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墨書 Inktalez
There is a video from August 2013, published by the official account of Ikshil Tourism Park, related to Mahamba.
The description indicates that the filming location was on the way from Blair Port in India to Ikshil Park. In the footage, a massive Saltwater Crocodile is curled up on a small sandbar in the center of the river, estimated to be between 20 to 30 feet long, or approximately 6 to 9 meters. Of course, this includes some margin for error in estimation.
The Saltwater Crocodile is currently known to be the largest living reptile in the world. Adult male Saltwater Crocodiles average between 3 to 6 meters in length, while females tend to be smaller and generally do not exceed 3 meters. Due to environmental and human factors, these figures may vary and differ from what is actually observed.
In recent years, larger individuals have been discovered, such as Lolong from the Philippines and an individual from the Northern Thailand Crocodile Lake Zoo. Additionally, some fish bones of Saltwater Crocodiles found by researchers continue to redefine the maximum size for this species.
However, as it stands, their maximum length does not exceed 7 meters, while the crocodiles described by Professor Werner reach sizes more than double that of the largest known Saltwater Crocodiles.
Professor Roy McCall mentions in his text that some unverified reports claim giant saltwater crocodiles measuring between 12 to 15 meters have been found in regions like the Sundarbans in southern India and Papua New Guinea. However, given their lifestyle habits, they clearly cannot be candidates for Mahamba.
Although the Nile Crocodile is slightly smaller than the Saltwater Crocodile, among other known crocodile populations in Africa, such as the Narrow-Snouted Crocodile and Dwarf Crocodile, only the Nile Crocodile could potentially serve as a prototype for the Mahamba incident.
Professor Michael states that in Africa, particularly large or small individual animals are often given special names, but from a zoological perspective, they may not signify different species.
The conservative conclusion suggests that a very large Nile Crocodile has been assigned names like Mahamba or Lipata, and they must be quite old to reach the reported sizes.
Lipata is also an unknown African crocodile found in northern Angola, particularly near the Chumbe River and Kaisar Valley.
In the 1930s and 1940s, Swiss biodiversity scientist Albert Monard began receiving reports of sightings of this crocodile.
Locals claim that there are about two or three of these crocodiles in the area; they typically hide underwater and only surface between 9 and 10 AM. They are particularly active during rainy weather and occasionally appear before sunset.
They attack various livestock such as pigs and cows, and sometimes even consume humans.
Compared to other crocodiles, the common Nile Crocodile has a larger mouth, a wider throat, and its eyes are positioned closer together on the top of its head.
Locally, there is another term for the common crocodile, but Dr. Monard believes that Lipata refers to a few relatively large Nile Crocodiles, as Lipata is generally described as being only 13 to 20 feet long, unlike the Mahamba, which is exceptionally large.
Professor Bernard Heuvelmans, a cryptozoologist, takes a more conservative stance. He argues that without physical evidence, it is difficult to determine the identity of Mahamba; only by finding samples and examining the skin and skull can this issue be truly resolved.
However, he also believes that an old Nile Crocodile could explain the Mahamba or Lipata. Another theory proposed by Professor Roy McCall suggests that Mahamba might be some surviving Deinosuchus, which are true crocodiles that closely resemble modern Nile Crocodiles aside from their size.
Deinosuchus was an extinct giant crocodile and a close relative of modern alligators and caimans. The largest adult specimens measured about 10.6 meters long and lived during the late Cretaceous period, approximately 82 to 73 million years ago.
Of course, this theory is only briefly mentioned in the text. Moreover, most fossils have been found in the United States, with a few discoveries in northern Mexico, widely distributed on both sides of the Cretaceous sea and land. Currently, there is no evidence that Deinosuchus ever existed in Africa.
Considering all the information mentioned above, I personally believe that while there is a possibility of the existence of such large crocodiles as Mahamba, it is not very high.
Firstly, witnesses describe crocodiles exceeding 15 meters in length, and they seem not uncommon in the Congo River basin. However, according to early explorers' records, aside from Professor Werner's encounter and what Professor Michael heard, almost no one mentioned such a giant creature.
In an era when colonial hunting was prevalent, the allure of such a beast would undoubtedly be immense for hunters. Yet sightings seem to have ceased in the 19th century.
From a biological perspective, modern crocodile weight increases almost cubically with length.
For example, a Saltwater Crocodile measuring around 6 meters typically weighs more than twice that of an individual measuring 5 meters.
According to Indian herpetologist Romulus Whitaker, the growth rate of head width in large crocodiles surpasses that of body length. They grow significantly longer during their juvenile stages, after which their growth rate slows down and they begin to grow laterally.
This means that their linear growth rate decreases over time, and at a certain point, they start to become enormous, leading to increased bulkiness as their body length and size increase.
Professor Werner's mention of crocodiles moving quickly, even too fast to shoot at, is another puzzling aspect.
I believe the theory of visual error remains the most reasonable explanation. Just like the videos online regarding Mahamba, there are many such recordings; it is indeed difficult for humans to accurately judge the size of an object with the naked eye from a certain distance.
The possibility arises because, according to Professor Werner's accounts, he was not far from the giant crocodile during both encounters, with the second sighting even resulting in a direct collision with his boat.
If Mahamba truly exists, it must be a new species distinct from the Nile Crocodile, with an adult size that is already substantial and living deep within the dense Congo Rainforest.
So let us maintain our awe for the unknown and look forward to the day when this rainforest mystery is unveiled.
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