Cryptozoology: A playground in science

Before we continue I am in no way a crytozoologist or zoologist in general. To talk scientificaly I am using background info and logic. This forum is dedicated to discusing weekly (if I can) a creature that falls into cryptozoology. There are only so many creatures, so feel free to leave recommendations or theories or heck, experiences. If I can I'll post sketches I make of the creature we're discussing. If you're interested leave a like or reply so I see how many people are interested so I can get started.

 

Because I like big cats I decided our first creature would be the.... DUN DUN DUN!!!!

Name: The Marozi
Location: Kenya's Aberdares Mountain
Description: Spotted African lion. males lack manes
Potential Explanations: Genetic Mutation, Lion/Hyena Hybrid* or new sub-species or adaptation
**Extremely unlikely, to genetically different
Evidence: 2 skins have been obtained, they are pictured below.
Marozi

 

Could be a leopard with a weird pattern.

 

Or perhaps a couple of juvenile lions who have retained their infant spots a bit longer than normal?

 

Right, they said they were smaller than most lions so that could be a possibility.

 

Looking at the pictures they don't have as many spots as a leopard or hyena. I think @amur leopard is right about the juveniles. Their might be a chance that this is Leopan or liopard. However it lacks nearly as many spots as this Leopan.

 

I'm interested about these cryptids:
New Guinea's Devilpig (I think it's an Entelodont)
Cehehe (I think it's a Musk deer)
Nandi bear
Andean wolf
I think these cryptids can exist. What do you think about them?

 

This one I suspect is just an oversized Culpeo.

 

I think you're right about that one, compare the skulls of this puma to the one of a musk deer and it appears to make sense that some one could mistake it.

 

Upon further reflection I don't think its a musk deer according to a witness its only 40 cm tall. I think its a larger chevrotain.

 

Musk deer are native to Eastern Russia and surrounding areas, not Java. I think @HungarianBison meant muntjacs, which are quite similar and correspond to the size.

 

No, I thought to Musk deer. Otherwise musk deer lives in the Himalayas and southern China, which are closer to Java.

 

I wonder if the Nandi bear is an over sized hyena or a surviving atlas bear.

 

The Himalayas and Southern China are still not at all close to Java; not sure how Musk Deer could possibly be in Java anyway as it’s an island.

 

Heuvelmanns said it could possibly be a large ratel or even a chalicothere.

 

I think its two big to be a ratel (honey Badger) but it could be chalicothere

 

@HungarianBison I have to agree I don't think it could be a musk deer, maybe a small Chital deer

 

I like the idea of a living chalicothere; there is/was a reconstruction of one at Basle's Natural History Museum. The ratel is probably more likely; after all some people think a 'pussy cat' is a lion - that happened a few years ago in Essex.

 

Realistic yes but unlikely, I personally think its a large species of hyena

 

Ratels are too small and have a different coloration