SUKU ONI : The Jungle Dwarf of Sulawesi

Introduction:  

Stories abound of pygmy hominins still inhabiting remote regions of the Indonesian archipelago. The most well known of these is the so called Ebu Gogo of Flores, however most of  the recent reports circulating in the Indonesian media have come from the neighboring and much larger island of Sulawesi. In September of 2016 I was able to spend two weeks investigating these stories and below is summary of my findings.

Possible Classification:
Homo floresiensis
Homo erectus (Pygmy form)

Names: 

Suku Oni (Oni Tribe)
Orang Kerdil (Dwarf Person)

Location & Habitat:
Equatorial  monsoon forests of southern Sulawesi, particularly

the region known as the Bone Regency (pronounced bone-eh).

Physical description:

Described has having a human-like body but standing well under four feet in height with long hair extending down to its shoulders and a minimal amount of body hair. Usually not clothed, however some were reported to be wearing a garment similar to a loincloth.

Behavior:

Believed to be nocturnal since most accounts refer to them being encountered at night as they moved around with torches. It is also said that they had tool-making abilities, and would often leave plates outside the cave.Very inquisitive and would venture close to the village when festivities were taking place. Not considered threatening, however some locals suspected that they were half "Jin", which translates to demon.

Comments:
Most of the information was obtained from the village of Dekko in the heart of the Bone region. After conducting interviews with village elders and plantation workers and then exploring the cave, it is very possible that a family of Suku Oni inhabited the area until the late 1950s or early 1960s. Most people felt that they relocated to another area after being betrayed by the villagers. However a couple of farmers who have fields near the cave entrance still felt that one or two individuals might of stayed behind and inhabit the cave to this very day. It is also claimed that deep in the recesses of the cave lies a large chamber where a village made of stone and wood is to be found. However due to the extremely narrow size of the passages and cavities it has never actually been seen.

My personal feeling is that due to extreme habitat loss occurring throughout the island and a lack of recent encounters that these pygmy hominins went extinct some decades ago.The objective now would be to find their physical remains as well as artifacts associated with them.

A size comparison diagram depicting a Suku Oni with a human and a siamang.

The village of Dekko in the Bone Regency of south Sulawesi.

Main entrance to the alleged Suku Oni cave.

One of many narrow passages in the cave.

Larger cavity within the cave. 

Interesting formation on the floor of the cave.

ORANG PENDEK EXPEDITION 2016: The Tall One And Other Strange Tales From The Recent Past

Before being asked to leave the plantation by park rangers, over half a dozen villagers came to visit us to discuss their encounters with Orang Pendek or Orang Itam as they called them. Most of the reports were very recent which was excellent news, however I was also related two very fascinating stories that took place over forty years ago.

The first event occurred on the plantation around 1973/74 when large 20-inch footprints were discovered. A few days later a massive and hairy hominoid was seen walking through a grove of cinnamon trees by one of the locals. Based on the height of the trees the eyewitness estimated the creature to be a staggering 13 feet in height or more. Unfortunately it was never seen again and the locals dubbed it Orang Tinggi, or the tall person. In other parts of Sumatra these elusive giants are sometimes referred to as Orang Gadang. Interestingly its size and description corresponds very closely to the Orang Dalam/Mawas of southern Malaysia and it's highly likely that these creatures are of the same, albeit extinct,species.

The other story occurred a few years later in the same region but the exact location could not be remembered. Apparently during the height of the rainy season an Orang Pendek lost its footing and fell into a raging river and was swept downstream. Its body was then deposited in a large irrigation ditch or small canal near a plantation and the remains were viewed by dozens of locals for a period of several days.The decomposing corpse was then suddenly removed and its fate is unknown to this day. The most probable scenario is that it was buried, or does some individual in the Kerinci Valley posses its skeletal remains?

ORANG PENDEK EXPEDITION 2016: Into The Fray Radio Podcast

 I recently had the opportunity to discus my ongoing research into Orang Pendek and other anomalous primates with Shannon LeGro, the host of Into the Fray Radio. This is only my second podcast since I began investigating relict hominids some eight years ago, and I hope to do them on a more regular basis. You can listen to the show here:

https://intothefrayradio.com/Episodes/itf-43-international-cryptids-orang-pendek-yeti-daniel-antal/

ORANG PENDEK EXPEDITION 2016 : Initial Photo Report

Just returned from Sumatra so I've had a couple of days to reflect on what transpired over the course of two weeks. I can now say that this was a very fascinating and at times challenging expedition with its share of frustrating moments.

My first post will simply be a short photographic summary and I will discuss various aspects of what took place in more detail in the weeks to come.

UPCOMING ORANG PENDEK EXPEDITION

On April 2nd I will be entering the equatorial rain forests of Sumatra to conduct my fifth Orang Pendek expedition.The objective this time around will be to set up trail cameras and DNA traps in multiple locations with an emphasis on Mount Kerinci. This 3805m high stratovolcano has a long history of sightings and is surrounded by large tracts of unspoiled highland rain forest which are virtually unexplored. The perfect habitat for this creature and possibly the best place for obtaining photographic and physical evidence to prove its existence.

Once again I will be teaming up with one of the most experienced guides in the region, Endatno Een, who himself encountered the creature on the slopes of Mt. Kerinci some twenty-five years ago.

I expect to post my first photos and  initial findings shortly after I return in late April.

THE MANY RETURNS OF ORANG MAWAS

Discussing animal tracks with wildlife officials on a plantation in central Malaysia that was said to be frequented by an Orang Dalam. The tracks turned out to be those of a large solitary tapir.

The very first cryptid that I investigated was the anomalous primate historically called Orang Dalam ( Interior Man ). More commonly known today as Orang Mawas or the Johor Hominid,this creature is said to inhabit the lowland rain forests,or what's left of them in the southern Malaysian states of Johor and Pahang.

Virtually unknown to the outside world until stories of enormous tracks and jungle giants began trickling out of Orang Asli settlements in the late 1960s. It then  made international headlines when writer and adventurer Harold Stevens and photographer Kurt Rolfes found and photographed possibly the most convincing hominid trackway to date on a riverbank near the headwaters of the Endau river in 1970.You can see these amazing images here :

http://www.haroldstephens.net/node/258

http://www.rolfes.net/argosycover.jpg

In the years since there have been sporadic reports of tracks and sightings but nothing of real significance.The following is a collection of photos from various investigations which I have conducted over the past eight years. Unlike my research into Orang Pendek I have yet to organize a proper "full blown" expedition into the heart of the jungle inhabited by the "Man of the Interior". However,that may change in the very near future.