January 25, 2025 at 3:49 pm

Do Sauropods Live In Congo? The Truth Behind Mokele-Mbembe.

by Jen Sako

Source: Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain / Charles R. Knight

No, sauropods don’t roam the Congo, but that didn’t stop the idea from gaining traction in cryptozoology circles.

This alleged dinosaur, often called Mokele-Mbembe or “one who stops the flow of rivers” in Lingala, was described as a massive, long-necked herbivore wading through African rivers.

Its origins, however, are as murky as the swamps it was said to inhabit.

One theory suggests the legend arose from misidentified local wildlife like elephants or hippos, which are undeniably river-stopping creatures. Cryptozoologists argue that these animals, when seen from a distance, might resemble a dinosaur-like figure.

Of course, it was untrue—but as zoologist, Prehistoric Planet lead consultant, and cryptozoology expert 
Dr Darren Naish discovered that didn’t stop the idea from spreading far and wide.

But the leap to calling it a sauropod may also reflect outdated Western stereotypes. In the early 1900s, some Westerners viewed Africa as a land frozen in time, reinforcing the notion that prehistoric creatures might still roam its jungles.

This “dino-mania” was fueled by explorers’ accounts and publications like Carl Hagenbeck’s Beasts and Men (1909) and Roy Mackal’s A Living Dinosaur? (1987).

Source: Pexels

“The witnesses described animals that were 15 to 30 feet long, mostly head, neck and tail, the” href=”https://www.icr.org/article/search-congo-dinosaur”>Institute for Creation Research quotes Mackal’s book. “The head was distinctly snake-like, a long thin tail, and a body approximating the size of an elephant, or at least that of a hippopotamus.

The legs are short, with the hind legs possessing three claws. The animals are a reddish brown and have a rooster-like frill running from the top of the head down the back of the neck.”

Mackal was a biochemist by trade at the University of Chicago, but, as “href=”https://mag.uchicago.edu/science-medicine/roy-mackals-wild-speculation”>UChicago Magazine explains, he felt trapped in the confines of his lab, where he studied viruses.

Although, the accounts in his book are widely dismissed by scientists, Mackal’s expeditions in search of cryptids didn’t cost him his job, thanks to tenure. They earned him scorn from peers, however, and even inspired a villain in Disney’s Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend (1985).

Ultimately, Mokele-Mbembe’s story is likely a mix of misinterpretations, dinosaur fever, and colonial biases. While there’s no evidence of living dinosaurs, the legend remains a fascinating case study in how myths are born and evolve.

As for real-life dinosaurs, we’ll have to settle for their modern descendants: birds. Unless, of course, someone figures out how to bring them back…

But would we want to?

If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about 50 amazing finds on Google Earth.