Ropen is a bird-like creature sighted on the small islands of Umboi and Rambunzo, located off the eastern coast of Papua New Guinea. Its name, translated from the indigenous dialect means, Demon Flyer. This feared creature, according to eyewitness testimonies, is believed to be a long-tailed Rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur.

This featherless creature has leathery skin, a narrow beak and a head crest.  At the end of its long tail is a diamond-shaped flange. Ropen have been described as having black, brown or reddish-tan skin. The size of the Ropen has varied. In northern Papua New Guinea it is reported to be one to two foot long with a wingspan up to six feet. On Umboi Island it is said that the wingspan is seven meters, while near Finschhafen, Papua New Guinea, it is 26-29 feet.

Ropen is a nocturnal hunter that resides in the caves of Rambunzo and Umboi. There have been a few sightings of the creature during the day. Jonathan Whitcomb, author of Searching for Ropens, provides reports, eyewitness testimonies and second-hand accounts that there are two variations of long-tailed pterosaurs in the Southwest Pacific. The smaller Ropen, which have a wingspan of three meters or less are said to be found in the Manus Island area of Papua New Guinea and the larger ones have been reported in the southern region. There have also been accounts of pterosaurs in the United States.

This creature has an advanced sense of smell. It feeds on bugs, fish and other oceanic life. There have been a few accounts where Ropens were witnessed to have attacked funeral processions in order to eat the corpses.

The most peculiar trait of the Ropen is its bioluminescence. It has been reported that the creature displays a bright glow while flying. “Ropen Lights” are said to start at the head and go down alongside the body to its tail. It is speculated that this light helps Ropen to lure bugs and fish. Another hypothesis suggests that this glowing light indicates some sort of flight pattern. During two expeditions conducted in 2004, reports show that the first two hours after sunset the light of Ropen flies towards the Coast. This information relates to some testimonies that this creature flies to the reef early in the evening to feed.

Sightings of Ropen began to surface after World War II. When Western missionaries traveled to Papua New Guinea, encounters with this creature began. Duane Hodgkinson, a soldier in the Army cavalry, stated that had seen a reptilian-like bird. In August 1944, Duane was walking through a forest in Papua New Guinea when he heard something crash into the bushes nearby.  He was astonished when he saw the thing rise from the ground and fly off, but not before circling him a few times. He described it as dark gray, with a fierce beak, a head crest and a wingspan of roughly 20 feet.

Encounters with this modern pterosaur are still being reported. This bird-like creature perhaps is nothing more than a mythological creature conjured up by terrified and fanciful people. Or maybe not all pterosaurs are extinct.  Whatever the case, the notion of Ropen is still fascinating and alluring.

Sources: www.unknownexplorers.com, www.laattorneyvideo.com