Comments on: Emela-Ntouka: Africa’s Killer of Elephants

By: linnaeus1758

linnaeus1758 — Thu, 17 May 2012 06:15:49 +0000

I think a good match for the Emela-Ntouka is the Elasmotherium except for the tail. Was big as an elephant an had a huge single horn. But the Elasmotherium was shaggy and lived in cold places. But who knows? could be an descendant. And if the Emela-Ntouka had supposed ears the most likely is that it is a mammal. But that heavy tail is very intriguing.

By: valst

valst — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:30:20 +0000

An Chinese version of Emela-ntouka? Maybe all ceratopids didn't have a neck frill or maybe it was gender or age determined? One of three or four crypto mysteries here;

By: Brindle

Brindle — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 16:28:53 +0000

Do I remember correctly that Heuvelmans mentioned a creature in Madagascar that looked like a hippo with big floppy ears?

I do not believe a horn was mentioned, but still, it seems coincidental.

By: CryptoInformant

CryptoInformant — Sun, 29 Jan 2006 04:55:37 +0000

goldgrif is probably right, the “ears” do appear to actually be a vestigial frill.

By: goldgrif

goldgrif — Wed, 25 Jan 2006 16:27:25 +0000

one thing I notice, has anyone thought about evolution being a factor in it’s appearance?
If certopsian, and evolved over 65 million years, it’s frill may have become vestigial.

By: U.T. Raptor

U.T. Raptor — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 22:58:39 +0000

The sculpture appears to be a mix of multiple creatures (mostly elephant, with some rhino and possibly crocodile)…

By: CryptoInformant

CryptoInformant — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 03:14:31 +0000

If those ears were a frill, they would be even larger.

By: CryptoInformant

CryptoInformant — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 23:51:42 +0000

A) The Ngouba may be Arsinotheirium or a close relative, which had 4 horns, the two largest of which were on the snout, and two small ones were on the forehead.
B) The savannah Emela-Ntouka is clearly a ceratopid.
C) The Emela-Ntouka is probably a species of elephant, because, as prehistory shows, trunks aren’t a necessary feature, and tusks can come out anywhere.

By: Loren Coleman

Loren Coleman — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 12:08:36 +0000

Most people have a mental image of a rhinoceros as a dryland mammal because of the African savannah variety. But in general, there is much association between rhinos, water, and rivers. In Africa, the range of rhinos is determined, usually, by the waterways. The Indian rhino wallows in lakes, rivers, and temporary pools. The rhinos of Indonesia are too. Indeed, in terms of the most “primitive,” behaviorally and biologically, the Sumatran rhino, you have here a rhino in Asia while nothing like a hippo, it nevertheless is more clearly semi-aquatic in habitat and habits, than purely only dry land restricted.

As to artists’ depictions of large vs small ears, ears vs frills, and so on, this is going to have to take some sorting out between eyewitness accounts, the sculpture artists, and cryptozoologists on site.

Good discussion here.

By: Gurpreet

Gurpreet — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 11:57:22 +0000

Could it be that the sculptor’s depiction of ears could in actuality be the creature’s neck frill? Large, flaplike ears would probably be more of a hindrance to an aquatic or semi-aquatic animal. Hippos, e.g., have small ones.
As to the aquatic-rhino hypothesis, is there any documented behavioral correlate in known rhino species? I have never seen pictures or videos of rhinos that are bathing or swimming in large bodies of water, rivers, etc.