Encounter Atlas
The orang mawas, or simply mawas, is a hairy, upright creature reported in the jungles of Johor in southern Malaysia, and sometimes in Singapore. It is described as tall, covered in black fur, and seen catching fish and raiding fruit orchards.
Local Orang Asli people call it hantu jarang gigi, the 'snaggle-toothed ghost'. Claimed sightings go back to 1871, and a burst of reports in the mid-2000s drew national news coverage in Malaysia.
Some fans link it to the extinct giant ape Gigantopithecus. Scientists point to misidentified sun bears or orangutan stories, as 'mawas' is also a Sumatran name for the orangutan.
What witnesses report
- A tall figure with black fur walking upright
- Large footprints near rivers
- Fruit orchards raided
- Fish taken from rivers
Famous cases
Seen the Orang Mawas?
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