The Kting Voar
Strange twisted horns sold in Cambodian markets were said to come from a hidden, snake-eating forest ox. Scientists tested them.
What was reported
In the 1990s, scientists exploring Cambodia and Vietnam came across unusual horns being sold in markets: long and spirally twisted, with frayed tips. Local hunters said they came from the kting voar, the 'wild cow with twisted horns', a rare forest animal that was said to eat snakes.
After the discovery of the saola in Vietnam, some scientists wondered if another unknown large mammal was waiting to be found, and the horns were described as a possible new species.
Explanations offered
Later DNA studies and close examination showed that the horns came from ordinary domestic cattle, and had been heated, twisted and carved, probably to sell as charms or trophies. Most scientists now consider the kting voar a mistake, though the region's forests have hidden real discoveries.
- When
- Reported in the 1990s
- Where
- Mondulkiri, Cambodia
- Witnesses
- Hunters, market traders and scientists
- Status
- Mostly explained
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.