Bunyip Article

The Bunyip is a legendary cryptid from Australia. Descriptions of this creature vary wildly. The Bunyip lives in lakes, rivers, swamps, and various waterholes throughout the land down under. Descriptions of the beast vary wildly. Mostly, it is described as a dog-like or seal-like creature. Sometimes, it almost sounds like some sort of dinosaur.

The Sydney Morning Herald ran a piece titled "Wonderful Discovery of a New Animal" on July 12, 1845. It tells of the fabled Bunyip. I have reprinted highlights from the article below:

"In our last number we gave an account of the finding of a fragment of the knee joint of some gigantic animal, which from there being no such animal hitherto known to exist in Australia, we supposed to be the fossil remains of some early period. Subsequent information, however, coupled with the fact that the bone was in good preservation, and had altogether a recent appearance, has induced us to alter our opinion. On the bone being shown to an [Aboriginal Australian], he at once recognized It as belonging to the "Bunyip," which he declared he had seen. On being requested to make a drawing of it, he did so without hesitation. The bone and the picture were shown separately to [others], who had no opportunity of communicating with each other, and they one and all recognized the bone and picture as belonging to the "Bunyip," repeating the name without variation. One declared he knew where the whole of the bones of one animal were to be found; another stated that his mother was killed by one of them, at the Barwon Lakes, within a few miles of Geelong, and that another woman was killed on the very spot where the punt crosses the Barwon, at South Geelong. The most direct evidence of an was that of Mumbowran, who showed several deep wounds on his breast made by the claws of the animal. Another statement was made, that a mare, the property of Mr. Furlong, was about six years ago seized by one of these animals on the banks of the Little River, and only escaped with a broken leg. They say that the reason why no white man has ever yet seen it, is because it is amphibious, and does not come on land except on extremely hot days when it basks on the bank; but on the slightest noise or whisper they roll gently over into the water, scarcely creating a ripple. We have adduced these authorities, before giving a description of the animal, lest, from its strange, grotesque, and nondescript character, the reader should have at once set down the whole as fiction. The Bunyip, then, is represented as uniting the characteristics of a bird and an alligator. It has a head resembling an emu, with a long bill, at the extremity of which is a transverse projection on each side, with serrated edges, like the bone of the stingray. Its body and legs partake of the nature of the alligator. The hind legs are remarkably thick and strong, and the fore legs are much longer, but still of great strength. The extremities are furnished with long claws... When in the water it swims like a frog, and when on shore it walks on its hind legs with its head erect, in which position it measures twelve or thirteen feet in height. Its breast is said to be covered with different coloured feathers...They describe it as laying eggs of double the size of the emu's egg, of a pale blue colour; these eggs they frequently meet with, but as they are "no good for eating."

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