Bunyip

 Bunyip

Large water monster, huge mouth, crocodile tail

 

is described in several different ways. It is often described as having a huge mouth with long sharp teeth and the tail of an enormous crocodile. Its body though, can either be snake-like or furry and human-looking.

 

Descriptions of the bunyip vary, ranging from unusual to completely bizarre. Some of the first written accounts found in the newspapers of white settlers say it had the head of a crocodile with a dog-like face, tail of a horse, tusks, horns, flippers, and sported a thick coat of dark fur.

 

Even stranger accounts describe the bunyip as having traits of both land- and water-dwelling animals, with long claws and powerful hind legs. Some say the creature was a water spirit that took the form of a giant starfish. Still others claim it had one large eye on its head and a mouth on its stomach.

 

A drawing of Australia’s bunyip from 1890

 

Newspaper reports, eyewitness testimony, journal entries, and even physical findings make a case for the bunyip. It’s not a strong case, but the world of cryptozoology has worked with less.

 

Large bones found in a Wellington cave were thought to be that of a bunyip. In 1845, strange fossils were discovered that led one newspaper to declare it a new animal. Such physical “evidence” outweighs the current proof for Bigfoot.