Deep in the jungles of Sumatra there lives a creature few outsiders have ever seen, a
bipedal (walks on two legs) species of ape or proto-humanoid that stands roughly one meter
tall and is generally reported as being covered in an orange fur or
hair, similar to the Orangutan. Locals call it "Orang Pendek", which means Short Person
in Indonesian. This is
the name given to an animal that people have been seeing for hundreds of years in
and around Kerinci-Seblat National Park
in central Sumatra. However, the Orang Pendek is described
as being distinctly different from the Orangutan in that it is more
humanoid in appearance and walks in a completely upright, human-like
posture. One of the most fascinating aspects of this animal is its bipedality. Can you guess the
only ape we know of that walks primarily bipedally? Us humans! The existence of another
bipedal ape could force us to reconsider fundamental questions about our own evolution.
Without fail, local witnesses and legends describe Orang Pendek as: an ape, who standing between three and five feet tall and covered
with fur, with a strong chest and arms, the creature walks upright along the ground like a human. Though short in stature, many witnesses report it to have a thick,
muscular upper body, and the strength to uproot small trees. Orang
Pendek is said to eat vegetation and small animals.
Even though its name means
"short person", everyone will tell you that, "Of course it's not a person, it's an animal!"
Consider orang-utans, whose name means "forest person". Apes and monkeys have been ascribed
human-like qualities throughout history in this region of the world. It poses no threat
to humans, though it can become quite ferocious when cornered. It is a
creature well known to Sumatrans, but only relatively recently
researchers have begun to investigate the truth behind Orang Pendek. Consider also that
Orang Pendek is almost never described as being magical or spirit-like in nature. I think this is
an important point in that, while legends of forest spirits and magical beings abound in the
local culture, Orang Pendek is described matter-of-factly as just another animal of the forest.
There have never been any reports of Orang Pendek corpses or bones or
body parts preserved in villages like the Tibetans do with Yeti skull
caps (or goat skull caps, take your pick). There's nothing at all that a scientist would
call evidence. There is tons of anecdotal evidence in the form of
ancient legends and verbal reports, but none of that can be tested.
There are footprint casts, which tend to be dismissed by most
primatologists because they are indirect evidence of indirect evidence
of something that's said to leave footprints exactly like those of a
child. When you analyze footprints, you're up against some pretty long
odds.
No specimen, living or dead, has ever been recovered, and little
evidence exists beyond stories and footprints. Even barring the
footprint evidence, the wide range of sightings alone calls for some
investigation, and they're tough to dismiss. Some claim supposed
sightings of Orang Pendek are misidentifications of local, known
animals. The orangutan and gibbon are two primates that inhabit the same
region, but if historical witness accounts are to be believed neither
are likely explanations for this bizarre creature.
Others believe Orang Pendek is possibly an unknown species of primate.
Recently, much more attention has been focused on legends of the Orang Pendek because of the discovery of the Indonesian "hobbit" or Homo floresiensis on the nearby island of Flores in 2003. Homo floresiensis
is an extremely small species of human that was known to have survived
at least until 12,000 years ago, which means it likely co-existed on the
island with modern homo sapiens. According to local legend, which names Homo floresiensis the ebu gogo,
it survived until at least the year 1900, and may still be alive today.
Some researchers think that the Orang Pendek is the same species as the
ebu gogo. The Orang Pendek is often classified as a proto-pygmy, a type of smaller, more human-like hairy humanoid.
Is it reasonable to think that if Homo floresiensis were able to migrate
to the island of Flores in ancient times, they may have gained a
foothold in Sumatra as well?
Could Orang Pendek be an unknown primate, or is there an undocumented
species of human running around the jungles of Sumatra? Or, Orang Pendek
may be the product of misidentified animals, and generations of
campfire stories dating back to a time when modern humans shared the
land with a bizarre but now extinct creature. Perhaps someday we’ll know
the truth, but until then the short people of the forest will remain a
mystery. Maybe there is an Orang Pendek, but so far, if
you want to believe in it, that's all you have to go on: Your own
belief.
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