Olitiau
| Grouping | Cryptid |
|---|---|
| Sub grouping | Bat[1], bird, or pterosaur |
| Country | Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Zambia[1] |
| Habitat | Mountain streams, and surrounding forests[1] |
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An Olitiau is a gigantic cryptid bat (or flying reptile) hypothesized to exist in Central Africa.[1] [2] The word Olitiau may come from a fusion of the Ipulo words “Ole” and “Ntya”, which are named for ceremonial dance masks used to represent demons.[3] Cryptozoological authors such as Karl Shuker and Bernard Heuvelmans have suggested that the name Olitiau may have been used by the Ipulo to refer to demons in general rather than to the supposed creature itself. [1] [4]
Description[edit]
Olitiau are said to have 6–12 ft (2–4 m) wingspans, or that they are the approximate size of an eagle, rather than a bat. [5] [1] Their body is allegedly black, though their wings have been described as either dark brown or red.[1] [2] [5] Their lower jaws are said to contain 2-inch (50 mm) long, serrated teeth with equal spacing between each tooth, however Ivan Sanderson, whose writings record one of the only sightings states only that the teeth were pointed.[3] [5]
Claimed sightings[edit]
While hunting hammer-headed fruit bats in southern Cameroon, Ivan T. Sanderson claimed that an Olitiau swooped down on him and his hunting companion, Gerald Russell, along a mountain stream in 1932. He called it "the granddaddy of all bats" [5].
In popular culture[edit]
The Olitiau was the subject of an episode of Lost Tapes entitled "Cave Demons". It was shown as a giant bat.[6] Curiously, it is described as coming from the Tora Bora caves in Afghanistan, rather than Cameroon.[6] It also appeared in the video game The Secret Saturdays: Beasts of the 5th Sun as a humanoid ally. The character Chico in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker suggests that Olitiau is evidence pterosaurs exist to this day.[7]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Karl Shuker. The Beasts That Hide From Man. New York: Paraview, 2003. Pp. 84-107. ISBN 1-931044-64-3 Search this book on .
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Rickard, Bill; Mitchell, John (2007). A Rough Guide to Unexplained Phenomena. New York: Penguin Group. p. 358. ISBN 1-84353-708-7. Search this book on
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 George M. Eberhart. Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology. Volume Two N-Z Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2002. Pp. 405-406.
- ↑ Heuvelmans, B. 1978. Les Derniers Dragons D'afrique. Paris. Plon.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Sanderson, I. T., 1937. Animal Treasure. New York. Viking.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Cave Demon". Animal Planet. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
- ↑ "Dialogue copy from Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
Further reading[edit]
- Ivan T. Sanderson. Animal Treasure. New York: Viking, 1937. pp. 300–301.
- Ivan T. Sanderson. Investigating the Unexplained. Englewood cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1972. pp. 39–44.
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