In 1987, Tyson Hughes, an English missionary would venture to Seram Island in Indonesia. His goal was simple: to help the Moluccan natives develop more efficient farms. During his time, Hughes would hear of many legends and stories from the Moluccan people, however one would stand out:
It was the story of the legendary Orang-Bati. Orang-Bati was said to be a massive man-winged creature that resided on Mount Kairatu and swooped down from the sky terrorizing villagers. Skeptical at first, Hughes really didn’t believe the creature existed and believed it was just folklore. Then, one day sometime into his contract he would see the creature himself.
The Orang-Bati is typically described as a flying Monkey batlike creature that preys upon the weak, such as children and disabled adults. It is said to be about 5 feet tall, with a wingspan of around the same size.
The cryptid is said to have orangish red colored skin, a large tail, and thick, black leathery wings. Many say the Orang Bati lets out a screeching yell when they are getting to attack. Orang-Bati the name means “man with wings” when translated in into the Moluccan indigenous language.
Seram Island is the biggest Island of the Maluku province in Indonesia. Despite this, it is one of the least populated areas with many indigenous tribes living on the island for centuries. Like many alleged cryptid habitats, the island has the perfect characteristics for an unknown species to hide. The Island has dense tropical rainforests and a central mountain range making it difficult to travel around and ideal for a cryptid to hide.
How does orang bati compare with ither winged cryptids?
Among cryptozoologists, Orang-Bati draws comparisons to another cryptid named Ahool, that is said to inhabit the dense remote jungles of Java, located around 2,000 kilometers away. Ahool is said to have large dark eyes, red skinned wings, large claws, and is covered in grey fur. Although Ahool is described as being much bigger than Orang-Bati, having a 20-foot wingspan, Ahool gets its name from its distinct cry, which sounds like its name.
Could it be the case that Ahool and Orang-Bati are the same cryptid? Or perhaps one evolved from another? Although they are located thousands of miles apart, it should be noted that many islands, big and small, exists between Java and Seram so it’s possible that travelling between the two could be done.
There doesn’t appear to be a close resemblance to the Mothman as the Mothman has red eyes and black skin.
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However, it does resemble the African winged cryptid known as Kongamato. This creature is often described as being a reddish lizard with leathery skin instead of feathers and razor-sharp teeth in its beak. Its wingspan ranges from 6 to 20 feet across. Kongamato, which roughly translates to “overwhelmer of boats” doesn’t match the physical description of Orang-Bati exactly, but it does come close.
Still, with so few documented sightings, is Orang Bati real or just folklore?
There’s been several theories as to what the Orang-Bati is exactly.
The first theory is that this is biological and some sort of new species. There are generally two hypotheses: The first is that this is a flying primate that somehow evolved and developed wings. The second is that it is a bat that evolved somehow, and it appears to have a humanlike body.
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Another theory popular about this cryptid is that it was the flying dinosaur known as a pterosaur or something similar that survived. It should be noted though, large dinosaurs like pterosaurs didn’t survive the asteroid strike and it’s tough to imagine such a large bat or bird could have found food.
One theory that has gained some popularity is that these creatures are extraterrestrial, possibly demonic or from another dimension. Some say the appearance of the Orang-Bati in general appears evil and not something from this world.
The last theory, and perhaps most logical explanation, is that this could have been a flying fox or fruit bat. Flying foxes are known to have a 6-foot wingspan and are the largest known bats on planet earth. Still, characteristics such as the red skin doesn’t align with these massive bats. Still, many feel this is the most logical explanation.
While natives of Seram are adamant this creature exists and is not folklore, we should note there have been very few people from outside that have spotted the creature. Natives have told the stories dating back to the 1500s to Christian missionaries regarding the terror these winged monsters bring when they raid a village. However, there’s still very little evidence that they do exist. However, man sized winged creatures have been spotted throughout the world for centuries, so there’s reason to believe Orang-Bati could exist.
