For most of us it was a funny female pal always following our jungle hero "Tarzan". But, apparently, he was a male and the word "Chita" in the spanish version meant
the fast feline of the savannah. Few knew he was still alive, living a peaceful life in an animal sanctuary in Florida until last Saturday.
Cheetah passed away in his retirement many years after his film career had finished.
Bye, Cheetah.
Mokele-Mbembe!
What do
Bigfoot,
Yeti,
Nessie or the
Chupacabras have in common? Well, at least one thing, nobody has yet proven that they exist. Tourist promotion aside, these creatures have become popular due to several factors, including the attraction that the unknown holds over most of us. And they are not the only ones, for instance in Aragon we have the infamous
Hombre Cabra and all over Spain there are stories reporting
El Hombre del Saco as a living threat for children. But
in the heart of darkness, in the deepest jungles of remote Africa, there are scientists still leading expeditions to find the legendary
Mokele-Mbembe, according to the BBC article.
In fact, it was not so long ago that a big, weird animal was seen for the first time by western eyes: the
Okapi was first described for science at the beginning of the 20th. century as a strange animal belonging to the deepest parts of the unknown forest. Therefore, in spite of the improbable features and origins of the African Nessie, there might be a slight chance that Mokele Mbembe could still exist, according to some scientists. And if it does not, at least it is a very good excuse to go to Africa and explore this fascinating continent.
