Mande Barung
In the forests of the Garo Hills, villagers describe a tall, hairy 'forest man' that walks on two legs.
What was reported
In the Garo Hills of Meghalaya, near the border with Bangladesh, villagers have long told of the mande barung, or forest man: a tall, hairy, ape-like creature that walks upright. Reports increased in the 2000s, and a local group spent years photographing footprints and 'nests' that people led them to.
In 2008, the group passed hairs found in one of the nests to a British primatologist, who said they didn't match any animal he knew from those forests. The story was covered around the world.
Explanations offered
DNA analysis at a UK university found that the hairs came from a Himalayan goral, a wild goat-antelope that lives in the region. Supporters say the creature may still exist and that one sample proves little. Scientists say no animal of this kind has ever been confirmed.
- When
- Reported for generations
- Where
- Garo Hills, Meghalaya, India
- Witnesses
- Villagers and local researchers
- Status
- Disputed
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.