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The Weird and Wonderful World of Cryptids

By Beth

The 2023-2024 Summer Reading Adventure is fast approaching with an exciting new challenge for you - a chance to design and draw your very own cryptid! But what is a cryptid, you might wonder?

Amidst a forest, a moose is silhouetted against a glowing green sky

We're always looking for new activities to add into the Summer Reading Adventure, and this summer it's cryptids!

A cryptid is a creature or being whose existence hasn't been proven, like the Bigfoot or Loch Ness Monster. Those are two of the most famous examples, but there are actually countless cryptids out there, including some amazing creatures here in Aotearoa! Since you'll be creating your own cryptid from scratch, let's get inspired by some of the more well-known ones in NZ:

Waitoreke

The Waitoreke (also known as the New Zealand otter or kaurehe) is supposedly a furry, amphibious creature the size of a cat, and accounts of this cryptid date back more than 200 years. Sightings of this creature are usually reported around the waterways of the South Island, so keep an eye out next time you go on a family road trip!

Moehau Man

Moehau Man is a large, ape-like creature said to live in the Moehau Range in the Coramandel. While some people suggest that the legend of the Moehau Man has roots in Māori mythology, or is even borrowed from the American Bigfoot, its definite origins are unknown and keen cryptozoologists (people who study and try to find cryptids) have yet to find enough proof to confirm its existence.

Fiordland Moose

Black and white image from an old newspaper of two moose standing knee deep in the Seaforth River in the South Island.

Original image from Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections.

Way back in 1910, a handful of moose were introduced into the South Island's Fiordland, where they disappeared into the wilderness. Ever since, the continued existence of these creatures has been much debated. With the last proven sighting in 1953, and an entire moose antler being found in the 1970s, the whole of New Zealand has been kept guessing about these moose, and wondering if they're still trekking around the Fiordland bush.

Canterbury Panther

The legend of the Canterbury Panther comes from regular reports and sightings of a giant black cat in the area around Canterbury. While some sceptics suggest that these sightings are of an abnormally large housecat, enough evidence remains that the Canterbury Panther is one of Aotearoa's most famous (and plausible!) cryptids.

Adorable tiny black kitten with piercing blue eyes in a basket, looking up towards the viewer.

Photo by 2 Bro’s Media on Unsplash.

terrifying Canterbury Panther? Perhaps not.

Come down to your local library this summer to try designing your very own cryptid as part of our Summer Reading Adventure, and in the meantime, have a browse of our library's cryptozoological collection!