Mokele-Mbembe : Sur Les Traces Du Dernier Dinosaure

<p>  </p> <p> <strong>MOKELE-MBEMBE: LOOKING FOR THE LAST DINOSAUR</strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Mokele-Mbembe : Looking For The Last Dinosaur is an adventure documentary project on the quest to find a legendary animal whose appearance would closely resemble that of the famous diplodocus, which may be hiding in the region of the Congo Basin... if found, it would have survived the glacial era and would now be hiding itself in this very primitive region, one of the most unexplored on the planet. Many expeditions have been carried out throughout the course of the twentieth century, all without success... Until now.</strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Mokele-nature0" src="https://kkbb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/project_image/image/16444/mokele-nature0.jpg"></p> <p> <em>View of the Congo Basin area.</em></p> <p> <strong> </strong></p> <p> <img alt="0" src="https://kkbb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/project_image/image/16397/0.jpg"></p> <p> <i>Sketche of the Mokele-Mbembe and a Pygmie man.</i></p> <p>  </p> <p> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="304" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XCMQbxNG_xk?wmode=opaque&amp;feature=oembed" width="540"></iframe></p> <p> <i>Video from a Japanese expedition, 1988.</i></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>THE ADVENTURE HAS BEGUN</strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> In 2011, through mutual friends, <strong>the two heads of the Comptoir Général - museum of ghetto cultures and exploration, Paris, meet Jérôme Raynaud, a biologist and director of prize winning animal documentary films</strong> and the former assistant to Jacques Perrin (Microcosmos, Océans,... ). Thanks to him, They discover a new world of obscure and fascinating science: <strong>cryptozoologia</strong>. </p> <p>  </p> <p> Wrapped up in his project to finally discover this notorious beast known as 'Mokele-Mbembe', and impressed by his work and professionalism, they decide <strong>to reposition a portion of their activity towards this scientific adventure</strong>. The archiving research begins with the ample existant documentation on the subject dating as far back as a century (<strong>scientific revues</strong>, <strong>travel logs</strong>, <strong>press articles</strong>...), and as soon as the first technological partners are secured, the first load of materials is purchased and <strong>Jérôme embarks on the maiden reconnaissance mission in March 2012</strong>. </p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="11post" src="https://kkbb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/project_image/image/16481/11post.jpg"></p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="7post" src="https://kkbb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/project_image/image/16456/7post.jpg"></p> <p> <em>Press articles of the previous expeditions.</em></p> <p> <em>Page from “Connaissance de la Chasse”.</em></p> <p> <i>Cover of “Sciences et Avenir”, issue139, September 1958.</i></p> <p> <em>“A Living Dinosaur”, by Dr. Roy P. Mackal. </em></p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Mokele-imagerie6" src="https://kkbb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/project_image/image/15102/mokele-imagerie6.jpg"></p> <p> <em>Article from “Boston Herald”, June 1999.</em></p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Sciencesetavenir_nb" src="https://kkbb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/project_image/image/15106/sciencesetavenir_nb.jpg"></p> <p> <i>Double-page spread from </i><i>“Sciences et Avenir”</i><i>, issue 139, September 1958.</i></p> <p>  </p> <p> In February 2013, on the website <a href="http://www.mokele.fr/">www.mokele.fr</a> is unveiled: <strong>a log book journal exhibiting the entirety of human knowledge and expertise on the matter</strong>: <strong>his encounters</strong>, <strong>witness accounts</strong>, <strong>clues collected</strong>,<strong> a study of the natural environment of the region</strong>, <strong>an explanation of the technical equipment used</strong>, <strong>and a detailed presentation of all the fundamental elements of this ancestral legend</strong>.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Site-mokele" src="https://kkbb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/project_image/image/15129/site-mokele.png"></p> <p> <em>The website www.mokele.fr.</em></p> <p>  </p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>On the April 1st, The Comptoir Général unveil its new attraction of the same name, open to the public 7 days at 80, quai de Jemmapes in Paris' 10th arrondissement.</strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="10post" src="https://kkbb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/project_image/image/16478/10post.jpg"></p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="9post" src="https://kkbb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/project_image/image/16479/9post.jpg"></p> <p> <em>The attraction Mokele-Mbembe: Looking For The Last Dinosaur at The Comptoir Général.</em></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Join the adventure on :</strong></p> <p> <strong><a href="http://www.mokele.fr" target="_blank">www.mokele.fr</a></strong></p> <p> <strong><a href="http://www.lecomptoirgeneral.com" target="_blank">www.lecomptoirgeneral.com</a></strong></p> <p>  </p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>THE FILMED EXPEDITION – JULY 013</strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>All along the expedition, our explorers in charge will keep us informed of his progress with a log book written in real time. The expedition will also allow the shooting of videos &amp; photos to document the adventure. </strong></p> <p> <strong>www.mokele.fr</strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>THE GOALS</strong></p> <p> <strong>1.</strong> <strong>Explore the water/river/fluvial systems of this region</strong> <strong>as well as the forest zones</strong> close to the river in order to <strong>catalogue the diverse animal species</strong>, both known and unkown, that are present in this region.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Copie_de_p1010701" src="https://kkbb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/project_image/image/13839/Copie_de_P1010701.JPG"></p> <p> <em>The explorers Jérôme Raynaud &amp; Michel Ballot on Boumki river, in Cameroon - Congo frontier.</em></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>2.</strong> <strong>Carry out aerial observations of the region thanks to our drones</strong> in order to better understand and report the presence of bai (or salinas). the bai are salt marshes that attract a multitude of species, which are attracted by the water rich in salt minerals. These are privileged zones of <strong>observation</strong> and <strong>estimation of the species present</strong>.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Ailevolantecam" src="https://kkbb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/project_image/image/13852/ailevolantecam.jpg"></p> <p> <em>The drones, also known as UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles).</em></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>3.</strong> <i> </i>To explore the mysterious dug-out tunnels and carry out inventories (of bones, eggs, claw fragments...) which will help identify the nature of the animal. </p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Grottemokele_-_copie" src="https://kkbb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/project_image/image/13854/grotteMokele_-_copie.jpg"></p> <p> By the riverbank, a huge hole... No known animal could dig something of this size.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>4.</strong> <strong>To continue the collection of first hand visual testimonies</strong> from the local populations, in order to <strong>construct a precise cartography of the areas frequented by the animal</strong> and progress onto establishing its <strong>ethnology</strong>. </p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Dsc01046" src="https://kkbb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/project_image/image/19083/DSC01046.JPG"></p> <p>  </p> <p> <em>Sketche of the Mokele-Mbembe by one of the Congo Basin area inhabitants.</em></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Beyond an eventual first-class scientific discovery</strong>, this adventure also wishes <strong>to raise public awareness </strong>about the <strong>various threats facing a region which is so poorly understood</strong>, including its unequaled biodiversity, the immense natural resources, and the local population rich in ancestral culture. <strong>Deforestation</strong>, <strong>poaching</strong>, <strong>industrial exploitation</strong>...</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="6post" src="https://kkbb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/project_image/image/16484/6post.jpg"><em>Deforestation, poaching... many threats for this paradise land.</em></p> <p>    </p> <p> <strong>THE “LEGEND OF MOKELE-MBEMBE”</strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>The Congo Basin region is spread out over several countries</strong> including Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Central African Republic. Along with the Amazon, this is <strong>the world's most primitive forest region</strong> as well as <strong>one of its least explored</strong>. Certain regions of Northern Congo remain, still to this day, totally undiscovered by man. </p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Dsc00936" src="https://kkbb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/project_image/image/13858/DSC00936.JPG"></p> <p> <em>The Congo Basin area</em><em>, North Congo.</em></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Science estimates that there are in existence between 8 and 30 million living species on the planet</strong>. <strong>To this day, only 1.8 million have been identified</strong>. Millions if species, animal and vegetal, remain to be discovered. As far back as the start of the twentieth century, numerous accounts have been documented testifying to <strong>the existence of an elephant-sized animal</strong> in the Congo Basin that has <strong>a long neck </strong>and <strong>the</strong> <strong>head of a serpent</strong>, and <strong>which walks on all-fours</strong> with <strong>a massive tail</strong> trailing behind it.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Mokele-fact11" src="https://kkbb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/project_image/image/16412/mokele-fact11.png"></p> <p> <em>A pygmie draws Mokele-Mbembe on the floor.</em></p> <p>  </p> <p> Many of these accounts have been reported by missionaries, explorers or hunters of occidental origin, however <strong>the animal is above all recognised and perfectly described by the forests’ ancestral populations</strong>, <strong>the Pygmies</strong>. They call this animal <strong>Mokele-Mbembe</strong>. Its appearance seems to be that of a <strong>smaller sized sauropod</strong>. Its environment would either be <strong>aquatic</strong> or semi-aquatic, and it would frequent the rivers and swamps of these primitive forests.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="_57559033_monsterinlake" src="https://kkbb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/project_image/image/13855/_57559033_monsterinlake.jpg"></p> <p> <em>The Mokele-Mbembe seems to be that of a smaller sized sauropod.</em></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Numerous fatal accidents are attributed to this animal</strong> which is capable of capsizing canoes and of attacking humans. <strong>It is seen and observed regularly</strong> with the sightings generally taking place the evening, <strong>late at night or the early hours before dawn</strong>.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Mokele-imagerie5" src="https://kkbb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/project_image/image/15107/mokele-imagerie5.jpg"></p> <p>  </p> <p> <em>'Mokele-Membe' has different meanings: 'one who stops the flow of rivers', 'rainbow' or monstrous creature'.</em></p> <p>  </p> <p> The Pygmies have an unequaled sense  for and knowledge of the flora and fauna of their forest. They have observed and studied the behaviours of each animal, which they also hunt for the most part. For them, <strong>this animal is rare but is still considered part of the living fauna</strong> of their region. It is important to remember that it is t<strong>hanks to the identical accounts</strong> given by them that occidental <strong>science has been able to discover animals like the Gorilla and the Okapi</strong>. </p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Mokele-fact23" src="https://kkbb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/project_image/image/15109/mokele-fact23.jpg"></p> <p> <em>Thanks to Pygmies, science has been able to discover animals like the Okapi. </em></p> <p>  </p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>The great majority of newly discovered species become so thanks to the first-hand accounts of isolated populations that are generally very familiar with them well before science is able to catch up.</strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Mokele-nature3" src="https://kkbb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/project_image/image/16467/mokele-nature3.jpg"></p> <p> “Blessed Are Those Who Believe And Yet Have Not Seen.”</p>