The Mawa or Mawai (also known as the Orang Mawa or Orang Dalam) is a hominid cryptid reported to inhabit the jungle of Johor in Malaysia.
Etymology
Mawa is also a regional word from Indonesia for the orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus).
Description
The mawa is described as being about 10 ft (2.4-3 m) tall, bipedal and covered in black or reddish fur.
Behavior
It has been seen feeding on fish, and raiding orchards but remain elusive.
Place
Mawas have been sighted in the area of the Panti mountains, a densely forested and steep-sloped ridge at the southern end of the Malay peninsular.
History
Recorded claims of Mawas sightings date back to 1871. Since, there have been many sightings of the creature, which the local Orang Asli people call hantu jerang gigi, which translates as 'Snaggle-toothed Ghost'.
In November 2005 a much publicised sighting occurred when three workers clearing ground for a pond saw a Mawa family of two adults and a child walking near the Kincin River. Later large humanoid footprints were found, including one 18 in (46 cm) long. A photograph of a fresh footprint in tar, attributed to the Mawas, was printed in Malaysian newspapers in January 2006. A government team has been searching for more evidence of the Mawas. In late January 2006, the authorities in Johor announced an official expedition to prove the creature's existence, making it the first country to have an official hunt for a mystery hominid.
Theories
- Some speculate the creature may be a surviving Gigantopithecus, while others dismiss the sightings as misidentified Sun Bears.
- The orangutan may well have been present in Malaysia in relatively modern times. The area of Malaysia were the report originates, within the province of Negeri Sembilan, lies within 200 miles of Sumatra and within 800 of Borneo, roughly in between the two known ranges of orangutan.Additionally the coloration of the orangutan can vary from a reddish-brown to a nearly black coat and with various degrees of hair length. The Sumatran subspecies for example typically has a longer and lighter coat than the Bornean subspecies. These primates are also mainly vegetarian and do eat durians, although the Sumatran subspecies has been seen to eat meat. The size of the orangutan ranges from around 4 to 5 feet, but have been recorded up to 6 feet in size.
Sources
- Napier, J.R. & P.H. , The Natural History of the Primates, MIT Press, Cambridge (Massachusetts), 1997
- Nowak, Ronald M., Walker’s Mammals of the World 6th Edition, John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore (Maryland), 1999