Orang Dalam, Mawas or Pendek

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The Orang Pendek is aabout 1 meter tall and recent news in October 2001 has got people really excited...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Orang-Pendek-Expedtion/ (2004 planning)

http://www.jambiexplorer.com/content/orangpendek.htm

Do 'orang pendek' really exist...... ?

It has been a very comprehensive discussion held on this issue, whether the orang pendek lives only inside the minds of those who saw it, mostly people from Kerinci and to the lesser extent the west Sumatra or they are really exist watching us behind the bush..

Orang Pendek as you will find below in the articles we quoted briefly described by people who believe and claimed had met them inside the jungle of Kerinci Seblat as a human-like , nearly 1 - 1.5 meter height, and undangerous creatures. This possibly had been long known by the tradition and cultures that they are the long lost 'brothers' which is in any case give no harm to the society.The world's first recognition to Orang Pendek was initiated by the visit of the famous Marco Polo to Sumatra Island in 1295. Too many versions for the existence of this walking legend . For exmaple, if you are in Bangko district ( nortwest part of Kerinci Seblat National Park ), Orang Pendek is more known to be a dull, notorious people which live in the jungle. Meanwhile in Kerinci highland, you will find the creatures with more mystical and mysterious background, thus make this creatures to be more frightening when you are inside the bush.

It was the Flora Fauna International, in cooperation with the Office of Kerinci Seblat National Park which underwent some guerilla and tiring efforts to start scientifically to get closer to the walking legends. Further reports on their research can be directly get fom the office of National Park which hopefully can be viewed online through this website in the near future.

To this first outline , we from jambiexplorer.com will let you decide whether this cryptozoological phenomenon is exist and worth for more exploration and dicovery, or just simply take on the legend home and have it remains undiscovered........

Article 1 (october 2001)

Oona Riley reports a former journalist leaves London today to try to prove the existence of an elusive species of ape. In an expedition backed by the Flora and Fauna Preservation Society, Debbie Martyr, aged 38, aims to bring back photographic and other evidence, including hair and faecal samples, of an ape that walks upright.

Ms Martyr, former editor of a south London newspaper, has already spent two years in search of orang pendek - literally "short man".

At first, Ms Martyr collated information from tales about the 4ft primate told by the local population on the jungle-clad mountain that dominates Kerinci Sadlat national park on the western side of the island, which until recently was isolated. Her journalist's nose told her she was on to something. In November, after stalking the ape and seeing it three times, she returned with plaster casts of the footprints of what is believed tobe a new species. Experts were impressed. "Our scientists have reported back to us and they think there is something in this," said Dougal Muller, of FFPS. "We believe there is something there or we would not be funding this trip. If it's what we think, it could be a very significant find."

Ms Martyr, whose expedition is being carried out with the help of the Indonesian government, will be accompanied by a photographer. She is in awe of the beast and the task ahead of her. "The first time I saw it I was so shocked I didn't take a picture," she said. "I saw something I didn't expect to see and something so totally new contrary to what I expected. here was a generally bi-pedal erect primate." Its colours correspond to those of the forest floor. "It's beige, tawny, rust red, yellow tan and dark chocolate brown.If he freezes, you can't see him."

She is also aware of her responsibilities. Orang pendek have been getting along quite nicely for millennia. Local people have known about them. They don't hunt them and they respect them because they don't have a monetary significance. "We are about to produce substantive evidence for a new great ape in one of the most important national parks in South-east Asia. We have got a job now, and I have a responsibility now as I have opened the door. "We all have a responsibility to ensure that the animal's future is not threatened as a result of its discovery. She added: "We have an opportunity with the orang pendek to put the records right. We have exploitedthe other great apes, our nearest relatives. It would be a dreadful indictment on us to see that continuing with theorang pendek." The FFPS is also keen to ensure orang pendek is left alone, safe in its own habitat. It wants to prevent a repetition of what happened in the case of the last great ape to be discovered, the mountain gorillas in Rwanda, which now have television camera crews in their territory. "If there's a new species out there - which the experts think there is - there's a much bigger question, which is how to protect and recognise the whole area," said Mr Muller. Also included with the article: a photo of Debbie Martyr holding a plaster cast of the alleged ape's footprint, and an artist's impression (uncredited) of orang pendek. Thescale on this drawing puts the ape's height at 70-75 cm,although the article gives 4 foot.

Taken from http://www.ncf.carleton.ca.

Article 2.

The Undiscovered " Animal " Orang Pendek

The Sumatran Bigfoot It has been described as being an ape-like bipedal creature, under a metre high, immensely strong with broad shoulders, short legs and almost entirely covered in short, dark grey hair.

No-one has yet been able to photograph it, but locals are convinced it exists. The creature, known as the orang pendek or 'short man', is said to live high on a mountainside in West Sumatra. In recent years, the orang pendek has been the cause of extensive research as scientists hope to prove that this creature is in fact real, and not a myth as many sceptics have reason to believe. For the forest villagers, the orang pendek has become part of their natural history and they are genuinely puzzled when other people fail to believe them. Literally dozens of witnesses have described seeing a small, hairy, ape-like creature both in the forest and in fields on the edges of the jungle. When questioned about their sightings, the descriptions they give are virtually identical.

The first recorded sighting of the orang pendek dates back to 1295 when Marco Polo visited the island of Sumatra on one of his expeditions and saw Indonesians hoaxing an ape-like man. For the next seven centuries, sightings were less well documented and it wasn't until 1910 that sightings became more of a regular occurrence.

In 1923, a Dutch gentleman named Mr van Herwaarden was travelling through the region. He was looking at forests to see whether the trees would potentially make good timber. During his stay he spent time tracking wild pigs but, despite seeing countless tracks in the mud, he had little luck. On one occasion, while he was crouching in bushes waiting for the pigs, from the corner of his eye he spotted a small hairy creature in the tree above him. Initially the creature did not notice him but, on seeing him, the animal started shaking violently. Van Herwaarden immediately recognised it as being the orang pendek that the villagers had spoken of so often. After some time he tried to climb the tree to where the creature was sitting but, as he approached, the small hairy creature slid off the branch and ran away. Many people since then have had stories to tell of encountering the orang pendek..

Soon, scientists began to acknowledge that there might be an undiscovered animal in the forests of Sumatra. They began questioning everyone whose stories sounded legitimate. Witnesses were interviewed and asked to select a photograph that most resembled the orang pendek. The selection consisted of primates including siamang gibbons and orang-utans, which seemed the obvious candidates.

Only when they came across a picture of a sitting gorilla was there a positive reaction. In each case the gorilla was selected and this was an encouraging result. Despite all the positive results there were times when the local people were more of a hindrance than a help. For a while, a reward was offered for a specimen of an orang pendek. Shortly after the announcement the body of a juvenile orang pendek was discovered and instantly made headline news. Forty eight hours later, however, the mysterious corpse was identified as an adult langur monkey whose body had been carefully altered by a group of enterprising locals hoping to claim the reward.

Today, scientists and volunteers are trying to determine whether there really is an orang pendek. Traps have been set, and casts are made to document the evidence made by footprints. Last year a major orang pendek project was established, with its base at Sungai Gambir village. The team spent the latter part of the year gathering faecal matter and footprint evidence believed to belong to the orang pendek. They also kept records when they discovered signs of something devouring durian fruit, and recorded calls heard in the forest. Hair samples found on branches were sent off for DNA analysis. There have been no conclusive results so far. More and more organisations are taking a definite interest in the orang pendek and investing time and money into the project, but there are still many questions unanswered. Is there really a primate lurking in the forests of Sumatra, or is it all a figment of the imagination? On the other hand there have been so many sightings that it would seem unlikely that they were all cases of mistaken identity. It is to be hoped that within the next couple of years the truth about the orang pendek will be revealed.

BBC's copyright for the courtesy of The World of The Strange http://www.jb-graphics.com/thestrange/

Orang Mawas (people of illusion) or Orang Dalam (people inside) are 
Malaysia's own BIGFOOT creature similar to Chinese Wildman , Yeti,  
the American Bigfoot or Sasquatch and the Australian Yowie.

Here are reports pulled from the internet. Source: BFRO

Follow this link for fascinating info.

We will be travelling to Endau Lake sometime soon and hope to photograph
some giant footprints if possible.

The Desert News_ January 13, 1995

Malaysian trekkers report fresh footprints of 'Bigfoot'

Deutsche Presse Agentur

KUALA LUMPUR-As the hunt for a massive hairy creature called "Bigfoot" entered its sixth day Thursday, Malaysian trekkers stumbled upon fresh footprints indicating they were close to its hide-out, investigators said.

Army and police units, wildlife experts and jungle tribes joined the search dubbed "Operasi Kaki Besar" in Malay, or "Operation Bigfoot."

They combed several thousand square miles of dense jungle surrounding Tanjung Piai in Johore, the southernmost state of the Malaysian peninsula, where reports of sightings were first received.

Tension mounted when superstitious villagers and jungle tribes feared that the fresh "footprints" could belong to another "Bigfoot," despite government efforts to assure them that there was only one "Bigfoot," not two.

Tribesmen burned twigs and dried leaves, banged tin cans and gongs, performed ritual dances and kept a 24-hour vigil with spears in an attempt to drive away the creature, which they said had been sent to Malaysia by evil forests.

The eight-foot-tall creature's fresh footprints, found in dense undergrowth, measure about 1 1/2 feet long and display only four toes, investigators said.

Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.

[My note--According to the _INFO Journal_ Fall 1969 (vol. 2, no. 1), a
"giant" was seen in Malaysia that was over 17 feet tall in 1966.  Footprints
were found that were 18 inches long, 6 inches wide, and 5 inches deep.]

Newspaper Account:

Village abuzz over sighting of 'mawas'

By Hah Foong Lian
From Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd  January 2, 2000
 
JELEBU: A day into the new millennium, villagers of Kampung Chennah, 28km from here, don't seem to be too enthusiastic about the happenings around the world.
 
They are engrossed instead in talking about a recent claim of a sighting of the elusive mawas (a big ape-like animal).
 
The town is abuzz with the news that the local "Bigfoot" was sighted by villager Liong Chong Shen, who claims that
he saw a couple of mawas when he was at his rubber smallholding and durian orchard a week ago.
 
Kampung Chennah is a small and remote town of 30 households where most of the villagers are smallholders.
 
Liong, 50, claimed that the incident occurred about noon when he was working in the orchard.
 
"Wild boars had been attacking my durian saplings in the orchard, located about 11km from Kampung Chennah. I
went there to chase them away," he said yesterday.
 
Liong said he was busy with the durian saplings when he suddenly sensed a strong animal scent.
 
"I then heard a grunt near the young rubber trees.
 
"My heart started pounding fast when I saw two mawas standing near the rubber trees as I feared they would attack
me," he said.
 
"I was about 10m away from the two mawas and I had a clear view of them," he added.
 
Liong said one was about 1.83m tall with long, black and shiny hair all over its body, including the face.
 
The other was shorter, about 1.52m tall with long and brownish hair all over its body.
 
He said the two just stared at him and later walked away into the jungle.
 

Villager Liong Chong Shen claimed he saw the huge ape-like animal in his orchard in a remote area in the southern state of Negeri Sembilan several days ago, the Sunday Star reported.

Liong told the newspaper he was busy tending fruit trees in his orchard when he sensed a strong animal scent and heard grunts nearby.

"My heart started pounding faster when I saw two mawas standing near the rubber trees as I feared they would attack me," he said. "I was about 10 meters away from them and I have a clear view."

One of the animals was about 1.83 meters tall and with long black and shiny hair all over its body and face while the other was shorter, about 1.52 meters tall with long brownish hair, he said.

The animals just stared at him and walked away into the jungle, he added.

Malaysian trekkers report fresh footprints of 'Bigfoot'

Deutsche Presse Agentur

KUALA LUMPUR-As he hunt for a massive hairy creature called "Bigfoot" entered its sixth day Thursday, Malaysian trekkers stumbled upon fresh footprints indicating they were close to its hide-out, investigators said.

Army and police units, wildlife experts and jungle tribes joined the search dubbed "Operasi Kaki Besar" in Malay, or "Operation Bigfoot."

They combed several thousand square miles of dense jungle surrounding Tanjung Piai in Johore, the southernmost state of the Malaysian peninsula, where reports of sightings were first received.

Tension mounted when superstitiuos villagers and jungel tribes feared that the fresh "footprints" could belong to another "Bigfoot," despite government efforts to assure them that there was only one "Bigfoot," not two.

Tribesmen burned twigs and dried leaves, banged tin cans and gongs, performed ritual dances and kept a 24-hour vigil with spears in an attempt to drive away the creature, which they said had been sent to Malaysia by evil forests.

The eight-foot-tall creature's fresh footprints, found in dense undergrowth, measure about 1 1/2 feet long and display only four toes, investigators said.

Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.

What Is It?"

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (AP) - Footprints measuring 18 inches and having a stride of 12 feet [sic] were discovered at a rubber estate near Segamat, a small town about 80 miles from here, the Straits Times reported. Villagers told newsmen they believe the prints were made by a giant ape.

Southwest American, Saturday, 6 August 1966

"Hint 25-Ft Ape in Asian Jungle"

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Aug. 15 (Reuters) - Rumors about a 25-foot tall ape deep in the Malayan jungle are being published in newspapers here. The Malay Mail said there was talk in a village near Segamat of a shy, harmless, giant with 18-inch footprints living in the jungle, possibly under pressure from advancing civilization and loss of feeding grounds.
[1966]

CREDIT: LOREN COLEMAN

Comments from Loren Coleman: I have other Malaysian reports from 1954 (AP, 3 Jan 1954), 1969 (UPI, 7 Aug 1969), and 1971 (AP, 1 Aug 1971) of "giant ape" sightings and expeditions. Harold Stephens article ("'Abominable Snowman' of Malaysia," Argosy, August, 1971) on Orang Dalam encompasses the sense of these animals from 1871, 1953 and 1959, until his find of the large footprints on the lower Endau River. [Ivan] Sanderson and [Mark] Hall, of course, both mention them too.
Hairy jungle giants in Malaysia have a long tradition of encounters with local peoples, as per recent notice of that fact here, as first stimulated by Jeff Meldrum.