Cryptid Vault
Ebu Gogo

Ebu Gogo

Also known as: Grandmother Who Eats Anything

The people of Flores Island describe small, hairy cave-dwellers who stole food and children, and the story gained credibility when Homo floresiensis fossils were found.

First Reported

Ancient oral tradition, documented in 20th century

Origin Area

Flores Island, Indonesia

Size

About 3 feet tall

Temperament

Mischievous, stole food and reportedly children

Status

Believed extinct, tradition persists

Eyewitness reportsMedium DangerAsiaForest

The Lore

The Ebu Gogo are small humanoid creatures described in the oral tradition of the Nage people of Flores, Indonesia. They are said to stand about 3 feet tall, covered in hair, with long arms and a pot belly. According to tradition, they lived in caves, could repeat human speech without understanding it, and were eventually driven out or exterminated by villagers. When the fossil species Homo floresiensis was discovered on Flores in 2003, standing about 3.5 feet tall, researchers drew immediate comparisons to the Ebu Gogo legends.

Body Type

Humanoid

Folklore Origin

Indigenous tradition

Notable Witnesses

  • Nage elders of Flores

Media Appearances

  • Flores Man documentaries

Similar Real Animals

Homo floresiensis (extinct)Pygmy populations