Illustration of Bombay's encounter with the muhuru by William Rebsamen.
- Country reported: Kenya
The muhuru is a cryptid reptile reported from Kenya.[1]
Description[]
The muhuru is described as a 7 to 9 foot long, grey-coloured lizard, with a series of fairly large, perfectly triangular ridges along its back. Its head is elongated, like that of a crocodile. Eyewitness Cal Bombay said it was almost identical to an illustration of the ngouma-monene by David Miller.
Sightings[]
1963[]
The muhuru was allegedly seen by missionary Cal Bombay and his wife Marion whilst they were driving in the Great Rift Valley in 1963.[1] Bombay described his sighting in detail on the 100 Huntley Street programme:
- "It was one of the most startling experiences that I have ever had. It was about, in 1963 I think. I was on my way through the old roads of Kenya, back to Nairobi to pick up a car. So I was taking this old Chevrolet that was almost probably too big for the roads because of the pot holes I was going rather slow. It was a hilly country near a place called Muhoroni. That's down in the Rift Valley, but a hilly part of the Rift Valley. As we were coming up to the brow of the hill, oh, and my wife was with me. Suddenly it was laying there in front of us, across the road 7, 8, or 9 feet (2-3 m) long. Which I thought at first it was a crocodile. And then I thought, no it can't be a crocodile. This is a dry part of the country. Then as I looked at it we slowed down. Stopped the car actually, and sat there looking at it for about 10 minutes. And as I looked at it, I thought of the actual word ‘prehistoric’ went through my mind. I said: ‘This can't be real.’ I have seen pictures like this but not quite like this one. Anyway, from the tail right up to the back of it's head were, I don't know what you call them..."
- "Ridges, like triangles, perfect triangles all the way from the head to the tail. And it was just laying squatted down on the road. Seeming to sun. So I looked at the thing for 10 minutes. I can shoot myself for not having my camera with me that day. But, I wish I had, but there it was, I have never seen anything like it neither before nor since. And I've asked people and I went to the natural history museum. I said: ‘Have you seen or heard of anything in Kenya of this nature?’ And they said: ‘No, there is nothing alive like that today.’ I said: ‘I saw something.’ And I argued with them rather intently for awhile And they said: ‘It must have been a figment of your imagination.’ Well, my wife and I both saw it. We asked, for several years if anybody have seen anything like that. Nobody had, nor have I since. But there it was laying there on the side of the road. After about 10 minutes, it stood up not quite as high as this drawing. But, it kind of wandered off into a very dry part of the country, bushy a little bit. It was a dry time of the year.It took off, and Marion and I just kinda looked at each other wondering what in the world is this thing."
When questioned about the animal, Bombay reported that it was "dusty grey" in colour; it was not afraid of them, but turned to look; it blinked; it had bumpy skin, like that of an alligator at the sides; and he could not tell if it had scales or not. He described its snout as:
- "More like a crocodile than a hippo I'd say; it had a long face. Now some of the African people I asked, and they said it was a monitor lizard. I said that's impossible. I've seen many monitor lizards I've never seen one 9 feet (3 m) long; never has been one as long as that one. I've accidentally killed a couple of monitor Lizard by them hitting my car. They're smooth skinned; with no ridges on the back. I know a monitor lizard when I see one. This was not a monitor lizard; this thing had those ridges down its back."
Theories[]
Reconstruction of the muhuru as a stegosaur by artist Tim Bertelink.
Karl Shuker compared the muhuru to a pelycosaur such as Edaphosaurus or Dimetrodon, which had sails along their backs but are believed to have gone extinct around 275 million years ago.[1]
Dale A. Drinnon suggests it could be the same animal as the mbielu-mbielu-mbielu, which is often depicted as a living stegosaur but which he believes may be a new species of crocodile with a jagged crest on its back.[2]