African Mythological Creatures
In the Congo River basin, this creature lives in the water and supposedly resembles a dinosaur or the Loch Ness monster, around the size of an elephant.
- Descriptions vary, but this being is very large and its name refers to a beast that "stops the flow of rivers" in local Lingala.
This evil little creature is found in Zulu lore and can be summoned to wreak havoc or bring chaos to someone's life if they have wronged you. What is it called?
- Obambo
Shifting between a human appearance during the day and a bat-like creature with one eyeball at night, this demonic entity attacks both men and women as they sleep. What is it?
- Found in Swahili lore and the stories of Tanzania and Zanzibar, the name Popobawa translates to "bat wing", which is fitting.
Can you name this creature that has a crocodile's body, a horse's head, and a giraffe's long neck, residing in the Gambia River?
- Thankfully, the Gambia River is a large body of water as this entity is said to be between 30 and 50 feet in length.
What is the name in Afrikaans for the serpent-like entity that dwells in South Africa's Richtersveld area, reaching sizes of up to 60 feet long?
- Curious cryptozoologists might find more than a creature in its local habitat as legends say that the Grootslang's cave is full of diamonds.
Similar to tales of Bigfoot and other monkey-like creatures, what is this ghostly cryptid from Malawi called, walking on two legs and growing to enormous sizes?
- This creature is also called Ufiti in local Malawi dialects and is possibly another cryptid that stems from the mind playing tricks on you in the forest.
What do you call this vampire that hails from Ghana and Togo, appearing as a firefly that will shape-shift if caught?
- This being is known to feed on human blood while in insect form, including spreading malaria and other diseases.
What is the name of this supernatural avian creature from South Africa that can influence the weather, with its name translating to "lightning bird"?
- Similar to the Thunderbirds of Native American lore, these birds can control storms, wind, and lightning, as well as shape-shift.
Reportedly a huge reptile with featherless wings, you might find this beast in swamplands. What is it called?
- The first sighting of the Kongamato recorded in English dates to 1932, but legends stretch back much farther than that.
What is the name of this South African beast, common in Zulu and Xhosa stories, that appears as a giant eel, feasting on people and animals?
- Supposedly, the Inkanyamba has some sort of control over the weather and will grow to immense and deadly proportions.
