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Murray is a lake monster in Papua New Guinea.

Approximately the size of California, Papua New Guinea is a small nation, which occupies the eastern half of the island of New Guinea. Lying just north of Queensland, Australia (home of the QUEENSLAND CARCASS) Papua New Guinea is a culture which boasts a unique blend of European and Indonesian influences.

Ranging over 100-miles long, 70-miles wide - and expanding up to five times that size during the flood season - Lake Murray is far and away the largest body of water on this small island nation. Known for its world renowned crocodile research station, Lake Murray is also the reputed habitat for an even more ferocious beast.

The first account of this animal came as recently as December 11, 1999, when a small group of native villagers - while paddling across the lake in a fishing canoe - reported seeing what they described as a "dinosaur-like reptile" wading in shallow pools near Boboa Island. On the following day, two missionaries (a Seventh Day Adventist pastor and a church elder) claimed to have seen a similar animal in the same region.

Described by eyewitnesses as being as being "as long as a dump truck", this animal is said to be a bipedal, amphibious creature, approximately 6-feet in width, with two, short forelimbs, legs as wide as palm tree trunks, a long neck, and a slender tail. The creature's head has been compared to that of a large eyed bovine with teeth as long as a man's fingers. Its back is said to have "largish triangular scoops" and its epidermis has been likened to that of the more familiar crocodile.

In June of 2000, reports emanating from Irian Jaya (the Indonesian section of New Guinea) stated that missionaries had traveled to the Lake Murray region armed with paleontology books in order to confirm these reports. According to this account, island natives grew agitated when they saw the images of a dinosaur which they believed to be the monster in the lake.

Unfortunately this report does not include the identities of the animals found in these prehistoric mug shots, but some investigators have surmised - based upon eyewitness testimony - that the animal in question may be related to the saurian group known as Theropods (swift, bipedal, carnivores, which included the Tyrannosaurus rex amongst its kin), which were presumed to have become extinct during the Cretaceous period.

As always, we welcome your questions, comments, and any additional information that you may have regarding any of the animals already represented on this site. We would also express our hearty gratitude to anyone who can provide us with details pertaining to any of the unique beasts which we may have neglected.

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