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Kor
Pterosaur figure from Tonga
Two pterosaur-shaped figures from Tonga.
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Background
Type Flying cryptid, living dinosaur
First Sighting Unknown
Last Sighting 2008
Country Papua New Guinea
Habitat Caves
Possible Population Low to medium

The Kor is a flying cryptid from Manus Island, Papua New Guinea. It is described as a creature similar to the Ropen, which lives on Umboi Island, some 410 km South of Manus Island.

Description[]

Descriptions strongly suggest that they are at least similar to the ropen of Umboi Island, perhaps the same species: They can glow (bioluminescence ability) with various colors, a long tail, “skin all over it,” and a few creatures growing to a large size.

The kor catch fish “by skimming slowly around on the ocean surface, then as the light under their wings and belly glowed bright and attracted fish, the kor would swoop in” and “they eat in flight.”

Sightings[]

A report of the kor came from a Papuan named R.K. R.K. reported that the kor were common and very dangerous to humans, at least until the early 1940s. When the Japanese came to Papua, they were attacked by these creatures. The soldiers then shot and wounded them, then followed them to their caves and blew up the entrances. To make sure the creatures were dead, the soldiers called for their ships to fire on the hills where the caves were and they pounded them for several hours. This account was learned by R.K. from the elders of Manus Island.

The last recorded kor attack on a human was from the early 1960s. A kor attacked a fisherman, destroyed his canoe and forced him to fight back using a traditional fishing spear. The animal's tail and jaws took a heavy toll as it followed him to shore where a sea cave runs into a crevice. Badly wounded, he wedged the spear into a crevice and took the animal through the mouth with the spear, killing it. The fisherman crawled out and was found by villagers. He died three days later.

In 2010, R.K. reported that there were lights swooping over fish shoals between Rambutyo and lou Baluan islands. Two years earlier on a boating trip he could see the lights soaring over him and heard the flapping of wings. The creature dived into the sea and then erupted out of it.

Explanations[]

  • The kor might be a relic pterosaur similar to the Ropen and the Solomon Islands Dragon Snake, due to it's similar description of bioluminescence, leathery wings, long tail, large size, and aggresiveness to humans. The behavior of fishing/diving into the sea with lights (to attract fish) and then surfacing again is similar between the three.
  • Another theory is that they are dragon-like cryptids. Although the Dragon Snake of the Solomon Islands is able to breathe fire, this cryptid isn't.
  • They may be another giant flying primate like the Ahool or the Orang Bati.

See Also[]

Trivia[]

  • The creatures in the 2008 movie "Warbirds" might be inspired by this cryptid.
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