Kongamato: Africa’s Living Pterosaur

In the swamps and rivers of central Africa, natives have long described a dangerous flying creature they call Kongamato, meaning “breaker of boats.” The creature is described as a large, reddish flying animal with leathery wings and a long beak filled with teeth, bearing a striking resemblance to a pterosaur.

Early Reports

Western awareness of Kongamato came through explorer Frank Melland in his 1923 book “In Witch-Bound Africa.” He reported that natives in Zambia described a dangerous creature living in the swamps that attacked anyone who ventured into its territory.

When Melland showed the natives pictures of various animals, they consistently identified the pterosaur as matching Kongamato. They were visibly frightened by the image and expressed fear of the creature.

Description

Witnesses describe Kongamato as having a wingspan of four to seven feet, reddish or brown coloring, leathery wings without feathers, a long beak with teeth, and a long tail. The description does not match any known living bird but closely resembles pterosaurs, which have been extinct for sixty-five million years.

Attacks

Natives report that Kongamato is aggressive and dangerous. It attacks canoes, overturning them and sometimes killing the occupants. Some natives carry charms to protect against it.

In 1956, an engineer in Zambia reported that a patient came to a hospital with a severe chest wound. When asked what attacked him, the man drew a picture of a creature resembling a pterosaur. He said it was Kongamato.

Possible Explanations

Skeptics suggest Kongamato is a misidentified large bat, shoebill stork, or hamerkop. However, natives are familiar with these animals and insist Kongamato is something different.

Some cryptozoologists propose that a population of pterosaurs may have survived in the remote swamps of central Africa, where few Western scientists have explored.

Assessment

Kongamato joins other alleged living pterosaurs reported from Papua New Guinea and elsewhere. While the survival of pterosaurs for sixty-five million years seems unlikely, the consistency of African reports over a century is intriguing.