The 1980s Search for Living Dinosaurs in Central Africa

Record summary

The 1980s saw a recognizable expedition movement seeking living dinosaurs in Central Africa, centered on Mokele-mbembe and related names such as Emela-ntouka and Ngoubou. This is a research lead about a historical episode rather than a single encounter. It allows comparison of expedition funding, missionary and colonial travel networks, interview methods, media production and the absence of physical evidence. The movement’s significance lies in the interaction between zoology, popular science and cryptozoology; its extraordinary interpretations remain disputed and unsupported by accepted biological evidence.