Guide des Animaux Cachés (2009) is an obscure cryptozoology handbook penned and illustrated by Philippe Coudray, notably including a diverse assemblage of cryptozoological phenomena. Of these is the curious "spiny-backed chimpanzee", created for this book (Coudray 2009).
Coudray states that an anonymous US Navy unit member—by their own request—recalls the incident. Between 1997 and 2002, a sensitive mission in the Congo came across a band of thirteen chimpanzees with "spines" perched on their back that rose upon agitation and a uniform gray colouration. Allegedly, the unit took a three minute video of the chimpanzees attacking a smaller animal that was seized by the United States government for having been taken during a secretive mission. Coudray describes them as small (1.35-1.5 meters in height, possibly), being partly carnivorous and with porcupine-like quills that react to excitement (Coudray 2009).
Much of this story is quite dubious. Coudray himself admits that the quills could be misidentified hair, which I find very likely (mostly because porcupine quills are, to my knowledge, very unlikely in hominids). However, this story seems very explainable to me. Yet, the location of the sighting was not disclosed by the military, but Coudray thinks that it took place near Lake Tanganyika, since military activity in this time and place often took place near bodies of water. He places it firmly within the territory of the Kakundakari (a variant of the Agogwe), another cryptohominid. Coudray posits that the spiny-backed chimp and Kakundakari may be the same animal (Coudray 2009)—which I disagree with.
For starters, the Kakundakari and thus Agogwe are probably inspired by colonialists and white supremacy. Some find no credible evidence to suggest an unknown ape of relation to this cryptid, and the idea of "lower" hominid activity in Africa is, well, dated (Wikipedia). In short, there is no connection aside from geographic location, so I will be dismissing it. The description of this primate falls well within another, familiar hominid that primatologists are aware of: the Eastern chimpanzee.
Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii are one of the main common chimpanzee subspecies that are known to inhabit the north and eastern edge of the Congo. They have an average size range of 1.45 meters in males and 1.2 meters in females, with members of the same species in Bili (which were once thought to be cryptids as well) reaching up to ~1.8 meters in height (All Things Nature). They look to the untrained eye as a typical chimpanzee and have black hair on all parts of the body except for the hands, feet soles, chest and face and longer on the back (Wikipedia).
Chimpanzees are known to have longer back hair that allows infants to cling by using a combination of grip strength, body angle and friction (Amarai 2008). Additionally, chimpanzees are very capable of bipedal striding for short periods, for display and intimidation factor (Alexander 2004; Jabonski and Chaplin 1992)—and I don't suppose making yourself larger to threaten other animals could be unusual for semi-habitual bipeds.
Overall, the size range of the 'spiny-backed' chimpanzee falls well within the range of P. t. schweinfurthii, as does its presumed geographic location. What I believe Coudray and his witness report is a particularly shaggy Eastern chimpanzee band inhabiting their lowermost range, caught quarrelling with a smaller animal (which is unidentified); not an unidentified species.
I would like to thank @paleorhiguita for kindly providing images from Coudray 2009 pg. 44.
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