Nature Blog Network

Saturday 26 December 2009

MAX ON THE TRACK OF THE CHEPEKWE

Hi all,

I am looking for some help in tracking down an online version of a very famous cryptozoological photograph, namely that which was taken in the early 1930’s (some references give the date as 1932) by J. C. Johanson of the Central African cryptid the Chepekwe. Various synonyms are in use, and it may also be known as the Chipekwe, Mbilintu and Mfuku. Supposedly, the cryptid is a huge reptile, reported from various countries in Central Africa. It has a single horn/tusk upon its head, a large body and dark, smooth skin.

However, although the photograph I am looking for is a hoax, and the animal itself seems to be too volatile in its descriptions to be conceivable (in my eyes at least), I am still very interested in seeing the hoaxed photo. I expect a lot of cryptozoological commentators have never seen the photograph in question, so it would be nice to bring it to an area of larger attention via the CFZ blog. Everything I search for brings up the three things the internet is most fond of finding; namely miscellaneous rubbish, Scarlett Johansson or pornography.

Thanks to anyone who can shed some light on this.

Max

3 comments:

  1. I mentioned the photograph to Richard Freeman in late 2005, and he told me that t had been printed in the 1991 edition of Bernard Heuvelmans' On The Track of Unknown Animals. I had not seen that edition myself, but I saw a photostat copy of it in Sanderson's files. Apparently that copy left much to be desired because Freeman described the version printed in the book with features that I distinctly remembered NOT seeing, such as an obvious lighter line all around the creature, evidently where it had been cut out and pasted on another photo to create the montage.

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  2. Hey Max,

    I found the photo here:

    http://www.paranormal-encyclopedie.com/wiki/Articles/Kasa%EF_Rex

    The page isn't in English but the WIndows Live Translator did an excellent job of translating it so I could read the whole story. I hope this helps.

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  3. As you gave not much information about this picture I thought it would be a good idea to start with BH books. Maybe you know but you will find the picture on Plate 77 (Side 528) in Part Six "Terrors of Africa" (Heuvelmans, B. (1995). On the track of unknown animals (3rd ed.). London: Kegan Paul Ltd.).

    As I've seen this picture I know that I've seen it also on the web. Some research (or better playing with google picture-search) and I found it. You better use "Kasai rex" as keyword... Please see the picture:

    http://mysteriesolvers.com/index_bestanden/image526.jpg
    http://www.paranormal-encyclopedie.com/wiki/uploads/Articles/KasaiRex1.jpg
    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_upsHbuF58lg/SpWZiEd1S-I/AAAAAAAAAOY/bjC7eog2cFc/s320/kasairex.jpg
    http://i7.piczo.com/view/2/l/0/q/7/c/q/a/n/n/1/5/img/i234575860_4099_7.jpg

    on these sites:

    http://beastpedia.blogspot.com/2009/08/kasai-rex.html
    http://www.paranormal-encyclopedie.com/wiki/Articles/Kasa%EF_Rex
    http://kaijuworld.piczo.com/prehistoriccreatures?cr=7&linkvar=000044
    http://mysteriesolvers.com/

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