The Gazeka, also known as Monckton's Gazeka or the Papuan Devil-Pig, is a cryptid, said to have been seen on Papua New Guinea in the early 20th century.
Description
The Gazeka is said to resemble a tapir or giant sloth, having a long, proboscis-like snout, and some theories suggest it may be the descendant of an extinct marsupial.
Origin
The Gazeka was the creation of the well-known English comic actor, George Graves (1876-1949), who introduced it as a bit of by-play in the musical, The Little Michus at Daly’s Theatre, London, in 1905. As a result, Graves’s little idea became a fad of the season and a competition was mounted to encourage artists to give sketches of what the beast might look like. Charles Folkard won the competition and the Gazeka suddenly appeared in the form of various items of novelty jewelery, charms, etc, and was taken up by Perrier, the sparkling water makers, for a series of advertisements. The Gazeka also featured in a special song and dance in the entertainment Akezag, at the London Hippodrome at Christmas, 1905.