This is Mokele Mbembe. Also known as the last living dinosaur, it is said to inhabit the Congolese forests, swamps, rivers and lakes. Literally translating to "the one who stops the flow of rivers", this is one of the most famous cryptids worldwide, and it has been reported since even before the word dinosaur existed. For those who don't know how long that is, well, dinosaurs were first described in 1841 by Sir Richard Owen. Before that, there were many and many fossils of these animals being found all over the world, but people just called them dragons. And even though the word dragon is already cool enough, "dinosauria" literally means "terrible lizard", which is even more metal. But yes, they weren't lizards, and most of them probably weren't even terrible. Mokele Mbembe is said to be a sauropod dinosaur that inhabits central Africa. Where reports range from the Cameroon, to the Republic of Congo. The first reported sighting was made in 1776, by a French missionary in the Congo River. Although the creature was not seen, its giant footprints were. In fact, it would be a really long time before foreigners would spot the animal. But here's where it may start to get a little confusing: Some reports put it in the same size range as an Apatosaurus, while others, more conservative ones, put it at 5 meters long. An Apatosaurus sized sauropod, dwelling deep within the primal forests, would absolutely be a sight to behold. No other animal would even dare to cross its path. Talking about that, Mokele Mbembe are said to be extremely territorial beasts, killing hippos, rhinos and forest elephants. There goes your idea of peaceful giant herbivores down the drain. We briefly interrupt this video to tell you about our sponsor, me. For those of you out there looking for the Mokele Mbembe, now's your chance. Grab this t-shirt, and tell the world. Now back to the video. Truth is, it is believed sauropods grew to be the land's largest animals as a defense mechanism, due to their lack of horns, clubs or high mobility. But what could they be defending from nowadays? After all, the biggest known predators in the Congo are crocodiles, that get big, yes, but not mega-theropod big. At least, that we know of. Talking about aquatic reptiles, leads me to explore a bit of the part where Mokele Mbembe are usually sighted in or around water. But, could a 70 ton sauropod really swim? Yes, there is evidence that suggests some species of sauropod did indeed swim, but they're mostly believed to have inhabited more spacious areas than Congo's rainforests, which are extremely thick and impenetrable. But come on, a sauropod that survived the KT extinction would certainly have evolved some strategies to aid it in these regions, so that's being quite picky. The brownish color, the spikes and the... ...very loud roar, are also things that are attributed to this cryptid. The natives tell countless stories about Mokele Mbembe breaking canoes in half, by just submerging. As well as many reports of an unknown loud roar, that's often heard by nightfall... These spine-chilling tales are some of what makes Mokele Mbembe seem so real, whether it's a 30 meter long or 5 meter long animal. But, there are also natives saying the very word Mokele Mbembe simply means "rainbow", "mystery" or "rubbish". Which is plausible too, but not as cool. In the end, nature doesn't care what's cool or not. If it has no place in the ecosystem, it either has to go or find a way. Which actually reminds me of talking about another approach for Mokele Mbembe's existence: Creationism. While I respect and like to hear everyone's opinions, as I know many of our viewers share this belief, I am team Darwin. That's all I am comfortable saying. And being an assumed evolutionist, I find Mokele Mbembe could also be an amphibian, a mammal, or something new. That's if it even exists. But even if it doesn't, it does make for great stories. And if we can have great tales about ancient gods, mighty creatures, and such, why not cryptids? We have to start looking at cryptids as more than an excuse to go on dangerous expeditions. They also make for great action/horror media. And it's okay if you look at our depiction of the Mokele Mbembe and think it's just too big to be plausible. But can you look past that? Can we also have great dramatic story lines featuring this and other cryptids, and just accept them as they are. And how these fictional animals fit the world they're built to be in? Of course cryptids such as Mokele Mbembe will always be a subject for great discussion, and that's amazing, but they can also be so much more. That's why there's no need in telling us these animals are fake. That's killing the chance for any interesting discussion. Another story about Mokele Mbembe tells that an entire native village once hunted one specimen down, and proceeded to eat it, dying in the result. That's assuming it either had some sort of skin poison, or it was severely undercooked and they died of food poisoning. One could say that this creature was made up by Europeans, and the African people just took the myth in, to attract more people into visiting their countries. It's actually a very plausible theory too, but I personally think there's more to it than just a pretext for tourism. In the end, it's also important for us to acknowledge that no dinosaur fossils have ever been uncovered from the Congo, as it has been constantly under pressure ever since the Europeans started dividing the African territories. And that's precisely where our graphic novels are situated, just before King Leopold II from Belgium, granted the vast wilderness of the Republic of Congo all to himself. Yes, not to Belgium, but to himself... ...without ever stepping a foot in this region. There are so many intricacies to is reign of terror, that no Congolese cryptid could ever even compare. We are still the scariest species to step foot on this planet. Not a million Mokele Mbembe could change that, and our books cover this theme. Well, we don't actually have a million Mokele Mbembe, but you get the point. Tales of a forgotten world will always mesmerize people, and are quite frankly my favorite kind of stories. Although, and not to sound too preachy, if Mokele Mbembe does exist and is right now roaming the depths of the Mayombe, it should also be left alone, by the natives and outsiders alike. It's just an animal trying to get by, and if it is indeed a sauropod, we can't even fathom the horrors and apocalyptic events this animal had to have gone through. But I also know that we, humans, tend to cover every single square inch on this Earth, so, it's only a matter of time before Mokele Mbembe and other cryptids are ultimately proven to be real or not. Until then, don't forget to like this video, share, comment your opinion, subscribe if you haven't yet, and hit the bell icon to keep updated on the Mokele Mbembe. Until next time!