Mystery 'Bigfoot' ape hidden inside remote museum could rewrite history books

[psyche101]

Mystery 'Bigfoot' ape hidden inside remote museum could rewrite history books

Provocative title? Made ya look!

When the 200kg animal was first encountered by Congolese villagers they feared it was a “devil” or a “monster”. Six years on, the “Chimporilla” has eluded classification because the world’s top primatologists are split on whether it's a gorilla, chimpanzee, hybrid, or some strange new creature.

One conservationist has declared it's confounding mystery similar to the legendary North American "Bigfoot".

Kisangani University’s Dr Casimir Nebesse was part of a team that retrieved the Chimporilla's lifeless body from a tree and collected it for scientific research in 2018. He had been contacted by villagers who claimed to have killed it in self-defence. “They told us this animal had made trouble. It destroyed the crops, banana plants, cassava, then it began to attack the population of this village," he told Yahoo News Australia.

The Chimporilla was found in the town of Bayaguma on Congo's “Bushmeat Highway”, 25km from Kisangani. But despite there being hundreds of dead jungle animals strung up for sale along the notorious stretch of road, villagers had never encountered anything similar.

But one thing that appears clear is the reported uniqueness of the animal as no similar remains have been collected in the area – however an unverified story suggests villagers may have killed and eaten a female and her baby days before the male attacked.

 

 

 

Are such hybrids possible? Legends says a breed in Africa that locals call Koolakamba is quite possibly a giant chimp gorilla hybrid. 

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koolakamba

In November 1996, a picture of an unusual ape (taken by Peter Jenkins and Liza Gadsby at the Yaounde Zoo, Cameroon) was featured in the Newsletter of the Internal Primate Protection League (IPPL). This picture showed a seemingly hybrid ape with wider face and a larger skull than that of a chimpanzee and smaller than that of a gorilla. The ape in the picture had features that seemed to belong to both the gorilla and the chimpanzee.[5]

Scientifically, it has not been determined if the Koolakamba is a subspecies of chimpanzee, a gorilla-chimpanzee hybrid, or perhaps simply a product of individual variation. Yerkes reported several "unclassifiable apes" with features intermediate between chimpanzee and gorilla in his 1929 book "A Study of Anthropoid Life." It is believed that these are regional races of chimpanzee classified as separate species by over-enthusiastic scientists.

 

 

Hybrid? New species? 

Nice to know there may still be some mysteries out there waiting for us. A new animal of significant size would be fascinating in this day and age. 

Edited July 8 by psyche101

[Grim Reaper 6]

2 hours ago, psyche101 said:

Mystery 'Bigfoot' ape hidden inside remote museum could rewrite history books

Provocative title? Made ya look!

When the 200kg animal was first encountered by Congolese villagers they feared it was a “devil” or a “monster”. Six years on, the “Chimporilla” has eluded classification because the world’s top primatologists are split on whether it's a gorilla, chimpanzee, hybrid, or some strange new creature.

One conservationist has declared it's confounding mystery similar to the legendary North American "Bigfoot".

Kisangani University’s Dr Casimir Nebesse was part of a team that retrieved the Chimporilla's lifeless body from a tree and collected it for scientific research in 2018. He had been contacted by villagers who claimed to have killed it in self-defence. “They told us this animal had made trouble. It destroyed the crops, banana plants, cassava, then it began to attack the population of this village," he told Yahoo News Australia.

The Chimporilla was found in the town of Bayaguma on Congo's “Bushmeat Highway”, 25km from Kisangani. But despite there being hundreds of dead jungle animals strung up for sale along the notorious stretch of road, villagers had never encountered anything similar.

But one thing that appears clear is the reported uniqueness of the animal as no similar remains have been collected in the area – however an unverified story suggests villagers may have killed and eaten a female and her baby days before the male attacked.

 

 

 

Are such hybrids possible? Legends says a breed in Africa that locals call Koolakamba is quite possibly a giant chimp gorilla hybrid. 

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koolakamba

In November 1996, a picture of an unusual ape (taken by Peter Jenkins and Liza Gadsby at the Yaounde Zoo, Cameroon) was featured in the Newsletter of the Internal Primate Protection League (IPPL). This picture showed a seemingly hybrid ape with wider face and a larger skull than that of a chimpanzee and smaller than that of a gorilla. The ape in the picture had features that seemed to belong to both the gorilla and the chimpanzee.[5]

Scientifically, it has not been determined if the Koolakamba is a subspecies of chimpanzee, a gorilla-chimpanzee hybrid, or perhaps simply a product of individual variation. Yerkes reported several "unclassifiable apes" with features intermediate between chimpanzee and gorilla in his 1929 book "A Study of Anthropoid Life." It is believed that these are regional races of chimpanzee classified as separate species by over-enthusiastic scientists.

 

 

Hybrid? New species? 

Nice to know there may still be some mysteries out there waiting for us. A new animal of significant size would be fascinating in this day and age. 

I just finished reading the article in the link, it’s pretty interesting based upon the available information. I don’t understand why they have not completed a DNA test on the animal, I mean they have had it in their possession since 2018 (6 years) this seems a little strange to me. Until today I never realized that Chimps and Gorillas could produce offspring. One thing that’s interesting is the weight of the Chimporilla which was 200 pounds, a normal Chimpanzee male weights approximately 154 lb and the female weighs approximately 110 lb. I suspect the creature may be a hybrid based on the information that is available.

Additional information: Gorillas and Chimpanzees are unable to mate and produce hybrid offspring because there DNA dissimilar!

Breeding rates.
No, chimpanzees and gorillas are unable to mate. For a gorilla and a chimpanzee to have youngsters, their DNA is too different and they are too far apart from each other in terms of evolution that is a gorilla shares 98 % DNA with human beings and chimpanzee shares 99 % DNA with a human beings hence making DNA from each other. Because of the extreme differences between the two species, neither one even attempts to mate with a member of the other during the estrous cycle.

https://www.gorilla-tracking.com/blog/can-a-gorilla-breed-with-a-chimpanzee/#:~:text=That being said%2C there are,gorillas are unable to mate.

Great thread pysche, thank you very much for sharing this my friend it’s very interesting!

 

Edited July 8 by Grim Reaper 6

[Occupational Hubris]

I have to imagine this will have a conclusion similar to the Bili ape hubbub in the early 2000's. They turned out to just be a regular subspecies of eastern chimpanzee and most of the claims were highly exaggerated. 

This one looks much like a chimp that was shoot in the face and terribly stuffed an mounted.

[Antigonos]

You **** stirrer 😂

[the13bats]

13 hours ago, Grim Reaper 6 said:

I just finished reading the article in the link, it’s pretty interesting based upon the available information. I don’t understand why they have not completed a DNA test on the animal, I mean they have had it in their possession since 2018 (6 years) this seems a little strange to me. Until today I never realized that Chimps and Gorillas could produce offspring. One thing that’s interesting is the weight of the Chimporilla which was 200 pounds, a normal Chimpanzee male weights approximately 154 lb and the female weighs approximately 110 lb. I suspect the creature may be a hybrid based on the information that is available.

Additional information: Gorillas and Chimpanzees are unable to mate and produce hybrid offspring because there DNA dissimilar!

Breeding rates.
No, chimpanzees and gorillas are unable to mate. For a gorilla and a chimpanzee to have youngsters, their DNA is too different and they are too far apart from each other in terms of evolution that is a gorilla shares 98 % DNA with human beings and chimpanzee shares 99 % DNA with a human beings hence making DNA from each other. Because of the extreme differences between the two species, neither one even attempts to mate with a member of the other during the estrous cycle.

https://www.gorilla-tracking.com/blog/can-a-gorilla-breed-with-a-chimpanzee/#:~:text=That being said%2C there are,gorillas are unable to mate.

Great thread pysche, thank you very much for sharing this my friend it’s very interesting!

 

No DNA tests and I mean by legit scientific not drop bears charlatans pretty much means someone knows it's nothing special.

[Grim Reaper 6]

Just now, the13bats said:

No DNA tests and I mean by legit scientific not drop bears charlatans pretty much means someone knows it's nothing special.

I share your skepticism, but one thing is certain: a Chimpanzee/Gorilla hybrid is not possible. As previously mentioned, their DNA differences preclude the possibility of producing offspring.

[the13bats]

12 hours ago, Occupational Hubris said:

I have to imagine this will have a conclusion similar to the Bili ape hubbub in the early 2000's. They turned out to just be a regular subspecies of eastern chimpanzee and most of the claims were highly exaggerated. 

This one looks much like a chimp that was shoot in the face and terribly stuffed an mounted.

And that brings in my next reason to think nothing special, when a taxidermist starts using artistist license and creating gaffs it's art not science
A lot of people thought the figji mermaids or mountain men were real.

[Piney]

15 hours ago, psyche101 said:

Mystery 'Bigfoot' ape hidden inside remote museum could rewrite history books

Provocative title? Made ya look!

When the 200kg animal was first encountered by Congolese villagers they feared it was a “devil” or a “monster”. Six years on, the “Chimporilla” has eluded classification because the world’s top primatologists are split on whether it's a gorilla, chimpanzee, hybrid, or some strange new creature.

One conservationist has declared it's confounding mystery similar to the legendary North American "Bigfoot".

Kisangani University’s Dr Casimir Nebesse was part of a team that retrieved the Chimporilla's lifeless body from a tree and collected it for scientific research in 2018. He had been contacted by villagers who claimed to have killed it in self-defence. “They told us this animal had made trouble. It destroyed the crops, banana plants, cassava, then it began to attack the population of this village," he told Yahoo News Australia.

The Chimporilla was found in the town of Bayaguma on Congo's “Bushmeat Highway”, 25km from Kisangani. But despite there being hundreds of dead jungle animals strung up for sale along the notorious stretch of road, villagers had never encountered anything similar.

But one thing that appears clear is the reported uniqueness of the animal as no similar remains have been collected in the area – however an unverified story suggests villagers may have killed and eaten a female and her baby days before the male attacked.

 

 

 

Are such hybrids possible? Legends says a breed in Africa that locals call Koolakamba is quite possibly a giant chimp gorilla hybrid. 

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koolakamba

In November 1996, a picture of an unusual ape (taken by Peter Jenkins and Liza Gadsby at the Yaounde Zoo, Cameroon) was featured in the Newsletter of the Internal Primate Protection League (IPPL). This picture showed a seemingly hybrid ape with wider face and a larger skull than that of a chimpanzee and smaller than that of a gorilla. The ape in the picture had features that seemed to belong to both the gorilla and the chimpanzee.[5]

Scientifically, it has not been determined if the Koolakamba is a subspecies of chimpanzee, a gorilla-chimpanzee hybrid, or perhaps simply a product of individual variation. Yerkes reported several "unclassifiable apes" with features intermediate between chimpanzee and gorilla in his 1929 book "A Study of Anthropoid Life." It is believed that these are regional races of chimpanzee classified as separate species by over-enthusiastic scientists.

 

 

Hybrid? New species? 

Nice to know there may still be some mysteries out there waiting for us. A new animal of significant size would be fascinating in this day and age. 

Lion Killers. I read some stuff on them long, long ago. I think they are a big chimp because chimps and gorillas are too genetically far apart to have offspring.

One theory I had was that they were Edgar Rice Burroughs' Great Ape in his Tarzan books.  

[Earl.Of.Trumps]

Chimporilla? I suppose it could be but why the indecision, why no DNA tests? It's been like this for years...?

I guess they don't care because they know what it is.

[the13bats]

28 minutes ago, Earl.Of.Trumps said:

Chimporilla? I suppose it could be but why the indecision, why no DNA tests? It's been like this for years...?

I guess they don't care because they know what it is.

Thanx for repeating my post.

[the13bats]

Reminds me of De loys ape hoax

ape hoax

[psyche101]

5 hours ago, Piney said:

Lion Killers. I read some stuff on them long, long ago. I think they are a big chimp because chimps and gorillas are too genetically far apart to have offspring.

One theory I had was that they were Edgar Rice Burroughs' Great Ape in his Tarzan books.  

I thought of the Bili Apes too, as it sems did @Occupational Hubris. They had ground nesting if I remember correctly, more a gorilla habit. That's where I'm heading with the Koolokamba angle. A sub species perhaps.

 

18 hours ago, Occupational Hubris said:

I have to imagine this will have a conclusion similar to the Bili ape hubbub in the early 2000's. They turned out to just be a regular subspecies of eastern chimpanzee and most of the claims were highly exaggerated. 

This one looks much like a chimp that was shoot in the face and terribly stuffed an mounted.

The Bili ape had some very specific characteristics though, whilst the lion killing legend may have been exaggerated, I find it particularly interesting that they exhibit a flatter face and a straight-across brow resembling that of gorillas as well as early onset graying. 

I'm wondering if the "Chimporilla" might be a specimen of Koolokamba, perhaps another sub species of chimp with specific habits? 

[psyche101]

14 minutes ago, the13bats said:

Reminds me of De loys ape hoax

ape hoax

The spider monkey with a chopped off tail.

I think the box it was sat on was identified bringing the height from the claimed five feet down to about three. Could be wrong. Old memory that one. 

[psyche101]

6 hours ago, Grim Reaper 6 said:

I share your skepticism, but one thing is certain: a Chimpanzee/Gorilla hybrid is not possible. As previously mentioned, their DNA differences preclude the possibility of producing offspring.

That's certainly a show stopper for a hybrid theory! 

[psyche101]

2 hours ago, Earl.Of.Trumps said:

Chimporilla? I suppose it could be but why the indecision, why no DNA tests? It's been like this for years...?

I guess they don't care because they know what it is.

From the link:

 

Because the samples took so long to ship, they became less of a priority. They now sit at the University of Antwerp. But Laudisoit believes they can be sent to the city’s zoo for testing this year.

 

Hopefully they will test. 

Like the Pangboche hand, it will more likely be the death of a legend.

[the13bats]

6 minutes ago, psyche101 said:

From the link:

 

Because the samples took so long to ship, they became less of a priority. They now sit at the University of Antwerp. But Laudisoit believes they can be sent to the city’s zoo for testing this year.

 

Hopefully they will test. 

Like the Pangboche hand, it will more likely be the death of a legend.

As long as they don't test for DNA they can tell any tale they like as soon as they test for DNA accredited lab peer review etc then it's over right,

Let's not forget that the pangboche hand has a very colorful story where folks who earn a living off crypto live to make claims that the DNA tests came from the human parts Peter Burns wired to it when it clams he stole parts of it,

There was an unexplained mysteries episode where a Dr ( can't spell his name too lazy to look) claimed to have taken some of burns original samples and stashed them away before DNA was a thing sadly the episode doesn't DNA test them and I've heard nothing more about it, being that the late DNA scientist Brian sikes ( spelling,)
Proved the yeti is a type of bear which the native people always confirmed and Reinhold messner also agreed his research showed.
The yeti is solved.

[+Hammerclaw]

21 hours ago, psyche101 said:

Mystery 'Bigfoot' ape hidden inside remote museum could rewrite history books

Provocative title? Made ya look!

When the 200kg animal was first encountered by Congolese villagers they feared it was a “devil” or a “monster”. Six years on, the “Chimporilla” has eluded classification because the world’s top primatologists are split on whether it's a gorilla, chimpanzee, hybrid, or some strange new creature.

One conservationist has declared it's confounding mystery similar to the legendary North American "Bigfoot".

Kisangani University’s Dr Casimir Nebesse was part of a team that retrieved the Chimporilla's lifeless body from a tree and collected it for scientific research in 2018. He had been contacted by villagers who claimed to have killed it in self-defence. “They told us this animal had made trouble. It destroyed the crops, banana plants, cassava, then it began to attack the population of this village," he told Yahoo News Australia.

The Chimporilla was found in the town of Bayaguma on Congo's “Bushmeat Highway”, 25km from Kisangani. But despite there being hundreds of dead jungle animals strung up for sale along the notorious stretch of road, villagers had never encountered anything similar.

But one thing that appears clear is the reported uniqueness of the animal as no similar remains have been collected in the area – however an unverified story suggests villagers may have killed and eaten a female and her baby days before the male attacked.

 

 

 

Are such hybrids possible? Legends says a breed in Africa that locals call Koolakamba is quite possibly a giant chimp gorilla hybrid. 

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koolakamba

In November 1996, a picture of an unusual ape (taken by Peter Jenkins and Liza Gadsby at the Yaounde Zoo, Cameroon) was featured in the Newsletter of the Internal Primate Protection League (IPPL). This picture showed a seemingly hybrid ape with wider face and a larger skull than that of a chimpanzee and smaller than that of a gorilla. The ape in the picture had features that seemed to belong to both the gorilla and the chimpanzee.[5]

Scientifically, it has not been determined if the Koolakamba is a subspecies of chimpanzee, a gorilla-chimpanzee hybrid, or perhaps simply a product of individual variation. Yerkes reported several "unclassifiable apes" with features intermediate between chimpanzee and gorilla in his 1929 book "A Study of Anthropoid Life." It is believed that these are regional races of chimpanzee classified as separate species by over-enthusiastic scientists.

 

 

Hybrid? New species? 

Nice to know there may still be some mysteries out there waiting for us. A new animal of significant size would be fascinating in this day and age. 

South American spider monkey propped up on an 18-inch square ammo box.

[psyche101]

6 minutes ago, Hammerclaw said:

South American spider monkey propped up on an 18-inch square ammo box.

Thanks hammer.

I though that was the case. The box allows for perspective. Puts the five foot claim right out the window.

[+Hammerclaw]

56 minutes ago, psyche101 said:

Thanks hammer.

I though that was the case. The box allows for perspective. Puts the five foot claim right out the window.

One look at the feet tells it's not bipedal.

[Oniomancer]

8 hours ago, Piney said:

Lion Killers. I read some stuff on them long, long ago. I think they are a big chimp because chimps and gorillas are too genetically far apart to have offspring.

One theory I had was that they were Edgar Rice Burroughs' Great Ape in his Tarzan books.  

Arthur Jermyn's long-lost cousin.

[Grim Reaper 6]

5 hours ago, psyche101 said:

That's certainly a show stopper for a hybrid theory! 

Yea it really does, but that thing weighed 200+ pounds and a normal male Chimpanzee weighs up to a 154 pounds so maybe it's a new species.

[psyche101]

2 hours ago, Oniomancer said:

Arthur Jermyn's long-lost cousin.

The chimps? 

I was thinking more Ron Jeremy on that front.

[+Hammerclaw]

Most people don't realize an adult male chimpanzee can weigh up to a hundred and fifty-four pounds, with a bipedal height over five feet. What most people visualize when thinking of chimps are their small children.

[psyche101]

35 minutes ago, Hammerclaw said:

Most people don't realize an adult male chimpanzee can weigh up to a hundred and fifty-four pounds, with a bipedal height over five feet. What most people visualize when thinking of chimps are their small children.

When I've seen them fight in documentaries it really becomes apparent just how formidable they are. Very strong. I suppose their lifestyle is pretty much gym all day isn't it. 

[Piney]

8 hours ago, psyche101 said:

I thought of the Bili Apes too, as it sems did @Occupational Hubris. They had ground nesting if I remember correctly, more a gorilla habit. That's where I'm heading with the Koolokamba angle. A sub species perhaps.

 

The Bili ape had some very specific characteristics though, whilst the lion killing legend may have been exaggerated, I find it particularly interesting that they exhibit a flatter face and a straight-across brow resembling that of gorillas as well as early onset graying. 

I'm wondering if the "Chimporilla" might be a specimen of Koolokamba, perhaps another sub species of chimp with specific habits? 

Thinking about it. 

Didn't we discuss the Bili once back in our Bigfoot hunting days?