The Strange Case of the Maori Gorilla

In the second half of the 19th century, New Zealand witnessed extraordinary reports of a mysterious creature that became known as the "Maori Gorilla." Sightings of a gorilla-like creature, described by the indigenous Maori, generated enormous media interest. However, the situation soon took a surprising turn – reports of gorilla captures began to multiply, including conflicting reports suggesting it might have been a seal or even an old woman. This enigmatic story, rife with ambiguities and contradictions, remains unexplained to this day.

Cryptozoology often feels a lot like detective work. The field of cryptozoological research is filled with countless mysteries and puzzles that have somehow been lost over time and become a puzzle we must piece together, often with incomplete, vague, or even contradictory information. These are the occasions when we have a story about some strange or fantastical creature lurking in the wilds of the world, for which we have only a few historical records, frustratingly sparse in terms of information to work with. In such cases, we rack our brains, desperately trying to track down every scrap of history and witness testimony we can find, every old article or scrap, often never finding the answers we so desperately seek. Undoubtedly, lost or forgotten reports of cryptids can test our patience. One old cryptid report that recently caught my eye involves an animal called the Maori Gorilla – a sort of ape-like creature that inhabits the wilds of New Zealand – which is certainly strange enough in itself, but it's a story that quickly becomes even stranger as it unfolds, all the while leaving incredibly little clues or historical evidence, before simply fading into obscurity.

In the latter half of 1870, the area around Porter's Bay, New Zealand, was the site of a strange series of sightings of a creature described as resembling a gorilla. In most cases, the creature was described as being about five feet tall, with sparse, disheveled hair, a tuft of hair on top of its head, and a pair of visible "fangs" protruding—depending on the report—from either side of its head or from its snout. The animal, later dubbed the "Maori gorilla," was seen both on the shores of the bay and occasionally wading in the water. According to reports beginning in September 1870 in the Thames Advisor, the creature was likely well-known to the native Maori, who called it "tupuna"—meaning "ancestor." The Maori gorilla's varied diet was said to include potatoes, shells, and nuts. Newspapers of the time speculated that it might be a "missing link" or some kind of primitive human ancestor, and great interest was expressed in tracking it down and capturing whatever it was.