Case file · Cryptid
Mamlambo of the Mzintlava River
Between January and April 1997 newspapers reported a 'giant reptile' in the Mzintlava River in the Eastern Cape, and as many as nine deaths were blamed on it.
1997 CE · -30.81, 29.37 · status: claim
The account
Mamlambo is a snake-like river being of Zulu and Xhosa belief, sometimes said to bring wealth to those who keep it and ruin to others. Residents said the bodies found had had their brains sucked out, and a traditional healer was called to deal with the creature.
The sceptical view
Police and journalists considered drownings and crocodiles; no animal was ever identified, and the details grew as the story spread.