Beyond the Secret Elephants: On mystery, elephants and discovery

by Gareth Patterson

Beyond the Secret Elephants is Gareth Patterson's long-awaited sequel to The Secret Elephants, published in 2009.Beyond the Secret Elephants is the continuing story of Gareth Patterson's almost two decades of research into the secretive Knysna elephants. Significantly, however, it also reveals his startling discovery of a much more mysterious being than the elephants – a relict hominoid known to the indigenous forest people as the Otang.Gareth had long heard about the existence of the otang from the local people but he mentioned it only briefly in The Secret Elephants, focusing instead on his rediscovery of the Knysna elephants and their survival against the odds. He was reluctant to blur the story of the elephants with his findings about the otang.That is, until now.The possible existence of relict hominoids is today gaining momentum worldwide with ongoing research into Bigfoot in North America, the Yeti in the Himalayas and the Orang Pendek in Sumatra. Eminent conservationists and scientists – among them Dr Jane Goodall, Dr George Schaller and Professor Jeff Meldrum – have publicly stated that they are open-minded about the possible existence of these cryptid beings.In the course of his unannounced research into the otang Gareth heard many accounts – mostly spontaneous and unprompted – of otang sightings by others in the area over a number of years. These accounts, documented in the book, are astonishingly consistent both in the descriptions of the otang and in the shocked reactions of the individuals who saw them.Gareth Patterson's work supports the increasing realisation that humankind still has much to learn about the natural world and the mysteries it holds. The possibility that we may be sharing our world with other as yet unidentified hominoids is today being viewed as something that should not be discounted. And as humankind, we need to reassess our role and our responsibility towards all forms of life that coexist with us on planet Earth.… following in the erudite footsteps of the late Lyall Watson … by exploring beyond the fringe of 'fringe science' … - Ian Redmond OBE

Genres: Cryptozoology, Nonfiction, Bigfoot, Africa, Contemporary

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 6, 2020

Reviews

[Elentarri · Rating 4 out of 5]

While studying the secretive and mysterious Knysna elephants in South Africa, Garth Patterson also had brief encounters with relict hominoids, known locally as the Otang - South Africa's version of the Yeti or Sasquatch or the Sumatran Orang Pendek.  This book is something of a memoir of Patterson's sightings of these Otang, as well as descriptions of other people's encounters.  Patterson also dedicates a short chapter to relict hominoid encounters in other parts of Africa.  Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately?), Patterson never found any corpses, fur or scat, only some footprints and the aforementioned sightings.  Of course, there are also elephants, which are almost as cryptic as the Otang.  I found this book particularly interesting because I didn't know anything about Southern Africa's version of the Sasquatch.  I thought this was a North American and Himalayan phenomenon.  It's exciting to think that there might still be large, unknown creatures out there, in what is almost my backyard.

[George Kanakaris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing work. Knysna elephants, otang, what's not to like in this very well written report.