The Chuchunaa
In the far north of Siberia, Yakut and Evenk people told of a tall, wild man dressed in animal skins, who lived in the mountains.
What was reported
In Yakutia, in north-eastern Siberia, Yakut and Evenk people told of the chuchunaa: a tall, strong, human-like being with long hair, dressed in animal skins, that lived in remote parts of the Verkhoyansk mountains. Stories described it stealing food and reindeer, and avoiding people.
In the 20th century, Soviet researchers collected reports, many from the 1920s and 1930s, and some wondered if the chuchunaa might be a relict population of early humans.
Explanations offered
No body, bones or photographs have been found. Some researchers think the stories describe people living wild in the taiga, escaped prisoners or isolated hunters, rather than an unknown species. The reports have become rare in recent decades.
- When
- Reported in the 1800s and 1900s
- Where
- Verkhoyansk Range, Yakutia, Russia
- Witnesses
- Yakut and Evenk people, and Soviet-era researchers
- Status
- Unconfirmed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.