Cryptid Primates Of The World Pt. 3: The Raka

Ever heard of the South African bigfoot?

Well, there are stories of such a creature and it’s called the “raka”.

Among indigenous communities, there existed a belief in a creature known as the raka. In their native tongue, "raka" meant "the one who walks silently," a name that perfectly captured the essence of this elusive being.

The raka was described as a tall, slender figure, covered in sleek, dark fur that allowed it to blend seamlessly with the dense underbrush of the South African forests. Its most striking feature was its bright, amber-colored eyes, which gleamed with an otherworldly intelligence. According to legend, the Raka was a guardian of the wilderness, a spirit of the forest that watched over the flora and fauna with a keen and protective eye.

As European settlers arrived in South Africa, they began to hear whispers of the raka from the tribes. At first, these stories were met with skepticism, dismissed as mere folklore and superstition. However, as explorers and settlers ventured deeper into the South African wilderness, reports of Raka sightings began to accumulate.

One of the most famous raka sightings occurred in the early 20th century when a British naturalist named Edward Whitman embarked on an expedition to study the region's wildlife. While deep in the forests of Mpumalanga, Whitman claimed to have encountered a tall, shadowy figure that closely matched the description of the Raka. His accounts were met with curiosity and doubt, but they ignited a spark of interest in the mysterious creature.

Throughout the years, various sightings of the raka were reported, each adding to the mystique of the legend. Witnesses spoke of eerie, melodic calls echoing through the night, a common thread in cryptid primates.

Very little is known about these unusual creature but tales of it haunting the forests of South Africa still echo in this wild and in many ways untamed land.

The Wildlife Journalist

Bigfootsouth.com