Some of the world's darkest legends are Australian
having it's roots in ancient aboriginal mythology
Australian folklore was born when 2 civilizations collided
with parts of the country still barely touched by humans
it's easy to see why so many monsters are said to hide in the wilderness
but strange monsters are just one element of Australian legends
in remote wooded areas lives a monstrous amphibian
around 4 feet tall, it's like a cross between a frog and a human child
with a strangely large head
preying on humans, they are known to perch on tall fig trees
patiently waiting for months on end
they pounce on any human to walk below
through suction cups on each of it's fingers
it will drain you of blood, and shovel you into it's mouth
but before you die it regurgitates you
then swallows you whole once again
in time your body will shrink
your skin will turn red, and you will become one of it's kind
In a small village there once lived a man called Eaglehawk
one day he needed to go out on a hunt
and left his baby to be looked after by his neighbor
but the neighbor wasn't a fan of babies
so when it wouldn't stop crying, he beat it to death
returning to find the dead child, Eaglehawk chased him out of the village
soon the hunters had him surrounded
as he hid high up on a tree
unwilling to risk climbing, they set fire to it
but as the flame reached higher there was no sign of him
it was as if he'd disappeared
then they saw a small bird fly away, and realized what had happened
his evil deed had cursed him, transforming him into a crow that could not die
at the height of world war 2
US airmen were stationed in Australia
and with them came 2 pumas to serve as their mascots
but in the confusion of war the pumas escaped
since then thousands have reported encountering a large cat in the area
and dead cows have regularly been found torn apart
some even claim to have been attacked
perhaps the two pumas mated
and now a group of them are killing their way through the country
somewhere in the wilderness there is a 12 foot tall ape-like humanoid
a mysterious beast
the footprints it leaves vary in size
some prints are large and with ten toes
while others are smaller and with either less or more
it's almost like the creature physically changed while on the move
but no one has ever witnessed the change
although most who encounter the monster are quickly killed
eaten headfirst with no chance of survival
in the 1970s, a hundred thousand dollars
was offered to anyone who could capture the Yowie dead or alive
as of yet none have claimed the reward
in 1929, an Australian explorer announced his discovery of a vast gold deposit
deep within central Australia, the area is hard to reach
soon he was able to fund a mining expedition
heading into the desert with a team
but during the journey he began to act erratic
deliberately leading the group through especially deadly routes
warped by greed, his companions realized he had lost his mind
and when he refused to reveal the gold's location, they abandoned him
stumbling on into the desert alone, he was soon blinded by a sandstorm and died of exhaustion
no one knows if the gold is real
he took that secret to the grave
but he was not the last to die searching for it
in 1964 Robert Le Serrac was enjoying a boat trip
he was in the waters surrounding hook island
just off Australia's northern coast
then suddenly, he spotted an enormous creature swimming towards the ship
like a giant tadpole
it's head was four feet wide, with pale green eyes and a monstrous mouth
it appeared to be 30 feet long
but the more he watched, the longer the creature grew
swimming closer, it grew even larger
and opened it's mouth wide, as if it would swallow the ship whole
but just as death seemed certain it swam away
many doubted his encounter with the hook island monster
but he did take photographs of it
in the early 20th century
a German doctor bought a mansion in Australia
and moved his family to the country
but after just a few months
his wife and children died in mysterious circumstances
the sudden loss drove him mad
now instead of helping his patients, he conducted dark experiments on them
holding them captive and toruring them without anesthetic
as the mansion was so far from any city, no one could hear their screams
it was only after his death that local authorities investigated the crime
but the ghosts of his victims never grew quiet
and still now they walk the halls of his old home
in the lakes of southern Australia lives a mysterious race of creature
half man, half fish, they are essentially mermen
they are very old and capable of emerging from the water
many accounts tell of small boats being boarded by them
or pulled underwater with the crew still aboard
suspicious of humans, they are extremely dangerous when threatened
their skin is thick and naturally bulletproof
and a single touch from them is deadly
immediately painful blisters break out across your body
but it will take half a year for you to finally die
yet the mur folk are the ones who fear us
hiding under seaweed to avoid detection
in the early 1800s, it was widely believed Australia had a vast inland sea
the only problem - nobody knew exactly where it was
many explorers set out to find it
knowing their name would go down in history if successful
all failed, and many died from exhaustion or dehydration
during one of the largest expeditions, a sandstorm enveloped the party
it lasted for several minutes
and when it died down they realized one of their members was gone
neither he nor his horse were ever found
their fate remains a mystery
the most dangerous of all Australian monsters is the Bunyip
by the time Europeans arrived on the island
natives knew to avoid it at all cost, yet their descriptions of it varied
according to some it was a giant reptile
with long tentacles and a single large eye
just looking into that eye can cause death
other say it looks more like a large dog
all agree it is a water dwelling beast
inhabiting remote swamps and rivers
lurking quietly, it can easily kill and eat any animal
including humans
some tribes would never approach a body of water they were not familiar with
fearing a bunyip may be there