The Kongamato, also called the "breaker of boats," is a mystery creature that resembles a flying reptile. It has been spotted by local people and researchers in the Jiwundu Swamps, located in the Mwinilunga district of western Zambia, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Some people think it might be a modern version of an ancient reptile called Rhamphorhynchus, an unknown bird species (such as the large and unusual saddle-billed stork), or a giant bat. No pictures of the Kongamato have been taken. Most reports come from descriptions of large wounds and eyewitnesses.

Description

The kongamato is described as having a wingspan of about 1.20 to 2.10 meters. This ancient flying reptile has smooth, red or black skin instead of feathers and a long, toothy beak. Local people named it "Overwhelmer of Boats" because it is said to capsize fishermen's canoes during hunting. Additionally, the creature is reported to cause death to anyone who sees it.

History

Frank Melland wrote about the kongamato in his 1923 book In Witchbound Africa. The creature is said to live near rivers and is described as very dangerous. It attacks boats and people who disturb it. The kongamato is reported to be red or black and has a wingspan between 1.20 meters and 2.10 meters. Members of the Kaonde people saw an image of the creature in Melland’s book and said it looked like a pterosaur.

In 1925, journalist J. Ward Price wrote about a strange experience in England. He was traveling with the future King Edward VIII in British colonies in Africa. During the trip, they met a man who had explored the Jiundu Marshes. The man had survived a serious attack there, which left a large wound on his back. He said a large bird with sharp teeth in its beak had attacked him. When shown pictures of pterosaurs, the man became very frightened.

In 1932, naturalist Gerald Russell and cryptozoologist Ivan T. Sanderson claimed they saw a kongamato together in Cameroon. More sightings were reported later: engineer J.P.F. Brown in Zaire in 1956 and a couple named Gregor in Southern Rhodesia.

In 1957, a man with serious chest injuries arrived at a hospital near where Brown had seen pterosaurs. He said a large bird had attacked him in the Bangweulu Swamps. When doctors asked him to draw the attacker, he sketched a pterosaur. A photograph of a kongamato was also claimed in the late 1950s, but it was later proven to be fake.