A sílā, sometimes spelled si’la or si’lat, is a spiritual being prevalent within Islam and Arabic folklore. It is female and is mainly known for using magical powers to entice or trick men. It is considered to be similar to a witch from Western cultures. It is a type of jinn. Just like the other jinns, sílā, … Read more
Phantom cats or Alien Big Cats (ABCs) are exotic felids reported roaming in areas they are not native to. The term also applies to widespread but unconfirmed reports of unknown big cats allegedly roaming a region. Such animals are phantom cats because people report they sighted them, but authorities don’t have evidence they exist. Reports … Read more
Megalania (Varanus priscus, formerly Megalania Prisca) was a giant monitor lizard that lived on the Australian continent. Fossil records suggest the species went extinct about 40,000-50,000 years ago, during the Pleistocene epoch (c. 2.6 million-11,700 years). Based on current estimates of an average body length of 18-23 feet and weight of 580-2,000kg (1,280-4,400lbs), paleobiologists consider Megalania … Read more
The Yeren is a bipedal humanoid from the folklore of China. Chinese folklore says the Yeren lives in the remote forested mountains of the Shennongjia Forestry District, northwestern Hubei province, central China. Shennongjia includes more than 3,200 square kilometers of montane forest at an elevation of about 6, 560-6, 900 feet (2,000-2,100 meters). Yeren reportedly … Read more
The Mngwa (or Nunda) is an alleged big cat from the folklore of coastal Tanzania in East Africa. The man-eating cryptid is native to the forests of eastern Tanzania along the Indian Ocean coast. The name Mngwa is from a word meaning “mysterious creature.” The creature’s other name Nunda means the “fierce one.” (George Eberhart, … Read more
The Nandi bear is a ferocious cryptid allegedly native to Kenya, East Africa. The folklore originated among the Nandi people of western Kenya. Most reports of the creature come from Nandi County and surrounding areas, including the Uasin Gishu Plateau in the North Rift. The cryptid derives its name from its historical association with the … Read more
A man-eating tree is a carnivorous tree (or plant) that allegedly captures, ingests, and digests humans (or large animals) for its nutritional needs. Botanists have documented more than 600 carnivorous plant species that can capture and digest animal tissues, but no plant species ingest humans or large animals. However, folklore, legends, and myths from many … Read more
The marozi, or spotted lion, is an alleged variety of lions native to the Aberdare mountain (Kikuyu language: Nyandarua) range of west-central Kenya, north of Nairobi. The region, with an average elevation of 11,500 feet (3500 meters), is an example of a mountain ecosystem. Reports of marozi-like felids also come from the Mau escarpment in … Read more
The Ozark Howler is a cryptid from the folklore of the Ozarks, a mountainous region covering parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Natives claim the Ozark Howler prowls the remote mountainous woods of the region. The people of the Ozarks have told tales and shared legends for generations. The mysterious Ozark Howler is one … Read more
The Maero (Maeroero or Mairoero) are a race of forest beings or wild men from the folklore of the Maori of New Zealand. The Maori describe the Maero as a humanoid race native to the mountainous forests of the Tararua Ranges on the North Island of New Zealand. They also lived in the Fiordland National … Read more