Summary
The rivers and flooded forests of the Likouala Basin have produced numerous Mokele-Mbembe reports independently of the better-known stories from Lake Télé. During expeditions around the Likouala-aux-Herbes River in 1980 and 1981, researchers collected eyewitness accounts describing a large semi-aquatic animal with a long neck, small head, heavy body and long tail. One witness reported seeing the neck and upper body of an unfamiliar animal emerge only metres from his canoe, while expedition members later encountered an unexplained wake apparently produced by a large animal moving through the river. No physical evidence has established the identity of the reported creature.
Additional Notes
The Likouala River reports are important because they show that the Mokele-Mbembe tradition is not confined to Lake Télé. Similar descriptions have been collected from rivers, flooded forest channels and deep pools throughout the wider Likouala region. During Roy Mackal and James Powell’s 1980 reconnaissance expedition, the pair reached Epena on the Likouala-aux-Herbes River but did not succeed in reaching Lake Télé. Instead, they interviewed several residents who claimed personal knowledge of a large unknown animal inhabiting the waterways. Their descriptions commonly included a long flexible neck, small head, bulky body and long tail. One of the more specific accounts came from David Mambamlo, a teacher working in Impfondo. He told Mackal that several years earlier he had been paddling upstream from Epena when a long neck and head suddenly emerged from the river roughly ten metres from his canoe. He described the animal as greyish and apparently hairless, with a snake-like head; part of its upper back and chest reportedly became visible before it disappeared beneath the water. Mackal and Powell were later shown the location of the encounter. In late 1981, another expedition led by Mackal, Richard Greenwell and Justin Wilkinson travelled through the Likouala region. Between Itanga and Mahounda, the team reported encountering an unusual wake produced by what they believed was a large submerged animal. They also examined a trail discovered farther upstream that local observers attributed to an unidentified large creature. Later expeditions continued to collect accounts from people living along the Likouala-aux-Herbes and neighboring waterways. Some reports described animals seen briefly at the surface, while others concerned tracks, disturbed vegetation or large movements through the water. The details varied, but the recurring association with remote rivers and flooded forest remained consistent. Different identities and interpretations have been proposed for the reports, but none has produced a universally accepted explanation for all of the encounters recorded from the Likouala Basin.
The Location Today
The Likouala River flows through remote forest and wetland landscapes in northern Republic of the Congo. Reports associated with Mokele-Mbembe refer to a broad river system rather than a confirmed or maintained public encounter site.
- Environment
- Forest, River, Swamp / Marsh
- Time of Day
- Various times of the day
- Evidence Level
- Investigated Case
- Visiting the Location
- Unknown
- Ownership of the Location
- Unknown