Monsters: Dingonek

Each day this week, I will be presenting a cryptid monster you might not have heard of during this "What the Freak Is It?" week on Ghost Hunting Theories. At the end of my presentation on the information regarding the creature, I will give you a flash horror short story based on the beast.

This time, we go to Congo in Africa to learn about a cryptid called the Dingonek. This is reportedly a scaly, saber-toothed creature with tusks. It supposedly lives in the creeks and lakes of the area and was even reportedly portrayed on a cave drawing.

From Wikipedia "The description by John Alfred Jordan, an explorer who said that he actually shot at this unidentified monster in the River Maggori in Kenya in 1907, claimed this scale-covered creature was as big as 18 feet long and had reptilian claws, a spotted back, long tail, and a big head out of which grew large, curved, walrus-like tusks. A shot with a .303 only served to anger it."

 

Dingonek Threat

 

 

The waters stirred with such soft and subtle pluck that the man eating his lunch on the shore gave it no notice. The birds in the trees screamed, the monkeys screeched, but still the man continued with his banana and the last crumbs of his meat pie.

 

 

Today, he had gathered more than enough fruits from the jungle and was ready to bring them back and sell them in the market place, but right now, he was feeling a bit lazy and drowsy as he laid back against the soft ground near the shore of the large pool in the creek.

 

A loud splashed warned him there might be more dangerous animals in the waters enjoying the beautiful day. The man sat up and squinted across the glinting pool at the sight of a head and neck rising from the water and heading to the other shore. The scales on its flesh reflected the blue sky and the man leaped to his feet all at once, remaining still and quiet, hoping it didn't notice him.

 

It lolled its head back and forth and turned in profile, looking upriver. Then, the man saw the long tusks pointing towards the water and realized this was no rhino. Whatever it was, it wasn't natural.

 

He creeped back on the pads of his feet towards the brush and eyed the nearby trees for one he might climb should it decide to cut through the small pond and head his way.

 

As he slipped between the first two bushes, the monster turned towards him, head up at the sky as a large vulture flew overhead. It opened its enormous mouth, sharp teeth glistening as it snapped the giant bird from the air and dove down into the depths of the once still pond again.

**For a collection of my short stories, check out "Don't Go There! A Flash Horror Anthology" where every story is timed so you know how long it'll take to read depending on your time constraints and the variety of many dozens of short stories cover the gamut of every horror subject possible with a special features section in the end that has short nonfiction stories of me being alone in places no one wants to be alone in. This is available in paperback on Amazon, Kindle and Nook (link above).**