Encounter Atlas
Mbielu-mbielu-mbielu means 'the animal with planks growing out of its back'. It is said to live in the rivers and lakes of the Likouala swamp region of the northern Republic of the Congo, the same area linked with mokele-mbembe and emela-ntouka.
It is described as staying mostly underwater with only its back showing, and the 'planks' are often said to be green with algae. The first reported sighting is placed near Epena.
Biologist Roy Mackal gathered descriptions on his Congo trips around 1980. One local woman picked out a picture of a Stegosaurus, though she said she had never seen the animal and was repeating what her elders told her. Mackal himself leaned towards a large monitor lizard, and others suggest a crocodile with a ridged back.
What witnesses report
- A ridged or plated back just above the water
- Plates green with algae
- Mostly active in the afternoon
Famous cases
- 1980Roy Mackal's expedition collects descriptions
Epena, Likouala, Republic of the Congo
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