What is the orang pendek? Well, it’s a cryptid or an animal that is believed to exist but has never been captured or fully proven to exist. In Malaysia and Indonesia, there supposedly lives a humanoid creature called the orang pendek. There are many different names for it in the local languages as well as Malay: Orang Belanda (Dutchman), Orang Gadis (Girl), Orang Utan Pelanduk (Ape-Bear). It is reportedly about 3 to feet 5 tall and walks on two legs.
Orang pendek sightings have been reported by both locals and people from other countries alike. The sightings are just as unexplainable as the creature itself. The main interest in this creature was sparked by the existence of footprints found that could not be identified. The footprints ranged in size from a small dog to a person’s foot.
These creatures are reported as being very shy which may explain why they haven’t been seen or photographed more frequently. The rare reports of orang pendek sightings are usually around primordial forests in the mountains. Sightings were also reported in the primordial forest in Taman Negara. This area is known for its many trails and roads that lead deep into the forest. In 1973, two Bigfoot researchers found footprints of this creature in the jungle near the Panar Jungle Railway. It lives among humans, often in remote villages and forests where they are considered to be enchanted spirits.
The orang pendek’s eyes are large and yellow in color with no white around them. It has large hands with claws that allow it to climb trees. The fur on its body ranges from light brown to black in color. It is rarely seen, but the footprints that it leaves behind have been found, and are measured to be about 3 inches in length. There has been much debate over whether or not this cryptid is actually a hoax. Some belief it to be a type of monkey that has taken on animalistic qualities.
Although the creature has been sighted in several places around the world, there is no comprehensive data about the number of sightings. New Guinea, Indonesia, and Malaysia have reported more sightings; but Indonesia (especially in West Kalimantan) has a lot of cryptid sightings as well as hundreds of footprints found on the ground throughout these regions. It is said that there are many more footprints located throughout South Thailand and Vietnam. However, some people feel that these are fake footprints while others think they are real.
- Orang Pendek (Indonesian for ‘short person’)
- The word “orang” means “person”, while “pendek” means “short”. In other words, an orang pendek is an unusually short person.
- The animal has allegedly been seen and documented for at least 100 years by forest tribes, local villagers, Dutch colonists, and Western scientists and travelers.
- There have also been sightings of this cryptid walking on roads at night time in Malaysia and Indonesia.
- It is also said that if you see an orang pendek, you should pay it respect and offer a small offering in exchange for good luck.
Local villagers describe it as a shy animal that lives deep in the jungle away from human civilization. They say that when they come close it screams or makes whistling sounds like an owl before running off into to the blackness between trees.
In conclusion, orang pendek evidence is rare and mostly consists of footprints and some grainy videos of some blurry, hairy humanoid. Is it real or not we may never know 100%? We could say that we are getting closer to solving the mystery of orang pendek, but it is up to you whether or not you want to believe these things. Either way, there are still many unanswered questions.