Have a Good NEWS

In 2003 I accompanied Dr Chris Clark and Jon Hare to Gunung Tujuh, the Lake of Seven Peaks, in Kerinci Seblat National Park. The jungle around the lake is a hotspot for orang pendek sightings. Our guide Sahar Dimus found tracks of a bipedal creature, but they were too rain-damaged to cast.

The following May we returned to explore a remote gorge in the park where, apparently, no westerner had been. We interviewed eyewitnesses who had seen the creature on the semi-cultivated land at the edge of the park known as the Garden. The creatures are said to steal sugar cane and other crops.

Three years previously he had seen an orang pendek close to the wonderfully named village of Anoolie Pie some 23km away. It was around 1.2 metres tall and covered with black hair. The creature's face reminded the man of a macaque, with a flat nose and broad mouth. It stood and walked on two legs, never once dropping down on all fours. He said it was not a monkey, gibbon or sun bear. The creature seemed afraid of him and walked quickly away while looking from side to side.

The trail Chris and I followed for several miles ran abreast of the lake. We came across some orang pendek tracks - I instantly recognised the narrow, human-like heel and the wider front part of the foot. They were impressed in loam on the forest floor and not good enough to cast. We set up two camera traps in the area and two sticky boards that we baited with fruit.

Upon returning to camp we heard amazing news. Earlier in the day Adam had heard a large animal moving through the forest, while in the distance siamang gibbons were kicking up a fuss. Sahar and Dave crept forward and were greeted with an amazing sight.

In the afternoon we decided to cross the lake and search on the far side. Adam had been there only once and the rest of us had never seen the area.