the land of Oz," said Williams, who has captured some video of the animals but no photographs.
Because of their size and elusiveness, the apes have no predators -- not even poachers hunt them, Williams said. With no fear of lions, leopards or hyenas, the large animals hoot at the moon as it rises and sets, which is extremely unusual for apes, she said.
"The people are very afraid of them. They call them the 'lion killers' because they are huge creatures," Williams said. "The folklore is they could kill lions."
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