Awesome or Off-Putting is a weekly delve into cryptozoology, ufology, aliens, medical marvels, scientific wonders, secret societies, government conspiracies, cults, ghosts, EVPs, ancient artifacts, strange facts, odd sightings or just the plain unexplainable.
The Grootslang is an African monster that’s said to live in a place called the ‘wonder hole,’ aka ‘the bottomless pit.’ It’s a cave that’s alleged to stretch 40 miles to the ocean, allowing the beast to come and go in a massive, half-elephant slither.
And to make it all a touch more interesting – at least one explorer that entered the cave as a one-man hunting party vanished forever.
The Grootslang is a horrible creature that enjoys murdering innocents, and worse yet, is super ugly. Well, we suppose if you’re either it’s gigantic snake-father or it’s elephant mother you wouldn’t find him unattractive. No – if that was the case you’d probably have his baby pictures strategically adorning all the walls in your super-long, crappy cave.
But we digress – here’s a description of the creature as found on Beastpedia:
“The Grootslang is a cryptid that supposedly dwells in a deep cave known as the “Wonder Hole” in Richtersveld, South Africa. Its name means “Great Snake” in Afrikaans, and it is described as either a forty-foot-long serpent or an elephant with a snake’s tail.”
The Grootslang’s legend has been around for a while – and a big part of that legend pertains to its main hobby. You see, the wonder hole isn’t just the creature’s home filled with piles of dirty laundry and empty pizza boxes – it’s also stuffed full of diamonds.
With the double payoff of finding a one of a kind monster and endless pocket-fulls of diamonds, lots of people have been willing to go spelunking – at least one of which was never seen again. An article entitled ‘Disappearances feed Grootslang legend’ will smatter you with details. It’s long but interesting:
“For years, the Oxford-educated English businessman had trained himself to find the legendary treasure of the Richtersveld in South Africa. It was there, legend had it, that a cavern filled with diamonds awaited the bold adventurer. The only problem was, the cavern was supposedly guarded by Grootslang, a fearsome 40-foot-long serpent with enormous gems in its eye sockets.
“I am determined to return to England as a very rich man or a dead man,” he reportedly said before setting sail with six companions in the summer of 1917. Before leaving, he read hundreds of old maps and diaries from prospectors. He studied African languages and familiarized himself with the customs, legends and superstitions of that part of the continent. His destination was the Orange River Territory, a harsh scrub land populated by poor natives and wild animals.
“The first night in camp a lion killed one member of the expedition and seriously injured a second. A few days later a third companion died of either a poisonous insect bite or snakebite. A fourth man became sick and begged to be taken back to civilization. That left only Mr. Grayson, since the two remaining members of the expedition “volunteered” to take the sick and wounded men to the nearest village for medical treatment.
“I can do this on my own,” he boasted to the guides before they left him alone in the wilderness. That was the last time Mr. Grayson was seen or heard from. When a rescue party returned a week later, they found the camp deserted and no sign of the Englishman.
“The Richtersveld had claimed another victim. Some say it was the Grootslang that killed the hapless adventurer. Native guides pointed out that only a fool would venture into the region alone.Even today, guides are reluctant to take expeditions to the cavern, which is known as the Wonder Hole or Bottomless Pit. Only one man, a tough prospector named Travis, is said to have tried to explore the hole and lived.”
There have been other witnesses to the creature too. Some say it’s a gigantic snake that leaves a trail three feet wide. Other’s say it’s the much more interesting half-elephant/snake something-or-other.
We really don’t care what it looks like – because with money like that it can afford to be ugly.
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