The Dingonek
An Edwardian hunter in East Africa described a river beast with tusks, a leopard's head and scaly skin.
What was reported
In 1907 the hunter John Alfred Jordan reported seeing a strange animal in the Maggori (Migori) River in western Kenya. He described it as several metres long, with a head like a leopard's, long tusks, scaly skin and a broad tail.
Similar stories of a river creature, called the dingonek, were collected from local people by other travellers in the region.
Explanations offered
No specimen has ever been found. Suggestions include a misidentified hippo, crocodile or large monitor lizard, or a story improved in the telling. Some cryptozoologists have proposed a surviving prehistoric reptile, which has no support among zoologists.
- When
- 1907
- Where
- Migori River, Kenya
- Witnesses
- The hunter John Alfred Jordan
- 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.