Orang Pendek (Indonesian for "short person") is the most common name given to a cryptid that reportedly inhabits remote, mountainous forests on the island of Sumatra. The animal has allegedly been seen and documented for at least one hundred years by forest tribes, local villagers, Dutch colonists, and Western scientists and travelers. Consensus among witnesses is that the animal is a ground-dwelling, bipedal primate that is covered in short fur and stands between 80cm and 1.5m tall.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]} Cryptids are creatures presumed extinct or hypothetical species of creature known from anecdotal evidence and/or other evidence insufficient to prove their existence with scientific certainty, or just sightings from people on what they creature they saw. ... A hominid is any member of the biological family Hominidae (the great apes), including the extinct and extant humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans. ... Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470,000 km²) and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two larger islands, Borneo and New Guinea, are partially in Indonesia). ... This article is about the rainforest. ... Cryptids are creatures presumed extinct or hypothetical species of creature known from anecdotal evidence and/or other evidence insufficient to prove their existence with scientific certainty, or just sightings from people on what they creature they saw. ... Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470,000 km²) and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two larger islands, Borneo and New Guinea, are partially in Indonesia). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The term Western world or the West (also on rare occasions called the Occident) can have multiple meanings depending on its context (i. ... A biped is an animal that travels across surfaces supported by two legs. ... Families 15, See classification A primate is any member of the biological order Primates, the group that contains all the species commonly related to the lemurs, monkeys, and apes, with the latter category including humans. ...

Location

While Orang Pendek or similar animals have historically been reported throughout Sumatra and Southeast Asia, recent sightings have occurred largely within the Kerinci regency of central Sumatra and especially within the borders of Taman Nasional Kerinci Seblat (Kerinci Seblat National Park) (TNKS).^[8][1][2] The park, 2° south of the equator, is located within the Bukit Barisan mountain range and features some of the most remote primary rainforest in the world. Habitat types within TNKS include lowland dipterocarp rainforest, montane forests, and volcanic alpine formations on Mt. Kerinci, the second highest peak in Indonesia.^[8] Because of its inaccessibility (evidenced by its continued existence despite the rampant logging occurring throughout Sumatra), the park provides one of the last homes for the endangered Sumatran Tiger. Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... Kerinci Seblat National Park is the largest national park in Sumatra. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... Logging is the process in which trees are felled (cut down) usually as part of a timber harvest. ... Trinomial name Panthera tigris sumatrae Pocock, 1929 Distribution map The Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) is found only on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. ...

The animal

Orang Pendek has yet to be fully documented and no authoritative accounts of its behavior or physical characteristics exist. However, witnesses report a few characteristics so consistently that a likely picture of the animal can be conjectured.

Physical description

Frequently reported

• Ground-dwelling^{[1][3][2][5][6][7]}
• Bipedal^{[1][3][2][4][5][6][7]}
• covered in short, grey-to-brown fur^{[3][2][4][6][7]}
• 80cm to 150cm tall^{[1][3][2][5][6][7]}
• divergent big-toe (i.e. separated from other toes as a thumb is from the other fingers)^[4]
• largely herbivorous^[7]

Other reports

• blackish-brown,^[7] red-brown,^[5] golden-brown,^[7] yellow,^[7] or orange^[4] fur
• short-legged with long, powerful arms^[3][7]
• seen in trees^[1][7]
• inverted feet, to hide direction of travel^[7]

From Debbie Martyr

Debbie Martyr is a prominent Orang Pendek researcher who has worked in the area for over 15 years, has interviewed hundreds of witnesses, and alleges to have seen the animal personally on several occasions.

...usually no more than 85 or 90cm in height — although occasionally as large as 1m 20cm. The body is covered in a coat of dark grey or black flecked with grey hair. But it is the sheer physical power of the orang pendek that most impresses the Kerinci villagers. They speak in awe, of its broad shoulders, huge chest and upper abdomen and powerful aims [sic]. The animal is so strong, the villagers would whisper that it can uproot small trees and even break rattan vines. The legs, in comparison, are short and slim, the feet neat and small, usually turned out at an angle of up to 45 degrees. The head slopes back to a distinct crest — similar to the gorilla — and there appears to be a bony ridge above the eyes. But the mouth is small and neat, the eyes are set wide apart and the nose is distinctly humanoid. When frightened, the animal exposes its teeth — revealing oddly broad incisors and prominent, long canine teeth.^[3] Genera Calamus Calospatha Ceratolobus Daemonorops Eremospatha Eugeissonia Korthalsia Laccosperma Metroxylon Myrialepis Oncocalamus Pigafetta Plectocomia Plectomiopsis Raphia Zalacca Zalacella Rattan (from the Malay rotan), is the name for the roughly six hundred species of palms in the tribe Calameae, native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australasia. ...

Reported dietary habits

Sightings by locals often take place in farmland on the edge of the forest, where Orang Pendek is allegedly seen walking through fields and raiding crops (especially corn, potatoes, and fruit).^[5] Locals with experience in the forests claim that Orang Pendek seeks out ginger roots,^[9] a plant known locally as "pahur" or "lolo", young shoots, insects in rotting logs, and river crabs.^[7]

Names

Orang Pendek and similar cryptids from this area of the world are also referred to as Uhang Pandak (local Kerinci dialect), Sedapa,^[1] Batutut,^[3] Ebu Gogo, Umang,^[2] Orang Gugu,^[6] Orang Letjo, Atoe Pandak, Atoe Rimbo, Ijaoe, Sedabo, and Goegoeh.^[10] The Batutut is a proposed hominid Cryptid thought to inhabit the Vu Quang nature reserve and other wilderness areas of Viet Nam and Laos. ... Ebu Gogo is a human-like creature (or race of creatures) which appears in the mythology of the people of the island of Flores, Indonesia, of similar form to the leprechaun or elf. ...

Sources

Witnesses from many different backgrounds have reported seeing Orang Pendek over the last hundred years.

Suku Anak Dalam

The Suku Anak Dalam (roughly, "Children of the Inner-forest"), also known as Orang Kubu or Orang Rimba, are a group of people who have traditionally lived in the forests of Kerinci and surrounding areas. Orang Pendek have been a part of their world for centuries. As long as outsiders have documented their culture, this tribe has described the animal as a co-inhabitant of the forest. They know the bounds of Orang Pendek territory and will often leave offerings of tobacco to keep them happy.^[6]

Local villagers

Local Indonesian villagers provide the largest source of lore and information on Orang Pendek. Hundreds of locals claim to have either seen the animal personally or can relate stories of others who have. While the conjectured physical description listed above is consistently reported by this group, other, less credible characteristics such as inverted feet or magical- or ghost-like behavior are also reported.^[3]

Dutch colonists

Dutch settlers in the early 20th century provided Westerners with their modern introduction to Orang Pendek-like animals in Sumatra. Two accounts in particular are widely reported: (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999...

• Mr. Van Heerwarden, who described an encounter he had while surveying land in 1923:

I discovered a dark and hairy creature on a branch... The sedapa was also hairy on the front of its body; the colour there was a little lighter than on the back. The very dark hair on its head fell to just below the shoulder-blades or even almost to the waist... Had it been standing, its arms would have reached to a little above its knees; they were therefore long, but its legs seemed to me rather short. I did not see its feet, but I did see some toes which were shaped in a very normal manner... There was nothing repulsive or ugly about its face, nor was it at all apelike.^[1]

• Mr. Oostingh, who saw a strange creature while walking in the forest:

I saw that he had short hair, cut short, I thought; and I suddenly realised that his neck was oddly leathery and extremely filthy. "That chap's got a very dirty and wrinkled neck!" I said to myself. His body was as large as a medium-sized native's and he had thick square shoulders, not sloping at all... he seemed to be quite as tall as I. Then I saw that it was not a man. It was not an orang-utan. I had seen one of these large apes a short time before. It was more like a monstrously large siamang, but a siamang has long hair, and there was no doubt that it had short hair.^[2]

Western researchers

The most widely-known Western researcher to have attempted to document Orang Pendek is a British woman named Debbie Martyr. Along with British photographer Jeremy Holden, she engaged in a 15-year project beginning in the early 1990s and funded by Fauna and Flora International. The scope of the project was to systematically document eye-witness accounts of the animal and to obtain photographic proof of its existence via camera-trapping methods. Debbie and Jeremy did not succeed in proving its existence (Debbie has since moved on to head TNKS's Tiger Protection and Conservation Unit), but they collected several foot print casts that appear to be from Orang Pendek and claim to have personally seen the animal on several occasions while working in the forest.^[3] For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Fauna and Flora International logo - the Arabian Oryx The Fauna and Flora Preservation Society, officially the Fauna and Flora International, was founded in 1903 as the Society for the Preservation of the Wild Fauna of the Empire by a group of British naturalists and American statesmen in Africa. ...

Hairs and casts of a foot print found by two British men, Adam Davies and Andrew Sanderson, while traveling in Kerinci were analyzed by scientists from 2001 to 2003. Dr. David Chivers, a primate biologist from the University of Cambridge, compared the cast with those from other known primates and local animals and concluded: The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University), located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world and has a reputation as one of the worlds most prestigious universities. ...

the cast of the footprint taken was definitely an ape with a unique blend of features from gibbon, orang-utan, chimpanzee, and human. From further examination the print did not match any known primate species and I can conclude that this points towards there being a large unknown primate in the forests of Sumatra.^[11] Families Hylobatidae Hominidae Apes are the members of the Hominoidea superfamily of primates, which includes humans. ... Genera Hylobates Hoolock Nomascus Symphalangus Gibbons are the small apes that are grouped in the family Hylobatidae. ... Type species Simia pygmaeus Linnaeus, 1760 Orangutan distribution Species Pongo pygmaeus Pongo abelii The orangutans are two species of great apes known for their intelligence and their long arms and reddish-brown hair. ... Type species Simia troglodytes Blumenbach, 1775 distribution of Species Pan troglodytes Pan paniscus Chimpanzee, often shortened to chimp, is the common name for the two extant species in the genus Pan. ... Trinomial name Homo sapiens sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 Humans, or human beings, are bipedal primates belonging to the mammalian species Homo sapiens (Latin: wise man or knowing man) in the family Hominidae (the great apes). ... In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ...

Dr. Hans Brunner, a hair analysis expert from Australia famous for his involvement in the case of Lindy Chamberlain in 1980, compared the hairs to those of other primates and local animals and concluded that they originated from a previously undocumented species of primate.^[11] Dr. Todd Disotell, a biological anthropologist from New York University, recently performed DNA analysis on the hairs and found nothing but human DNA in the sample. He stressed, however, that contamination by people who handled the hairs could have introduced this DNA and that the original DNA could have decomposed.^[12] Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton (born 4 March 1948, née Alice Lynne Murchison) was at the center of one of Australias most publicised murder trials, in which she was convicted of killing her baby daughter, Azaria. ... New York University (NYU) is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational institution in New York City. ... Genetic fingerprinting or DNA testing is a technique to distinguish between individuals of the same species using only samples of their DNA. Its invention by Sir Alec Jeffreys at the University of Leicester was announced in 1985. ... The structure of part of a DNA double helix Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions for the development and function of living organisms. ...

Currently, National Geographic is funding a multi-year camera-trapping project led by Dr. Peter Tse of Dartmouth College and aimed at providing photographic documentation of Orang Pendek. The project began trapping in TNKS in September 2005.^[12] The National Geographic Society was founded in the USA on January 27, 1888, by 33 men interested in organizing a society for the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge. ... Dartmouth College is a private, coeducational university located in Hanover, New Hampshire, in the United States. ... 2005 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- → Deaths in September September 28 : Constance Baker Motley September 25 : M. Scott Peck September 25 : Don Adams September 20 : Simon Wiesenthal September 14 : Robert Wise September 10 : Hermann Bondi September 8 : Donald Horne September 7 : Moussa Arafat...

Possible explanations

Three possible explanations of Orang Pendek's identity are prominent:

1. that all sightings can be explained as the mistaken identification of local animals,
2. that witnesses of Orang Pendek are describing a previously undocumented species of primate, or
3. that a species of early hominid still lives in the Sumatran jungle.^[3][7]

Mistaken identity

Many locals say Orang Pendek's feet look like those of a seven-year-old child, evidenced by foot prints they have found while walking through the forest. However, another local animal, the Sun Bear, is a likely source of these sightings. Bears in general are known for having feet that look quite human-like, and the Sun Bear's would match those of a child fairly well. In addition, gibbons populate the forests in this area and are known to occasionally descend to the ground and walk for a few seconds at a time on two legs. Witnesses could possibly be seeing orangutans; however: 1) this species has long been thought to have died out in all but the northern regions of Sumatra and 2) witnesses almost never describe the animal as having orange fur.^[3] Binomial name Ursus (Helarctos) malayanus (Raffles, 1821) The sun bear (Ursus malayanus), is found primarily in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Undocumented primate

Orang Pendek's reported physical characteristics differentiate it from any other species of animal known to inhabit the area. All witnesses describe it as an ape- or human-like animal. Its bipedality, fur coloring, and southerly location on the island make orangutans an unlikely explanation, and its bipedality, size, and other physical charactistics make gibbons, the only apes known to inhabit the area, unlikely as well. Many therefore propose that Orang Pendek could represent a new genus of primate or a new species or subspecies of orangutan or gibbon.^[3] For other uses of the word, please see Genus (disambiguation). ... In zoology, as in other branches of biology, subspecies is the rank immediately subordinate to a species. ...

Missing link/hominid theory

As far back as Mr. Van Heerwarden's account of Orang Pendek, people have speculated that the animal may in fact be a "missing link" (a hominid representing an earlier stage in human evolution). In October 2004, scientists published claims of the discovery of skeletal remains of a new species of human (Homo floresiensis) in caves on Flores Island (another island in the Indonesian archipelago) dating from 12,000 years before the present. The species was described as being roughly one meter tall. The recency of Homo floresiensis' continued existence and the similarities between its physical description and the accounts of Orang Pendek have led to renewed speculation in this respect.^[1] Look up missing link in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A hominid is any member of the biological family Hominidae (the great apes), including the extinct and extant humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... October 2004 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December See also: October 2004 in sports Events Deaths in October • 29 HRH Princess Alice • 25 John Peel • 24 James Cardinal Hickey • 23 Robert Merrill • 19 Paul Nitze • 18 K. M. Veerappan • 16 Pierre Salinger • 10 Christopher... Trinomial name Homo sapiens sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 Humans, or human beings, are bipedal primates belonging to the mammalian species Homo sapiens (Latin: wise man or knowing man) in the family Hominidae (the great apes). ... Binomial name †Homo floresiensis P. Brown , 2004 Homo floresiensis (Man of Flores) is the name for a possible species in the genus Homo, remarkable for its small body, small brain, and survival until relatively recent times. ... There is more than one entry in wikipedia for Flores Island: Flores, an island arc in Indonesia. ... The Mergui Archipelago An archipelago is a landform which consists of a chain or cluster of islands. ...

Recently, Henry Gee, editor of the scientific journal Nature, wrote: This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Nature is one of the most prominent scientific journals, first published on 4 November 1869. ...

The discovery that Homo floresiensis survived until so very recently, in geological terms, makes it more likely that stories of other mythical, human-like creatures such as Yetis are founded on grains of truth.... Now, cryptozoology, the study of such fabulous creatures, can come in from the cold.^[13] Geology (from Greek γη- (ge-, the earth) and λογος (logos, word, reason)) is the science and study of the Earth, its composition, structure, physical properties, history, and the processes that shape it. ... Look up Legend in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... “Abominable Snowman” redirects here. ... Cryptozoology is the search for animals that are rumored to exist, but for which conclusive proof is missing. ...

References

1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar). ... November 9 is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 1 is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... BBC Wildlife is a British glossy, all-colour, monthly magazine about wildlife, founded by BBC Worldwide and published on their behalf by their subsidiary, Origin Publishing. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 30 is the 150th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (151st in leap years). ... The current BBC News logo BBC News and Current Affairs is a major arm of the BBC responsible for the corporations newsgathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 30 is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 62 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 30 is the 150th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (151st in leap years). ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 12 is the 285th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (286th in leap years). ... The current BBC News logo BBC News and Current Affairs is a major arm of the BBC responsible for the corporations newsgathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 30 is the 150th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (151st in leap years). ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Faber and Faber is a celebrated publishing house in the UK, notable in particular for publishing the poetry of T. S. Eliot. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Fortean Times is a British monthly magazine devoted to the anomalous phenomena popularised by Charles Fort. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 30 is the 150th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (151st in leap years). ... Kerinci Seblat National Park is the largest national park in Sumatra. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 17 is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 12 is the 285th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (286th in leap years). ... The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper distributed in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International which is in turn owned by News Corporation. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 30 is the 150th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (151st in leap years). ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 30 is the 150th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (151st in leap years). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 4th redirects here. ... This article is about the US television channel. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... July 8 is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• National Geographic expedition to camera-trap for Orang Pendek, July 2006
• "Short Man of the Forest: The Search for Orang Pendek" from the Banyak Films, June 2006
• International Monkey Hunter, investigation into the Orang Pendek story
• The Cryptid Zoo: Orang-Pendek