Fictional Story or an Extant Pterosaur?

Westerners may confuse foreign descriptions of real animals with legends that are obviously fictional. For example, a story of a giant turtle that carries the whole world on its back is fictional, but a story of a giant flying creature that would occasionally carry away a human —that’s not necessarily fiction. Such an animal may be absent from Western textbooks as a living species, but that's a poor argument against the story. When they report an animal in their territory, it deserves attention, even if it sounds like a pterosaur. From fossils, we know that some pterosaurs had wingspans over 20 feet. Should such an animal live near humans, it would be feasible for it to carry off a child or small adult. A report of such an incident may resemble a fable to Westerners, yet natives in a remote jungle see no problem except the danger from that animal. Those trained in Western ideas about dinosaur-pterosaur extinctions are easily prejudiced against any story containing living pterosaur-like creatures. When a person is taught from early childhood that pterodactyls became extinct millions of years ago, how easy it is for any report of a giant featherless flying creature to be dismissed!

Huge Flying Creature on Umboi Island,

Papua New Guinea

The American forensic videographer Jonathan Whitcomb interviewed three native men in a remote village in Papua New Guinea, in 2004, during his expedition. He failed to see the ropen but was able to question many eyewitnesses of the long-tailed featherless flying creature. Many Westerners would call it a “pterodactyl.” The three men had almost no time to prepare for the surprise visit from the expedition team. Two of them spoke English, at least to some extent, but an interpreter was also used in the questioning. The ropen’s tail was estimated to be seven meters long, and Gideon Koro was positive that it had no feathers. It was flying over the surface of Lake Pung at mid-day.
Before proceeding with historical records that may suggest sightings of modern pterosaurs, let’s acknowledge a cultural weakness in Western thought: the tendency of Westerners to think of some societies as less adept at discerning truth from error, particularly third-world countries much less technologically advanced and different in philosophy and religion. This tendency can cause us to miss valuable evidence from eyewitnesses of other cultures. Be especially careful about assuming the natives are just caught up in superstition when they report dragons.
What Happened to Pterosaurs? A Weakness in Western Mentality
Wesley Koro, Gideon’s brother, was one of seven boys who saw the ropen fly over a crater lake on Umboi Island (about 1994).
Copyright 2004-2017  Jonathan David Whitcomb

Fictional Story or an Extant Pterosaur?

Westerners may confuse foreign descriptions of real animals with legends that are obviously fictional. For example, a story of a giant turtle that carries the whole world on its back is fictional, but a story of a giant flying creature that would occasionally carry away a human —that’s not necessarily fiction. Such an animal may be absent from Western textbooks as a living species, but that's a poor argument against the story. When they report an animal in their territory, it deserves attention, even if it sounds like a pterosaur. From fossils, we know that some pterosaurs had wingspans over 20 feet. Should such an animal live near humans, it would be feasible for it to carry off a child or small adult. A report of such an incident may resemble a fable to Westerners, yet natives in a remote jungle see no problem except the danger from that animal. Those trained in Western ideas about dinosaur-pterosaur extinctions are easily prejudiced against any story containing living pterosaur-like creatures. When a person is taught from early childhood that pterodactyls became extinct millions of years ago, how easy it is for any report of a giant featherless flying creature to be dismissed!

Huge Flying Creature on Umboi

Island, Papua New Guinea

The American forensic videographer Jonathan Whitcomb interviewed three native men in a remote village in Papua New Guinea, in 2004, during his expedition. He failed to see the ropen but was able to question many eyewitnesses of the long-tailed featherless flying creature. Many Westerners would call it a “pterodactyl.” The three men had almost no time to prepare for the surprise visit from the expedition team. Two of them spoke English, at least to some extent, but an interpreter was also used in the questioning. The ropen’s tail was estimated to be seven meters long, and Gideon Koro was positive that it had no feathers. It was flying over the surface of Lake Pung at mid-day.
Before proceeding with historical records that may suggest sightings of modern pterosaurs, let’s acknowledge a cultural weakness in Western thought: the tendency of Westerners to think of some societies as less adept at discerning truth from error, particularly third-world countries much less technologically advanced and different in philosophy and religion. This tendency can cause us to miss valuable evidence from eyewitnesses of other cultures. Be especially careful about assuming the natives are just caught up in superstition when they report dragons.
What Happened to Pterosaurs? A Weakness in  Western Mentality
Wesley Koro, Gideon’s brother, was one of seven boys who saw the ropen fly over a crater lake on Umboi Island (about 1994). Four of the eyewitnesses were not available when Whitcomb arrived in the village.
Copyright 2004-2017  Jonathan David Whitcomb

Fictional Story or an

Extant Pterosaur?

Westerners may confuse foreign descriptions of real animals with legends that are obviously fictional. For example, a story of a giant turtle that carries the whole world on its back is fictional, but a story of a giant flying creature that would occasionally carry away a human —that’s not necessarily fiction. Such an animal may be absent from Western textbooks as a living species, but that's a poor argument against the story. When they report an animal in their territory, it deserves attention, even if it sounds like a pterosaur. From fossils, we know that some pterosaurs had wingspans over 20 feet. Should such an animal live near humans, it would be feasible for it to carry off a child or small adult. A report of such an incident may resemble a fable to Westerners, yet natives in a remote jungle see no problem except the danger from that animal. Those trained in Western ideas about dinosaur-pterosaur extinctions are easily prejudiced against any story containing living pterosaur-like creatures. When a person is taught from early childhood that pterodactyls became extinct millions of years ago, how easy it is for any report of a giant featherless flying creature to be dismissed!

Huge Flying Creature

on Umboi Island,

Papua New Guinea

The American forensic videographer Jonathan Whitcomb interviewed three native men in a remote village in Papua New Guinea, in 2004, during his expedition. He failed to see the ropen but was able to question many eyewitnesses of the long-tailed featherless flying creature. Many Westerners would call it a “pterodactyl.” The three men had almost no time to prepare for the surprise visit from the expedition team. Two of them spoke English, at least to some extent, but an interpreter was also used in the questioning. The ropen’s tail was estimated to be seven meters long, and Gideon Koro was positive that it had no feathers. It was flying over the surface of Lake Pung at mid-day.
Before proceeding with historical records that may suggest sightings of modern pterosaurs, let’s acknowledge a cultural weakness in Western thought: the tendency of Westerners to think of some societies as less adept at discerning truth from error, particularly third-world countries much less technologically advanced and different in philosophy and religion. This tendency can cause us to miss valuable evidence from eyewitnesses of other cultures. Be especially careful about assuming the natives are just caught up in superstition when they report dragons.
What Happened to Pterosaurs? A Weakness in  Western Mentality
Wesley Koro, Gideon’s brother, was one of seven boys who saw the ropen fly over a crater lake on Umboi Island (sighting: about 1994). Four of the eyewitnesses were not available when Whitcomb arrived in the village.
Copyright 2004-2017  Jonathan David Whitcomb