Orang Pendek

In Indonesian folklore, the Orang Pendek (Indonesian for 'short person') is the most common name given to a creature said to inhabit remote, mountainous forests on the island of Sumatra. The creature has allegedly been seen and documented for at least 100 years by forest tribes, local villagers, Dutch colonists, and Western scientists and travelers. Consensus among witnesses is that the animal is a ground-dwelling, bipedal primate covered in short fur, standing between 80 and 150 cm (31.5 and 59 in) tall.

Location

While Orang Pendek and similar animals have historically been said to dwell in the landscapes of Sumatra in Indonesia, and Southeast Asia, claimed sightings have occurred largely within the Kerinci Regency of central Sumatra and especially within the borders of Kerinci Seblat National Park (Taman Nasional Kerinci Seblat or TNKS). The park, 2° south of the equator, is located within the Bukit Barisan mountain range and features some of the most remote primary rainforest in the world. Habitat types within the park include lowland dipterocarp rainforest, montane forests, and volcanic alpine formations on Mount Kerinci, the second highest peak in Indonesia.

Attestations

The following sources make reference to the purported creature:

Suku Anak Dalam

The Suku Anak Dalam ("Children of the Inner-forest") – also known as Orang Kubu, Orang Batin Simbilan, or Orang Rimba – are groups of nomadic people who have traditionally lived throughout the lowland forests of Jambi and South Sumatra. According to their legends, Orang Pendek has been a part of their world and a co-inhabitant of the forest for centuries.