Pterosaurs Still Living
Does only one ropen live continuously on Umboi Island?
Why the living-pterosaur expert Jonathan Whitcomb believes one ropen defends Umboi against other ropens
part of the sketch drawn by the eyewitness: U.S. Marine Eskin Kuhn
By Jonathan Whitcomb I believe that at least a few giant ropens live in Papua New Guinea. So why did I return to the United States, in 2004, proclaiming that only one giant ropen lives on Umboi Island? I had several reasons, but I came to the following conclusion: Only one ropen still flies regularly, at night, over mountains and reefs of Umboi. I do not imply that this species of living pterosaur, what some natives call ropen, is in danger of extinction within the next few years. These flying creatures, in all their species, are widespread across the planet. Yet we need to do what we can to preserve them. The first step is in learning more about them and publicizing the wonderful news that a few species of pterosaurs are not extinct. I have too many reports to allow me to fear pterosaur extinction. This includes interviews several eyewitnesses of what seem to be gigantic long-tailed pterosaurs in the southwest Pacific. One report is from a couple who lived in Perth, Australia, in 1997. Although the creature seen by this couple may be a different species than the large ropen of Umboi, it is a giant with a long tail, apparently lacking feathers, as does the nocturnal flying creature of Umboi. This kind of animal is called by some people a "dragon." Consider a pterosaur-like thing seen near Indonesia, in the southwest Pacific, in June of 2008. Not long after the sighting, I got a phone call from one of the two pilots: His small airplane almost collided with what at first appeared to be another plane. But on passing it, the pilot who was in control saw it flapping its wings, obviously a large flying creature. As he and his co-pilot were approaching Bali, Indonesia, having taken off from Broome, Australia, they were shocked to find themselves on a collision course with something. He put his plane into a dive to avoid the collision but both men realized that they had just missed a non-plane. Right away they came up with the same word: "pterodactyl," another shock. After my interviews with the men, they decided to avoid labeling what they had seen as a "ropen," at least on the record. Still, they did notice a few things that made them doubt that it was any common bird.
physicist Clifford Paiva analyzed the indava lights
Indava lights videotaped by Paul Nation in Papua New Guinea in 2006 (likely bioluminescence of flying creatures related to the ropen)
image copyright 2004 Jonathan Whitcomb Mount Sual, as seen from the front porch of Mark and Delilah Kau's house near Gomlongon Village, Umboi Island, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. This is one of the mountains where the ropen is seen. This image is taken from a video recorded by Jonathan Whitcomb during his 2004 expedition on Umboi Island.
Is it just one ropen on Umboi Island? Yet with all that said, why would only one ropen live on Umboi Island? The gigantic long-tailed featherless flying creature seen over Perth, Australia, in 1997—that one appeared to be alone, as did the apparent “pterodactyl” that was, at first, mistaken for a plane near Indonesia. We have more direct circumstantial evidence, however, on Umboi. The two expeditions of 2004 (the first led by me, Jonathan Whitcomb, and the second by Garth Guessman and David Woetzel) led us to be- lieve that at least a few hundred villagers have seen the ropen's light at least once in their human life spans. But all the reports of which we are aware were of a single glow, never more than one flying light at a time. What is more, we have additional indirect evidence suggesting that the gigantic animals, described like pterosaurs in the southwest Pacific, are seen flying as individuals. Besides the sighting by the couple at Perth and the sighting by two former marine pilots, who saw only one over the sea near the island of Bali in 2008, we have similar encounters by other eyewitnesses in this area of the planet. The American Duane Hodgkinson saw only one huge “pterodactyl” in New Guinea in 1944 near Finschhafen, and Brian Hennessy saw only one large flying creature in New Guinea in 1971 on Bougainville Island, and seven native boys saw only one at Lake Pung around December of 1993 on Umboi Island. There are exceptions to the lonely-ropen rule. Late in 2006, deep in the interior of the mainland of Papua New Guinea, Paul Nation videotaped two indava lights. In addition, I’ve read of reports of multiple-creatures, pterosaur-like, flying in daylight. But each such report I can answer with many reports of one creature, especially the largest ones. Uncommon exceptions confirm the general rule. Giant flying creatures that modern Westerners would call pterosaurs those may be the descendants of what were called, in old times and in many areas of the planet, “dragons.” From historical records and the traditions of people in South America, North America, and Europe, they were solitary creatures, spending much of their time on top of cliffs or on mountains overlooking water. I admit that this fact is but secondary evidence: The many modern sightings, of a lone flying light or one flying creature, on Umboi Island—that is more important evidence.
The American explorers David Woetzel (top, second from right) and Garth Guessman (lower right) met many natives on Umboi Island and conducted a number of well- prepared interviews. The islander Jonathan Ragu described the creature he had seen flying near the coast in July of 2004. It was a lone ropen and Ragu chose the Sordes pilosus, from among dozens of sketches the Americans showed him of birds, bats, and pterosaurs. Woetzel and Guessman also interviewed Jonah Jim, who had a sighting in 2001, in which the ropen flew towards Lake Pung. This native also chose the Sordes pilosus, without knowing what sketch Ragu had chosen.
Searching for Ropens and Finding God may be the first book written specifically about living pterosaurs observed worldwide. This nonfiction is by the American cryptozoologist Jonathan David Whitcomb, and it is now in its fourth edition.
part of the sketch drawn by the eyewitness: U.S. Marine Eskin Kuhn
The “pterodactyl” observed in the mid-twentieth century in Cuba (above) may be related to the ropen of Umboi Island, Papua New Guinea
copyright 2005-2017 Jonathan Whitcomb
Duane Hodgkinson, in 1944, saw what he called a "pterodactyl" that flew up from a clearing near the city of Finschhafen (on mainland of what's now called Papua New Guinea). The wingspan of the creature he estimated to be similar to that of a Piper Tri-Pacer airplane: about twenty-nine feet.
Jonathan Whitcomb has concluded that the ropen of Umboi defends that island and the surrounding reefs, as its territory, from other competing ropens
Pterosaurs Still Living
Does only one ropen live continuously on Umboi Island?
Why the living-pterosaur expert Jonathan Whitcomb believes one ropen defends Umboi against other ropens
physicist Clifford Paiva analyzed the indava lights
Indava lights videotaped by Paul Nation in Papua New Guinea in 2006 (likely bioluminescence of flying creatures related to the ropen)
By Jonathan Whitcomb I believe that at least a few giant ropens live in Papua New Guinea. So why did I return to the United States, in 2004, proclaiming that only one giant ropen lives on Umboi Island? I had several reasons, but I came to the following conclusion: Only one ropen still flies regularly, at night, over mountains and reefs of Umboi. I do not imply that this species of living pterosaur, what some natives call ropen, is in danger of extinction within the next few years. These flying creatures, in all their species, are widespread across the planet. Yet we need to do what we can to preserve them. The first step is in learning more about them and publicizing the wonderful news that a few species of pterosaurs are not extinct. I have too many reports to allow me to fear pterosaur extinction. This includes interviews several eyewitnesses of what seem to be gigantic long-tailed pterosaurs in the southwest Pacific. One report is from a couple who lived in Perth, Australia, in 1997. Although the creature seen by this couple may be a different species than the large ropen of Umboi, it is a giant with a long tail, apparently lacking feathers, as does the nocturnal flying creature of Umboi. This kind of animal is called by some people a "dragon." Consider a pterosaur-like thing seen near Indonesia, in the southwest Pacific, in June of 2008. Not long after the sighting, I got a phone call from one of the two pilots: His small airplane almost collided with what at first appeared to be another plane. But on passing it, the pilot who was in control saw it flapping its wings, obviously a large flying creature. As he and his co-pilot were approaching Bali, Indonesia, having taken off from Broome, Australia, they were shocked to find themselves on a collision course with something. He put his plane into a dive to avoid the collision but both men realized that they had just missed a non-plane. Right away they came up with the same word: "pterodactyl," another shock. After my interviews with the men, they decided to avoid labeling what they had seen as a "ropen," at least on the record. Still, they did notice a few things that made them doubt that it was any common bird.
image copyright 2004 Jonathan Whitcomb Mount Sual, as seen from the front porch of Mark and Delilah Kau's house near Gomlongon Village, Umboi Island, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. This is one of the mountains where the ropen is seen. This image is taken from a video recorded by Jonathan Whitcomb during his 2004 expedition on Umboi Island.
Jonathan Whitcomb has concluded that the ropen of Umboi defends that island and the surrounding reefs, as its territory, from other competing ropens
The American explorers David Woetzel (top, second from right) and Garth Guessman (lower right) met many natives on Umboi Island and conducted a number of well- prepared interviews. The islander Jonathan Ragu described the creature he had seen flying near the coast in July of 2004. It was a lone ropen and Ragu chose the Sordes pilosus, from among dozens of sketches the Americans showed him of birds, bats, and pterosaurs. Woetzel and Guessman also interviewed Jonah Jim, who had a sighting in 2001, in which the ropen flew towards Lake Pung. This native also chose the Sordes pilosus, without knowing what sketch Ragu had chosen.
Is it just one ropen on Umboi Island? Yet with all that said, why would only one ropen live on Umboi Island? The gigantic long-tailed featherless flying creature seen over Perth, Australia, in 1997—that one appeared to be alone, as did the apparent “pterodactyl” that was, at first, mistaken for a plane near Indonesia. We have more direct circumstantial evidence, however, on Umboi. The two expeditions of 2004 (the first led by me, Jonathan Whitcomb, and the second by Garth Guessman and David Woetzel) led us to be- lieve that at least a few hundred villagers have seen the ropen's light at least once in their human life spans. But all the reports of which we are aware were of a single glow, never more than one flying light at a time. What is more, we have additional indirect evidence suggesting that the gigantic animals, described like pterosaurs in the southwest Pacific, are seen flying as individuals. Besides the sighting by the couple at Perth and the sighting by two former marine pilots, who saw only one over the sea near the island of Bali in 2008, we have similar encounters by other eyewitnesses in this area of the planet. The American Duane Hodgkinson saw only one huge “pterodactyl” in New Guinea in 1944 near Finschhafen, and Brian Hennessy saw only one large flying creature in New Guinea in 1971 on Bougainville Island, and seven native boys saw only one at Lake Pung around December of 1993 on Umboi Island. There are exceptions to the lonely-ropen rule. Late in 2006, deep in the interior of the mainland of Papua New Guinea, Paul Nation videotaped two indava lights. In addition, I’ve read of reports of multiple-creatures, pterosaur-like, flying in daylight. But each such report I can answer with many reports of one creature, especially the largest ones. Uncommon exceptions confirm the general rule. Giant flying creatures that modern Westerners would call pterosaurs those may be the descendants of what were called, in old times and in many areas of the planet, “dragons.” From historical records and the traditions of people in South America, North America, and Europe, they were solitary creatures, spending much of their time on top of cliffs or on mountains overlooking water. I admit that this fact is but secondary evidence: The many modern sightings, of a lone flying light or one flying creature, on Umboi Island—that is more important evidence.
Searching for Ropens and Finding God may be the first book written specifically about living pterosaurs observed worldwide. This nonfiction is by the American cryptozoologist Jonathan David Whitcomb, and it is now in its fourth edition.
part of the sketch drawn by the eyewitness: U.S. Marine Eskin Kuhn
The “pterodactyl” observed in the mid-twentieth century in Cuba (above) may be related to the ropen of Umboi Island, Papua New Guinea
Duane Hodgkinson, in 1944, saw what he called a "pterodactyl" that flew up from a clearing near the city of Finschhafen (on mainland of what's now called Papua New Guinea). The wingspan of the creature he estimated to be similar to that of a Piper Tri-Pacer airplane: about twenty-nine feet.
copyright 2005-2017 Jonathan Whitcomb
Pterosaurs Still Living
Does only one ropen live continuously on Umboi Island?
Why the living-pterosaur expert Jonathan Whitcomb believes one ropen defends Umboi against other ropens
physicist Clifford Paiva analyzed the indava lights
Indava lights videotaped by Paul Nation in Papua New Guinea in 2006 (likely bioluminescence of flying creatures related to the ropen)
By Jonathan Whitcomb I believe that at least a few giant ropens live in Papua New Guinea. So why did I return to the United States, in 2004, proclaiming that only one giant ropen lives on Umboi Island? I had several reasons, but I came to the following conclusion: Only one ropen still flies regularly, at night, over mountains and reefs of Umboi. I don’t imply that this species of living pterosaur, what some natives call ropen, is in danger of extinction within the next few years. These flying creatures, in all their species, are widespread across the planet. Yet we need to do what we can to preserve them. The first step is in learning more about them and publicizing the wonderful news that a few species of pterosaurs are not extinct. I have too many reports to let me fear pterosaur extinction. This includes interviews several eyewitnesses of what seem to be gigantic long-tailed pterosaurs in the southwest Pacific. One report is from a couple who lived in Perth, Australia, in 1997. Although the creature seen by this couple may be a different species than the large ropen of Umboi, it is a giant with a long tail, apparently lacking feathers, as does the nocturnal flying creature of Umboi. This kind of animal is called by some people a "dragon." Consider a pterosaur-like thing seen near Indonesia, in the southwest Pacific, in June of 2008. Soon after the sighting, I got a phone call from one of the two pilots: His small airplane almost collided with what at first appeared to be another plane. But on passing it, the pilot who was in control saw it flapping its wings, obviously a large flying creature. As he and his co-pilot were approaching Bali, Indonesia, having taken off from Broome, Australia, they were shocked to find themselves on a collision course with something. He put his plane into a dive to avoid the collision but both men realized that they had just missed a non-plane. Right away they came up with the same word: "pterodactyl," another shock. After my interviews with the men, they decided to avoid labeling what they had seen as a "ropen," at least on the record. Still, they did notice a few things that made them doubt that it was any common bird.
image copyright 2004 Jonathan Whitcomb Mount Sual, as seen from the front porch of Mark and Delilah Kau's house near Gomlongon Village, Umboi Island, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. This is one of the mountains where the ropen is seen. This image is taken from a video recorded by Jonathan David Whitcomb during his 2004 expedition on Umboi Island.
Jonathan Whitcomb has concluded that the ropen of Umboi defends that island and the surrounding reefs, as its territory, from other competing ropens
The American explorers David Woetzel (top, second from right) and Garth Guessman (lower right) met many natives on Umboi Island and conducted a number of well-prepared interviews. The islander Jonathan Ragu described the creature he had seen flying near the coast in July of 2004. It was a lone ropen and Ragu chose the Sordes pilosus, from among dozens of sketches the Americans showed him of birds, bats, and pterosaurs. Woetzel and Guessman also interviewed Jonah Jim, who had a sighting in 2001, in which the ropen flew towards Lake Pung. This native also chose the Sordes pilosus, without knowing what sketch Jonathan Ragu had chosen.
Is it just one ropen on Umboi Island? Yet with all that said, why would only one ropen live on Umboi Island? The gigantic long-tailed featherless flying creature seen over Perth, Australia, in 1997—that one appeared to be alone, as did the apparent “pterodactyl” that was, at first, mistaken for a plane near Indonesia. We have more direct circumstantial evidence, however, on Umboi. The two expeditions of 2004 (the first led by me, Jonathan D. Whitcomb, and the second by Garth Guessman and David Woetzel) led us to believe that at least a few hundred villagers have seen the ropen's light at least once in their human life spans. But all the reports of which we are aware were of a single glow, never more than one flying light at a time. What is more, we have additional indirect evidence suggesting that the gigantic animals, described like pterosaurs in the south- west Pacific, are seen flying as individuals. Besides the sighting by the couple at Perth and the sighting by two former marine pilots, who saw only one over the sea near the island of Bali in 2008, we have similar encounters by other eyewitnesses in this area of the planet. The American soldier Duane Hodgkinson saw only one huge “pterodactyl” in New Guinea in 1944 near Finschhafen, and Brian Hennessy saw only one large flying creature in New Guinea in 1971 on Bougainville Island, and seven native boys saw only one at Lake Pung around December of 1993 on Umboi Island. There are exceptions to the lonely-ropen rule. Late in 2006, deep in the interior of the mainland of Papua New Guinea, Paul Nation videotaped two indava lights. In addition, I’ve read of reports of multiple-creatures, pterosaur-like, flying in daylight. But each such report I can answer with many reports of one creature, especially the largest ones. Uncommon exceptions confirm the general rule. Giant flying creatures that many modern Westerners would call pterosaurs—those may be the descendants of what were called, in old times and in many areas of the planet, “dragons.” From historical records and the traditions of people in South America, North America, and Europe, they were solitary creatures, spend- ing much of their time on cliffs or on mountains overlooking water. I admit that this fact is but secondary evidence: The many modern sightings, of a lone flying light or one flying creature, on Umboi Island—that is more important evidence.
Searching for Ropens and Finding God may be the first book written specifically about living pterosaurs observed worldwide. This nonfiction was written by the American cryptozoologist Jonathan Whitcomb (in its 4th edition).
part of the sketch drawn by the eyewitness: U.S. Marine Eskin Kuhn
The “pterodactyl” observed in the mid-twentieth century in Cuba (above) may be related to the ropen of Umboi Island, Papua New Guinea
Duane Hodgkinson, in 1944, saw what he called a "pterodactyl" that flew up from a clearing near the city of Finschhafen (on the mainland of what's now called Papua New Guinea). The wingspan of the creature he estimated to be similar to that of a Piper Tri-Pacer airplane: about twenty-nine feet.
copyright 2005-2017 Jonathan Whitcomb