Orang Pendek
 Artist's impression of an Orang Pendek
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| Grouping | Cryptid |
|---|---|
| Sub grouping | Hominid |
| Similar creatures | Bigfoot Skunk Ape, Yeren, Yowie, Mande Barung, Yeti, Almas, Barmanou |
| Other name(s) | Short Person (translation) |
| Country | Indonesia |
| Region | Sumatra |
| Habitat | Rainforest |
Orang Pendek (Indonesian for "short person") is the most common name given to a cryptid, or cryptozoological animal, that reportedly inhabits remote, mountainous forests on the island of Sumatra. The animal has allegedly been seen and documented for at least one hundred years by forest tribes, local villagers, Dutch colonists and Western scientists and travellers. Consensus among witnesses is that the animal is a ground-dwelling, bipedal primate that is covered in short fur and stands between 80 and 150 cm (30 and 60 in) tall.
While Orang Pendek or similar animals have historically been reported throughout Sumatra in Indonesia, and Southeast Asia, recent sightings have occurred largely within the Kerinci Regency of central Sumatra and especially within the borders of Taman Nasional Kerinci Seblat (Kerinci Seblat National Park) (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 Mt. Kerinci, the second highest peak in Indonesia. Because of its inaccessibility, the park has been largely spared from the rampant logging occurring throughout Sumatra and provides one of the last homes for the endangered Sumatran tiger.
Orang Pendek has yet to be fully documented and no authoritative account of its behavior or physical characteristics exists. However, witnesses report some characteristics consistently, so a likely picture of the animal can be conjectured.
Debbie Martyr - a prominent Orang Pendek researcher who has worked in the area for over 15 years, has interviewed hundreds of witnesses, and alleges to have seen the animal personally on several occasions—gives the following description:
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Wikipedia