There are plenty of accommodation options, from mid-range lodges to top luxury. He told Ray that he had seen someone up on the hill, but that whoever it had been was able to nearly instantly melt into the darkened wilderness. The American patrol regrouped and headed to a more secure area, and that night they were assailed by a barrage of strange, animalistic noises from the night, sounding like whines, barks, howls, and grunts. Life on the Planet Venus? Although they inhabit isolated, remote jungle areas, the Người rừng are reported to be rather bold and aggressive, especially the variety from Borneo, which will apparently attack humans without thinking twice about it. The witness, who prefers to remain anonymous and who I will call “Ray,” like many others who had encounters with the Rock Apes was allegedly part of a military patrol deep in the forbidding jungles of Vietnam, which was swarming with mosquitoes, diseases, hostile enemy guerrilla fighters, and the whole of it constantly overshadowed by the ever present specter of looming death by disease, the elements, or enemy fire. The original find of ruby in Vietnam was made sometime in 1988–89, at Luc Yen (Yen Bai province), northwest of Hanoi. For example, the gorillas rely on plants for their food needs, as do many of the other animals in the forest. “If the gorillas come out of the forest and cross the stream, the unofficial border with the village, the villagers know to call us — the National Park — to get the gorillas off their land,” our gorilla-trekking guide explained to us. There is also the fact that the strange creatures were seen probably just as often by the Viet Cong as they were by the Americans, and were well known by the local tribes, so can we chalk all of these reports up to both sides of the war spending all of their time in a drug fueled stupor? and in vietnam there are monkeys, gorillas, monkeys, and alot more exotic animals. Laos and Cambodia were heavily involved in the war, which meant their civilians paid a large price too. The patrol was so disturbed by the gruesome sight that they ran back to their base by the hill, and one of the witnesses would later say: The rest of the time we were in Vietnam, I never heard the sounds or saw anything like it again. And your best foot will be thick-soled, waterproof and with decent ankle support. The locals of these regions consider these creatures to be merely a fact of life, but the Batutut was not really known to the outside world until war began to impede into their domain. The witness describes the location: I want to say hill, but it was really just a big dirt mound jutting up out of the ground and capped off by a crown of thick trees and brush. They were embedded deeply, indicating a heavy wearer. Other expeditions followed up on the find, including one led by the Noth Vietnamese general Hoang Minh Thau, but were unsuccessful. [1] If there is one place not to be a dog, it is South Korea. It was then noticed that there were more of the Rock Apes gathering around in the jungle, around 20 of them, which all began screeching, howling, and throwing rocks at the frightened men in unison. The locals of these regions consider these creatures to be merely a fact of life, but the Batutut was not really known to the outside world until war began to impede into their domain. A cast was made of one of the footprints, which was sent to be analyzed and was found to be wider than a human print but too large to be that of an ape. The Hirwa outbreak described in the study was just one of five outbreaks of respiratory disease in mountain gorillas that occurred in 2008 and 2009. They live in remote mountainous forests in groups comprised of up to 600 individuals. Interestingly, this was not the first time footprints of the mysterious creatures had been found. Discover gorgeous lakes, quaint villages and unforgettable sights, capping it […] I was 10-12 years old in the mid-1960's during the Vietnam War and could not for the life of me figure out why the Viet Cong gorillas (guerillas) would shoot at American soldiers. The DNA of gorillas is highly similar to that of humans, from 95 to 99% depending on what is included, and they are the next closest living relatives to humans after the chimpanzees and bonobos. One of the men threw a rock at it to scare it away, and hit it dead on, after which the ape picked up a rock of its own and hurled it at them. In one account given by a veteran named Steve Canyon, a unit of Marines was out in the jungle of Hill 868 at night testing out a new muzzle flash and noise suppresser for their weapons. But the origins of the Viet Minh nationalist movement went back much earlier. There were, after all, no orangutans in Vietnam, nothing close. Guerrilla fighters used these weapons to bring down American helicopters and disable other US military equipment. What they saw instead was the platoon firing away at “ghostly images” that were swooshing through bushes and trees all around them. Whatever it was moved extremely quickly, but was then caught by some bullets in the crossfire, after which it stumbled but didn’t go down. I didn’t notice anything at first, but then I saw it, a sort of black shape silhouetted against the reddening sky. This species is a valuable timber tree whose range in Vietnam extends from the border with China to Quang Nam-Da Nang Province. Gorillas are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forest of central Sub-Saharan Africa. Learn more in the Cambridge English-Vietnamese Dictionary. Despite the assault of rocks and numerous requests for permission to open fire, the Marines were nevertheless told not to shoot, but rather to use bayonets instead. The talk of what we had seen spread very quickly, and some of the locals called it a name that I can neither pronounce or remember, but the translation if I recall was ‘Stench Monkey’ or ‘Foul Monkey’, something like that. I was 10-12 years old in the mid-1960's during the Vietnam War and could not for the life of me figure out why the Viet Cong gorillas (guerillas) would shoot at American soldiers. However, most of these reports were made by troops that were on active duty, trained observers, and would probably not have endangered their missions and the lives of those around them by doing potent, mind-altering drugs. When they finally gave each other the nod to engage, they popped out from behind the tree, ready to see a sizable enemy force descending upon them judging by the nonstop barrage of relentless gunfire. Seemed adapted to living in the forest with long arms and fingers, or perhaps just builds night nests like gorillas sometimes do. Since the creature had been long dead, they surmised that what they had heard over the last three nights had perhaps been its mate mourning it. Gorillas are mainly herbivorous (vegetarian) and spend almost half of the day feeding on stems, bamboo shoots, and a variety of fruits, supplemented with bark and invertebrates. There are about 600 mountain gorillas left in Rwanda (squeezed between the Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi, just south of the African equator) in the Virunga National Park. 2. The creature was estimated as being perhaps around 8 feet tall based on the size of the prints and length of stride, underscoring the sightings reports that spoke of much larger specimens. They went about fanning out and doing a sweep of the base of the hill, but there was nothing to be found, no sign that there had ever been anyone there, but then the rocks started coming. Mary When i was ypoung I use to believe that the gorilla soilders out in the jungle were actually really groilla's fighting They are said to travel in troops and are most active at dusk or during the night. There were four mechanized mines operating in the area we visited, but due to time constraints we were not able to visit all of the mines in the district. Get the MegaPack collection now for this great price. In groups of eight you’ll trek this dramatic natural setting accompanied only by an expert guide and tracker. We set up and set up watch details before waiting for the coming night and all that entails. Various peoples of the jungle choked interiors of Vietnam, Laos, and northern Borneo, in particular within the Vu Quang Nature Reserve, have a rich tradition of stories of a bipedal, hairy apelike creature known by various names, such as the Batutut, Ujit, or Người rừng, also written as Nguoi Rung, or “jungle people.” Speaking of trekking, the jungle is thick and there are no designated hiking trails so you’ll have to put your best foot forward. As the witness was laying there avoiding getting shot, there was a figure that broke out of the thick vegetation which at first seemed to be a large man, but as it ran past it was clear this was something else altogether. With all of these spectacular reports circulating around the Vietnam War, we are left to wonder just what the Rock apes, Người rừng, Batututs, or whatever one wants to call them, were. The next day, some of the patrol requested permission to go investigate what had been seen and heard the previous day, and as a search was under way they came across an enemy soldier that seemed to have been viciously torn apart. When asked later why they had not shot at the creatures, Canyon would say: I dunno. If the creature had it’s legs, the estimated height was around 8 ft tall…there was no sign of the lower half of the body. Despite the threatening situation, the unit did not open fire, instead making a hasty retreat. The Vietnam War was primarily between the North and South of Vietnam, but it didn’t end there. I wonder to this day if the men were shooting just to scare the Rock Apes away or whether they were really just poor marksman! stayed hidden as the cacophony of gunfire erupted everywhere. The other men were beginning to gather around as well, and with the sentry insisting that he had seen something they decided that it was worth checking out. There are more than 30 million animals in the world. Yukon animals and Vietnam animals May 2, 2013 | missbahjilv In the yukon they have animals like arctic fox,bald eagle,beaver,Canadian goose,Canadian lynx, caribou,grizzly bear,moose,polar bears,red fox,snowy owl,wolf,wolverine,and swans. Ray and one of the other men started cautiously up the hill and this was when the first of a series of weird events would unfold. This sort of mass congregation of Rock Apes was apparently not an isolated incident. In many cases, the strange beasts were mistaken for enemy troops, only to startle soldiers when they were actually seen up close. Despite the threatening situation, the unit did not open fire, instead making a hasty retreat. I asked the witness what he thought was going on exactly, and he had the interesting idea that whatever it had been had been perhaps trapped up on that hill, cowering in the trees when the men had arrived and feeling as if it was unable to escape. Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Alligator. Further lessening their worth as a possible culprit is that snub-nosed monkeys are diurnal, active in the day, whereas the Người rừng is always reported as a decidedly nocturnal animal, and additionally the snub-nosed monkeys are arboreal whereas the Rock Apes are mostly reported as foraging about the ground. Jorgenson’s book Very Crazy, G.I. Just Maybe There Is, Footage Captured a Ghost Wearing a White Nightgown at Haunted Hotel, Old Not-So-Faithful, Dating Godzilla, Falling Iguanas and More Mysterious News Briefly — October 23, 2020, Woman Claims Creature Has Two Heads, Three Eyes and No Tail. The park contains some of the most epic landscapes in the world — misty volcanic slopes, dense forest, and of course, gorillas and golden monkeys. Other theories suggest that the Người rừng could represent some relic population of hominids or early human ancestors. This is when the alleged creature hits wood sticks together or beats on a tree to create loud knocks for inscrutable purposes, although it is thought to be an intimidation of bluff tactic. The soldiers then speculated that it must be a large orangutan, before one of them pointed out that orangutans were not native to Vietnam. You didn’t just go shooting off your weapon unless you were really sure, and so I just sort of dropped and kept my eye on that figure. But there is an alternative – the smallest national park in Uganda – Mgahinga Gorilla National Park-also has gorillas and the hike to them is somewhat easier. Uganda. The rest of the population of these rhinos was completely wiped out in 2010 from Vietnam. Mountain gorillas are an important and endangered species, but there are many other key animals – and plants – in the forests where they live, creating an interdependent ecosystem. During the vietnam war there were many guerillas. There is so much I need to know about animal tourism in that continent, and I’m glad this article could provide some info on such an important subject. First of all, this is the only country in the world where you can track both mountain and lowland gorillas, and they live conveniently close to each other, so it’s totally possible to see both in a single trip. Different versions of the AK-47, along with various types of machine guns, booby traps, mortars, land mines and grenades, were provided by China. Even as they rested they were attuned to the surrounding environment, very aware that the Viet Cong were everywhere and could strike at any moment. In another rather spectacular report published in the New York Times letters on April 18, 2010, a man named Graeme Webster tells of a curious event that occurred at a strategic artillery summit on the western end of the DMZ called “The Rockpile.” One evening sometime in 1967, Marines from the Fourth Marine Regiment were assaulted by a large number of Rock Apes, which were said to inhabit the caves of the area. After a few moments of staring at the soldiers, the creature was said to then let out a sound like the bark of a dog. Gorillas can also live in other types of habitats including dense old-growth forests, moun… The rock throwing and vocalizations are very similar to another Rock Ape report from 1968, when members of Mike Company of the 3rd Battalion of the 5th Marines were operating on Hill 868 and apparently often came across plentiful physical evidence of the creatures there, such as droppings, tufts of hair, or footprints, as well as hearing their eerie barks and cries at night, and the Rock Apes even occasionally assaulted them with rocks lobbed from the jungle. It was then claimed that on the fourth night they came across the upper torso of a “decomposing bigfoot-like creature” which had been horrifically blown apart by something, perhaps a land mine. In Vietnam, dog meat is the go-to meat during ceremonies. The other soldier he had been with concurred with this, and explained that he had gotten the sense that it was sort of like an orangutan, which the others guffawed at. Rwanda is a much smaller country than Uganda, so lends itself better to a short trip in combination with a safari or beach stay elsewhere in East Africa.. Then there was this loud knocking sound, like someone going to town on a tree with a baseball bat, and all I could think was that I wanted him to shut that damn racket up before every enemy for miles came zoning in on us. This actually makes a lot of sense, and one gets the impression that whatever it was might have been just as frightened as the men had been. Historically, plantations were established in the 1950s to increase supplies of the hardwood but demands are still in excess of what can be sustainably provided, threatening the survival of this endangered species. Tags bigfoot cryptid Cryptozoology hominid modern mysteries orang pendek Strange Creatures Vietnam War wild man. The tracks were described as having human looking toes, but being around the size of those of an Asiatic black bear, which are not native to Vietnam. Mysterious Universe is a property of 8th Kind Pty Ltd. Scientists Give Neural Networks AI Psychedelics – Did They Hallucinate Electric Sheep? The Congo River Basin has plenty of green, lush jungles which facilitate the survival of the gorillas. There are few experiences as powerful and moving as witnessing wild mountain gorillas in the forests of east Africa. In 1970, a Dr. John MacKinnon claimed to have found tracks of the the creatures and believed them to be of hominid origin, perhaps similar to the Meganthropus, and which locals said came from a creature they called the Batutut. The alleged battle became so infamous that it was called the “Battle of Dong Den.”. The eyes sunk back an inch and a half from the brow line. The best place to see gorillas in Rwanda is Volcanoes National Park. But there is little money for staff or operations, conservation society officials said. In Vietnam and Cambodia, ... Ntokou-Pikounda, which is estimated to hold 73,000 gorillas. The park contains some of the most epic landscapes in the world — misty volcanic slopes, dense forest, and of course, gorillas and golden monkeys. Throughout the frightening encounter, the ape-like beasts reportedly made sounds that sounded exactly like dogs barking. Almost immediately, the unit’s Lieutenant had been on the radio demanding to know who was firing and at what. No Vietnam is in South East Asia. The Marines fought back in a prolonged burst of firepower which lit up the night. Guided tours will give you an opportunity to see L' Hoest’s, red colobus, red-tailed monkeys, brown monkeys and grey-cheeked mangabey. Professor Vo Quy of the Vietnam National University was chosen to conduct the investigation, and while they did not see any of the beasts, they did find some curious tracks out in the remote jungle. PBS’ documentary series “The Vietnam War” has stirred up memories for many who served in Vietnam. Copyright © Mysterious Universe. Although there are no gorillas here, Kyambura Gorge in Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park is known as Valley of the Apes, and is perfect for chimpanzee tracking. The wildlife of Vietnam is rich in flora and fauna as reflected by its unique biodiversity. At some sites, western lowland gorillas have been known to break open termite nests and feed on the larvae. Then the shit hit the fan. But there is a delicate balance here between protecting the gorillas’ habitat and the need for arable land in Rwanda, Africa’s second most densely populated country. Laos is thought to be the most heavily bombed country in the world per capita, with an estimated 30% of cluster bombs remaining unexploded. 1970, a guard fired at movement along the camp perimeter, and in the morning strange footprints which were “neither human nor ape” were found, as well as blood spattered along the forest floor. Vaquita. What I do know is that it bothered me so much that I transferred from there, to a job on a helicopter so that I wouldn’t have to be in the jungle anymore. In Vietnam, national parks are ... Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Alligator. Snub-nosed monkeys are found in southern China, Vietnam, and parts of Myanmar, and get their name from their flat, upturned noses. During the days when troops toiled and fought in clouds of mosquito clouded jungle, dodging enemy bullets and hiking relentlessly through the humid, oppressive heat, there would be numerous reports from soldiers of strange creatures prowling through the forests that were neither human nor ape, and would come to be known as “Rock Apes.” Accounts of encountering these creatures seem to have been commonplace throughout the Vietnam War, from both sides of the conflict. There was a problem. That is what we had heard near the wire that night. Dr. Bernard Heuvelmans also wrote of curious prints in his opus On the Track of Unknown Animals, in which he recounts the tale of Lt. Alan Szpila, of Cumberland. If this is real, then it provides a fascinating look into another hairy hominid in the wilds of Vietnam half a world away utilizing a similar strategy. But there are only 786 wild mountain gorillas left in the world, and they all reside in just two parks in a tiny corner where Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo meet. The formal struggle between the Viet Minh and the French started in December 1946. Life on the Planet Venus? It is so critically endangered, in fact, that is was long thought to be extinct until its rediscovery in 1989, although even now there are thought to be fewer that 250 of the animals left. For a few moments, Kelley and the platoon Sgt. Additionally, there were dozens of hidden centers all over South Vietnam for squad and platoon leader, weapons and radio training. We were scared, man, and the fact that me and the other guy had seen that weird, ape-like silhouette and told everyone about it didn’t help matters one bit. They are the largest living primates. – Strange but True Stories of the Vietnam War. Although he would never find definitive proof that the Rock Ape, or Người rừng, ever existed, Mackinnon would nevertheless discover several new species of large mammal in the Vu Quang Mountain rain forest in 1992, demonstrating that the region was more than capable of hiding large new species from sight. I thought for sure it had to be a Viet Cong and I had my rifle immediately at the ready, but you have to remember that we were deep in enemy territory. - Strange but True Stories of the Vietnam War.One such story from this book tells the account of a unit of six men from the 101st Airborne Division. The startled soldiers then witnessed a strange creature step from the underbrush to reveal a 5-foot tall muscular frame enveloped in the same matted reddish hair, after which it stood there on two legs to seemingly carefully scrutinize the men. They also produce a wide range of vocalizations, including those which could be interpreted as sounding like the bark of a dog, one of the hallmarks of Rock Ape reports. The Tonkin snub-nosed monkey are highly territorial and are known to show little fear towards humans, which is indeed one of the reasons they have been so decimated by hunters. Orangutans, but no gorillas. It seemed to just be standing there, and was sort of swaying back and forth in this really weird way. Literally. But there are many reasons why DRC is a particularly special place to see gorillas. The first lives in the Virunga volcanic mountains of Central Africa, with groups scattered between Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It really scared the crap out of them, I kid you not! There are only about 300 Cross River gorillas left in the world, making them the rarest subspecies of gorilla, or indeed any great ape. Here, the foreign soldiers would come face-to-face with a creature that was well known by the locals, yet new to them; a humanoid, hairy biped the likes of which none of them had ever seen, which would lurch forth from the deepest jungles to startle or even attack,  and which would come to be known as the “Rock Apes.”. Poncho determinedly marched up the hill to the communications bunker to see what was going on. Indeed this seems to be common with reports of strangeness from war zones, and many such reported phenomena have become lost in the mists of time, buried beneath the violence and combat. Many of us dream of standing face to face with a wild gorilla, even if it’s only on a short 2 day gorilla trek in Uganda, but few often realize there different types of gorillas that live in Africa’s central forests. AFP/Getty . The bipedal nature of the Rock Apes is also inconsistent with snub-nosed monkeys, as is the reddish brown coloring of the mysterious creatures. The western gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) is made up of two subspecies: the western lowland gorilla (G. gorilla gorilla), which inhabits the lowland rainforests from Cameroon to the Congo River, and the Cross River gorilla (G. gorilla diehli), which inhabits a small forested … When he had leaned down to take a look, it had then allegedly “snorted” at him, causing him to panic and fire. Gorillas have a patchy distribution ranging across central, western, and eastern Africa. One hand was still wrapped around a branch. There are four habituated gorilla groups in Bwindi and none tend to be found near to the park entrance. 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