Tale of ‘mande burung’, an illusive ape like creature, is not over yet. Researchers can neither deny its existence nor have proved it. But its strange sightings keep on cropping up now and then. Its existence is still shrouded in mystery.
The story of an apelike creature’s existence in remote villages of Garo Hills in Meghalaya continues. A local NGO, A’chik Tourism Society (ATS) is making an effort since the last decade to ascertain whether an ape popularly known as ’mande burung’ is found in the deep dark jungle of Garo Hills or not. Is it a myth or reality?
Searching for the illusive creature, a group of young enthusiast travelled into the deep dark jungles of Garo Hills in Meghalaya. The group usually makes a visit on information received from local people on the sighting of this mammal. Mande burung is assumed to be an ape like Yeti, sighted in Himalayan region of Nepal. The existence of mande burung, as the locals in Garos termed it, has also found place in their folklores.
Those who have seen this ape like mammal have interesting stories to reveal. According to a certain report by some villagers, a man who was passing through a forest was captured by this mammal and breastfed forcibly. This was reported on January 18, 1999. His account stated- “the milk was sour with a mixture of bitterness.”
On July 2005, a lady who was sleeping with her child heard of peculiar scratching sounds, outside her thatched hut sometime at night. Later, a big hairy creature entered her house. She saw the creature in the full light of the firewood, which was kept burning at her house. The creature after sometime simply stamped out the fire and disappeared into darkness, the lady was not harmed in any way, she revealed.
The story of mande burung is a tale or a reality, the facts are yet to be ascertained. Research are still on to locate the existence of the scratch mark and footprints. After the 1997 sightings, the government of Meghalaya ordered a probe. Report is yet to be made available. The A’chik Tourism Society wonders whether government was serious in taking this matter.
The recent sightings of this mammal were in April 2007, in Durabanda village of Garo Hills. Eye witness says that two adults with two young ones were seen. Another eyewitness said a female mande burung chased away a human in the same village. It was also sighted in Chokpot, and was in search for crabs in a nearby stream.
The ATS, which had been in search for this creature has came out with some evidences on the matter. They have collected some samples of hair recently, which is the only biological evidence that they have, other than some imprints, footprints and scratch marks on tree trunks. The hair has been sent for DNA and forensic test. This will throw some light whether the hair is of that unidentified giant creature or not.
The ATS has also come up with a very comprehensive report and descriptions of mande burung or the so called Bigfoot. The most common description of mande burung goes like this :
According to 2002 report, it is big, an ape-like creature with thick hair covering its entire body. The colour of the hair is reported to be black or blackish brown. It has some kind of foul odour/smell emanating from the body. It has a footprint/pug-mark size from 13 inches to 15 inches in length. It may be around 7’5″ to 9’ tall. It may weigh around 300 kgs. It is noted to be a herbivorous creature that eats banana tubes, tree roots, fruits, berries, barks of some trees, like Sawe trees and is also reported to eat crabs. It walks on two legs (biped). As reported in 2002 sighting, it sleeps in a ’nest’ built on open ground. According to the 2005 sighting, it is shy and is basically harmless. It is a creature with phenomenal strength.
There has been many incidents reported on this illusive creature. The 1997 sightings in Silkigre village, near Chokpot is of immense importance. It is said that some village womenfolk who went to the jungle to gather firewood have claimed to have seen a hairy giant near the stream.
This news had spread like wildfire in the jungle. This time because the villagers refused to go to their field for cultivation due to fear psychosis, which gripped the entire village. The forest officials from Baghmara visited the spot and investigated the claim. The report is yet to be made available.
Merinews
