Encounter Atlas
The ropen is a flying creature from the folklore of Umboi Island and neighbouring islands in Papua New Guinea. It is described as featherless, with leathery wings, a long tail ending in a diamond-shaped flap, and, most strikingly, a body that glows at night.
Since the 1990s a handful of American expeditions, several of them driven by young-earth creationists hoping to find a living pterosaur, have travelled to Umboi to interview witnesses. They reported distant glowing lights but brought back no clear photographs. Scientists point to large fruit bats and frigatebirds, and to bioluminescent fungi or meteors for the lights.
What witnesses report
- A slow-moving glowing light at night
- Leathery wings and a long tail with a flap at the end
- Seen over reefs and grave sites
Famous cases
- 1994First Western expedition
Umboi Island, Papua New Guinea - 2004Two Umboi Island expeditions
Umboi Island, Papua New Guinea
Seen the Ropen?
Tell us what happened. Every report is read by a person before it goes on the map, and you can stay anonymous.
