The Waitoreke
New Zealand has no native land mammals except bats, yet settlers reported an otter-like animal in its rivers and lakes.
What was reported
New Zealand's only native land mammals are bats. Yet since the 18th century, explorers and settlers on the South Island have reported a small, furry, otter- or beaver-like animal in rivers and lakes, called the waitoreke. Some accounts describe tracks and a creature slipping into the water.
Māori traditions of creatures in the water are sometimes linked to the reports.
Explanations offered
No specimen has ever been found. Suggested explanations include seals swimming up rivers, escaped pets or introduced animals, and misidentified birds. Some researchers have wondered whether a now-extinct mammal once lived there, as fossils of a small land mammal have been found in New Zealand dating back millions of years.
- When
- Reported since the 1700s
- Where
- South Island, New Zealand
- Witnesses
- Early explorers, settlers and Māori tradition
- 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.