Orang Bati of Indonesia

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The legend or tradition of the Oran-bati (of Indonesia) flying away with village children reminds me of what Paul Nation learned from the natives of Tawa Village, on the mainland of Papua New Guinea: At one time, indavas occasionally carried away a child or a pig.

Orang-Bati of Seram Island

The kor of the northern islands of Papua New Guinea have also been said to attack people, especially in the past. This nocturnal glowing creature is probably closely related to the ropen of Umboi Island, if it isn’t actually the same species. They are thought to be pterosaurs.

Pterosaurs around Singapore

Also west of Papua New Guinea, the “vegetarian pterosaurs” of Singapore fly, or at least are reported to have flown many years ago, according to an eyewitness who contacted me a few months ago.

My sighting occurred probably between the period 1958 – 1960 thereabouts when I was still a little kid. In those days we lived in a small village which was near a densely wooded area. Of course with the general development of Singapore to a metropolitan state it is today, the creatures, if they had propagated, would have [ventured] further south to the wilder regions to avoid civilisation (to ensure their survival).

Live Pterosaurs

Perhaps the first web site, or series of web pages, devoted to being used by the new media, “Live Pterosaurs” makes images and text available for unrestricted use by the media.

In a 2009 press release, the cryptozoologist Jonathan Whitcomb estimated that at least 1400 Americans have seen a living pterosaur between 1980 and 2008. After a number of cryptozoologists objected to the speculative nature of his estimate, Whitcomb maintained that sightings are far more common that the few news reports, in the late twentieth century, would suggest. . . .

Acknowledgements in a recent cryptozoology book includes, “I give special thanks to Duane Hodgkinson, whose unflinching testimony gave birth to modern living-pterosaur investigations. His account of the 1944 sighting on the mainland of Papua New Guinea helped inspire Carl Baugh’s first expedition of 1993. Ignoring previous ridicule from those who would not listen, Hodgkinson told us of his experience, helping prepare the way for many expeditions . . .”