TURA, Meghalaya: After North America’s “Bigfoot” and the Yeti of Nepal and Tibet, India is now claiming its own mystery monster, which tour operators say will help boost tourism in the country’s remote northeast.
The “8ft”, hairy ape-like creature is believed to be stomping around in the deep, thick forests of Meghalaya state.
“Since 1997, we have been documenting Mande Burung sightings and telltale signs such as giant footprints,” Dipu N Marak of A’chik Tourism Society, an adventure tourism group, told the Hindustan Times.
“Mande Burung”, the beast’s local name, is all set to become the mascot for a sprawling 800sq km biosphere reserve where the group is planning “Chase-the-Monster” tours through rainforests, waterfalls and stalactite caves.
“They are doing a good job. We support them,” said state tourism official K M Momin.
The monster hunt has led to the discovery of caves and waterfalls such as the 3,560ft-high “Staircase Falls”, and the Kekengkhol stalactite - stalagmite caves which could be the longest in South Asia, a tour operator said.
Authorities have announced a scientific study to probe the claims about the monster.
“A team of wildlife officials and other experts would conduct a study to find out if there is any truth in claims made by locals about sighting some hairy giants similar to the elusive Bigfoot,” Samphat Kumar, the district magistrate of West Garo Hills, said.
“The sight was frightening - two adults and two smaller ones, huge and bulky, furry, heads looked as if they were wearing caps, and their colour was somewhat blackish brown,” said Wallen Sangma, a 40-year-old farmer.
Sangma said he saw the four creatures from a distance of about 30 to 40m in a thickly forested area near village Rongcekgre, about 350km from the state capital Shillong, while looking for firewood. “The four quietly vanished into the thick undergrowths.”
“There is no denying the fact that Mande Burung does exist in the Garo Hills and it would be too simplistic to write it off as some bear or gorilla or a figment of imagination,” said L R Marak, a noted writer and winner of India’s highest literary prize, the Sahitya Akademi Award.– Agencies
(Original headline: Meghalaya hunts for mystery monster )
See also: 'Mande Burung' (Giant Bigfoot) Sighted Again In Northeastern India
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Gulf Times / Qatar - June 10.07
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