Orang Pendek
In the rainforests of Sumatra, people describe a short, strong ape that walks upright like a person.
What was reported
In the mountain forests of western Sumatra, villagers describe the orang pendek, or 'short person': an ape about a metre tall that walks on two legs, with powerful shoulders and short dark hair. Dutch colonists recorded reports in the early 1900s.
Some researchers who have spent years in the forest, including a British conservationist working with Fauna & Flora International, say they have seen it themselves. Footprint casts and hair samples have been collected, but none has given a clear answer.
Explanations offered
Sceptics suggest sightings are of known animals such as sun bears, gibbons or orangutans seen briefly. Some primatologists think an undiscovered ape in such a remote forest is possible, but there is no photograph or specimen yet.
- When
- Reported for over a century
- Where
- Kerinci Seblat National Park, Sumatra, Indonesia
- Witnesses
- Villagers, travellers and 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.