Silwane Mazzi is a cryptid reported from KwaZulu-Natal Provinsie, South Africa.
The name is explained as meaning unpleasant water animal in Bantu, but the word generally means crocodile in Bantu.
Only one sighting is known. In 1937, a person named Aleko Lilius saw a dinosaur-like creature with a scaly body surface between the mouth of the Mofolozi River and the sea. He examined the area where the dinosaur-like creature had just been and found a three-fingered footprint 16 inches long, 13 centimeters wide, and four feet in stride.
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Explanations[]
Cryptozoologist Ivan Sanderson suggested that Silwane Mazzi may be a survivor of the dinosaur hadrosaur. Hadrosaur has been found in Africa in a species called Ajnabia from Morocco. However, it is highly unlikely that it actually survived due to time and environmental issues.
Others believe that Silwane Mazzi may be a rhinoceros because it is a large African creature with three toed feet.
Trivia[]
These were introduced by Michael Newton, but several other sources refer to a cryptid with a very similar name, Silwane Manzi. Since the witnesses and place names are the same and more information is known for Manzi than for Mazzi, it is possible that they originally referred to the same sighting and the name was passed on in error.
Sources[]
- book: Michael Newton (2005). Encyclopedia Of Cryptozoology: A Global Guide To Hidden Animals And Their Pursuers. McFarland Publishing. ISBN 978-0786420360
- book: George M. Eberhart(2002). Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology. Abc-Clio Inc. ISBN 979-1576072836