Orang Pendek

In Indonesian folklore, the Orang Pendek (Indonesian for 'short person') is the most common name for a creature reportedly inhabiting remote, mountainous forests on Sumatra. This being has allegedly been observed and documented for at least a century by forest tribes, local villagers, Dutch colonists, and Western scientists and travelers. Witnesses generally describe the animal as a ground-dwelling, bipedal primate covered in short fur, standing between 80 and 150 cm (30 and 60 in) tall.

While Orang Pendek and similar creatures have historically been reported throughout Sumatra, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia, claimed sightings have occurred primarily within the Kerinci Regency of central Sumatra, especially within Kerinci Seblat National Park (Taman Nasional Kerinci Seblat or TNKS). Located 2° south of the equator within the Bukit Barisan mountain range, the park contains some of the world's most remote primary rainforest. The habitat varies from lowland dipterocarp rainforest and montane forests to volcanic alpine formations on Mount Kerinci, Indonesia's second highest peak.