Cryptids of New Zealand: Part 2

Katrina Borthwick - 9 December 2024

In part one of my delve into obscure local cryptids we looked at the Kabagon, which bore more than a passing resemblance to an elephant seal, the Roa Roa, which was likely a case of mistaken identity of livestock, and the Rotomahana Saurian, which may well have been a floating tree. Here are three more cryptids I found that appear to have rational explanations:

Zuiyo Maru Creature

The Zuiyo Maru Creature is another sea monster. This ‘creature’ was actually a corpse, caught by the Japanese fishing trawler Zuiyō Maru off the coast of New Zealand in 1977. The catch initially sparked a flurry of speculations that it was a plesiosaurus.

The body actually turned out to be that of a dead basking shark. The rotting process of this shark transforms the corpse from something that looks like a shark, into something that looks more like a sea monster. Different parts of the shark soften and decompose at different rates, changing its shape as it rots.

It turns out marine scientists are pretty accustomed to this particular misidentification, and for this story, which repeatedly makes the rounds, researchers recently commented that “nothing ever dies on the internet”. I feel their pain!

Moehau Man

Moehau man is the kiwi version of a yeti. This is said to be a humanoid creature Coromandel-Moehau ranges of the North Island.

It’s likely to be an escaped gorilla or baboon.

“An old retired seafarer who lived at Kikowhakarere had told a story of an pet baboon, on a ship anchored off the bay, which had been teased by the crew. To escape taunts it had taken refuge in the rigging. Approached by its tormentors, it leaped to the water, swam ashore and disappeared into the hills.”

Although this does sound like a possibility, our climate wouldn’t really suit a baboon, so it wouldn’t have lasted very long. In 1970, County Councillor Jim Reedy reportedly said that the Hairy Moehau was an exaggeration which started from a joke. So, the kiwi sense of humour could be to blame here.

Dusky Sound Beast

The Dusky Sound Beast, also called the Dusky Sound Kangaroo, was reported in New Zealand in 1831. It was allegedly an enormous kangaroo seen by sailors. Here is what the account said:

The men had been boating in a cove in some quiet part of the inlet where the rocks shelved from the water’s edge up to the bushline. Looking up they saw a strange animal perching at the edge of the bush nibbling the foliage. It stood on its hind legs, the lower part of its body curving into a thick pointed tail, and when they took note of the height it reached against the trees, allowing five feet for the tail, they estimated it stood nearly thirty feet in height!

….When it finally saw them, the animal stood watching the men for a short time, then made one almighty leap from the edge of the bush towards the water’s edge. There it landed on all fours but immediately stood erect before making another great leap into the water. The men were able to measure the first jump and found it covered twenty yards. They watched the animal plough its way down the Sound at tremendous speed, its wake extending from one side of the Sound to the other.

There are also some theories that the Dusky Sound Beast was a giant sloth. Giant sloths were a prehistoric animal, but are now extinct. Although they looked a bit terrifying, they were vegetarian and not particularly threatening (like our Editor, Mark). It is very unlikely anything this big survived without being noticed – it would need a lot of food to survive, and would leave a pretty obvious trail through the bush. Most large animals and birds native to New Zealand have been eaten already anyway.

I was not able to come up with a plausible explanation for what this creature could be, but another quote from the account may be on the money:

Here again one is tempted to think the rum was talking, and for an Australian going away from home for months on end, what other animal would stir the imagination but a kangaroo?

Indeed.