Nandi Bear

The Nandi bear snarling in a forest

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

Ozark Howler

The Ozark Howler with a lion-like body and a goat-like head is seen in a forest with a red sunset in the mist

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 is a vicious bear or cat-like creature that prowls the remote mountainous woods of the region. It has a terrifying howl and is thought to be extremely … Read more

Maero

a blue-skinned Maero overlooks a mountain range

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

Eastern Cougar

The eastern cougar is seen here on a branch with the sculptures behind it

The eastern cougar was a population of the North American cougar (Puma concolor couguar) that inhabited Eastern North America. Some wildlife experts consider the eastern cougar a distinct subspecies from the western population. However, other experts believe that eastern and western cougars belong to the North American subspecies Puma concolor couguar. European settlers extirpated the cougar … Read more

Waheela

Waheela seen as a white wolf-like creature at the edge of a mountain lake with pines in the distance.

The Waheela is a wolf-like cryptid allegedly native to Canada’s Northwest Territories and Alaska. The creature purportedly hails from the South Nahanni River area. The Nahanni River is a tributary of the Liard River, west of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. Although the Waheela is native to northern Tundra regions, it may migrate southward during … Read more

Popobawa

Popobawa seen with its bat-like wings and head resting on a forest floor

Popobawa is an evil spirit (shetani) in the folklore of Zanzibar. Zanzibar is part of the United Republic of Tanzania in East Africa. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean consisting of several islands, including Zanzibar (also known as Unguja) and Pemba Islands. Recurrent episodes of Popobawa mass hysteria in Zanzibar reportedly originated on … Read more

Hibagon

The Hibagon, seen here as large white furred ape-like creature walking through a oriental mountain scene in autumn.

The Hibagon is a Bigfoot-like cryptid from Japanese folklore. Cryptozoologists often describe it as the Japanese version of the Tibetan Yeti. The first reports of the creature in the 1970s came from the slopes of Mount Hiba around Saijo and Hiwa in the Hiba District and Shobara in the Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. Local folklore claims … Read more

Kaijin

A Kaijin appears as a human with strange skin and appearance against a background of cherry blossom and mountains

Kaijin is a word in the Japanese language that means a strange, mysterious, legendary, or mythical humanoid (human-like) creature. Kaijins are human-like beings considered strange or mysterious because they have unusual, fantastical, or supernatural characteristics, abilities, or powers that make them different from regular humans. The popular terms in modern-day English language usage that closely … Read more

Maltese Tiger

The Maltese tiger seen stalking through a village at night

The Maltese tiger, also known as the blue tiger, is an alleged blue color morph (color variant) of the tiger (Panthera tigris). Most reported sightings of Maltese tigers occurred among the critically endangered South China tiger population. However, there are also claims of sightings of blue morphs among populations in Burma and Korea. Biologists and … Read more

Phantom Cat

A Phantom cat seen lounging on a wall in a village at night.

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