Mythical creatures found in real life! Here are mythological animals that have been discovered: from the okapi to the komodo dragon, these are creatures that actually exist! Subscribe for new videos: http://goo.gl/SaufF4 Follow us on Instagram: @theywillkillyou Voiceover by Carl Mason: [email protected] 6: Okapi The European exploration of Africa was already in full swing near the end of the 19th century. In the densely forested interior of the continent, explorers began hearing tales of a creature that the locals called the O’api or the Atti. Its appearance was described as a mixture of features from the giraffe, donkey and zebra. The creature was said to be extremely shy and sightings were very rare. The first accounts of the Atti were given by explorer Sir Henry Morton Stanley in 1871. He had been sent in the Congo in search of the missing Dr. David Livingstone. Stanley was successful in his quest famously uttering the line ‘Dr. Livingstone, I presume?’ During his exploration of the Congo, Stanley had heard tales of the Atti, described as a large horse with a long and flexible neck, a long tongue, stripped flanks and a horned head. Stanley did not find any physical evidence of the animal to write about in his 1890 book, ‘In Darkest Africa’. An expedition that took place in 1901 would offer the needed insight into the elusive beast. 5: The Spot-Bellied Owl The Ulama or Devil Bird is a creature described in Sri Lankan folklore as a frightening horned bird. The Devil Bird was rarely seen but it would often make its presence felt through its infamous, blood-curling screams. Its cries are described as bearing a resemblance to those of a wailing woman. In most legends the Devil Bird was a person in anguish who fled into a field clutching their head with one hand. Locals perceived its cries as an omen of death. 4: Cuvier’s Beaked Whale In Medieval folklore the ‘Water Owl’ or Ziphius was a legendary nautical monster that was said to lurk in the depths of the northern seas and attack ships. It was described as a creature with the head of an owl, complete with a wedge-shaped beak and massive eyes and the body of a fish. In Latin ‘Ziphius’ means ‘Sword-like’ and could have possibly referred to the creature’s fin which was believed to pierce and cut through the hulls of ships just like a sword. A theory among naturalists is that Cuvier’s beaked whale, also known as the goose-beaked whale, is the creature that inspired the myth of the Ziphius. French anatomist Georges Cuvier first described this whale species in 1823 based on an imperfect skull recovered from France’s Mediterranean coast. 3: The Komodo dragon Varanus komodensis also known as the Komodo dragon is a large lizard species that inhabits the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Flores, Rinca, Padar and Gili Motang. It has sharp claws, a massive frame and formidable fangs. This creature can exceed lengths of 9 feet and it can weigh up to 150 pounds. For a long time the Komodo dragon was believed to be nothing more than a product of local myth and folklore. Even though the islanders were familiar with these massive lizards and called them ‘land crocodiles’, the scientific community met any reports of their existence with great skepticism. 2: The Platypus Ornithorhyncus anatinus, also known as the duck-billed platypus or just simply the platypus is undoubtedly one of the most bizarre creatures found in the animal world. Located in eastern Australia, the platypus is one of the only five species of monotremes. These are mammals that lay eggs instead of bearing live young. The platypus’ odd features offer a glimpse into why 18th century European explorers believed its existence to be an Aboriginal myth. Its flattened tail resembles that of a beaver, it has a duck-like bill, otter-like feet, and the males have venomous spurs, making the platypus one of a very limited number of venomous mammals. Even though this animal was completely unknown to the outside world, the Aborigines were familiar with it and they often hunted it. 1: Giant Squids Stories of encounters with maritime monsters have been circulating around mariners since time unremembered. These include creatures like mermaids and sea serpents, but no other story could send chills down the spines of sailors as much of that of the legendary Kraken. The enormous tentacle monster was said to be very aggressive and prone to attacking ships. It was described as being much larger than a ship and even as large as an island. Even though throughout the years, partial carcasses would be washed ashore, they decomposed before marine wildlife experts could analyze it and remove the giant squid from the realm of myth. In the 1840s, Danish zoologist Johan Japetus Streensup managed to get a close up look at a beached specimen after years of collecting sighting reports about giant squids.