Kasai Rex

The Kasai Rex is a gigantic theropod cryptid from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Myths & Legends
It is said to be a surviving species of theropod dinosaur, such as a Tyrannosaurus rex; as the cryptid's namesake; although quite a low possiblity; if its indeed an African theropod its likely a species of spinosaurid; abelisaurid; allosaurid; or a carcharodontosaurid; no known species of tyrannosaurid ever depicted/recorded in Africa; it has also been depicted as a species of huge monitor lizard] as well as a terrestrial crocodile; which are all more logical speculations.dinosaur, such as a Tyrannosaurus rex; as the cryptid's namesake; although quite a low possiblity; if its indeed an African theropod its likely a species of spinosaurid; abelisaurid; allosaurid; or a carcharodontosaurid; no known species of tyrannosaurid ever depicted/recorded in Africa; it has also been depicted as a species of huge monitor lizard as well as a terrestrial crocodile; which are all more logical speculations.

Appearance
The Kasai Rex is a large dinosauric reptile said to inhabit the Kasai savannah. According to John Johnson/Johanson the the 13 m (43 ft) long creature was a ''Tyrannosaurus Rex. ''He described it as "reddish in color, with blackish-colored stripes." It also had "a long snout and numerous teeth. The legs were thick; it reminded me of a lion, built for speed."

Sightings
In 1932, the experienced Swedish hunter, John Johnson (sometimes called Johanson) wanted to hunt a huge elephant, so he and his servant left their camp in Capetown. They crossed a swamp until finally reaching the savanna, in the Kasai valley, which seemed desolate, as there were no animals anywhere. That was until the servant cried out in excitement when he saw two elephants, so Johnson got his shotgun ready, but something was wrong with them. There were two of them, and it was supposed to be a pack.

About 44 meters away, there was something in the underbrush stalking the elephants, which suddenly jumped. The servant dropped into the undergrowth, while, Johnson paralyzed, changed aim, and decided to shoot this strange creature. He shot him three times, and only one shot hit, hitting the creature in the back. The creature backed away, and left. Johnson raised his servant, and decided to go to his camp in Capetown, but first, they had to cross the swamp. When they were halfway to the swamp, they heard a splash, thought of crocodiles, so he looked everywhere. Until they saw 22 meters away the same creature that they saw in the savanna, tearing the hump of a rhinoceros, and that with one bite it tore off the leg. Johnson's servant ran terrified, while John stayed there.

He immediately thought of shooting the animal, but remembered terrified that the servant had taken it. But he still had his camera, so he took a photo of the creature, which upon hearing the click, sank quickly into the lake, while the rhinoceros's body floated in a pool of blood.

Upon returning to camp, John walked shivering and shaking the camera, collapsed, and the men picked him up. At the beginning of the year 1933, a group made up of five hunters (among them a renowned ivory trader), went to the Kasai Valley to hunt the creature called Kasai Rex by the newspaper Rhodesia Herald, which they thought was a crocodile giant, and that they would hunt to sell their skin at a good price.

They arrived in the Kasai Valley, and passed through the same swamp where Johnson had spent the previous year. One of the hunters was frightened to see a reddish tail sink into the lake, they thought it was an anaconda, until the atmosphere became tense. They readied their weapons, but were surprised by a wave of water that fell on them from the left side. The reddish tail had left the marsh violently, and hit one of the hunters, who fell into the water.

The other four began to shoot a reddish mass that submerged, they saw nothing, only waves of water that dispersed throughout the surface. The fallen man, with the broken arm, got up and tried to reach his companions. There was a roar from under the water, they moved as fast as possible, but their path was hindered by a giant creature that came out on the right side, and that was submerged on the left side. The hunters had hidden themselves in a rock, and in the end they left there.

Hoax Photographs
There are three alleged photographs of the Kasai Rex. One picture depicts a monitor lizard-like creature on top of a rhinoceros. Both tests were proven as hoaxes, as the lizard had actually been cut out from a nature magazine, the second photo shows a tyrannosaur-like creature eating a rhinoceros, which has been confirmed to be an image from the Valley of Gwangi cut on to top of the rhino. The third picture shows a kinda monitor lizard with stripes roaring. Since then any known images are proven to be hoaxes; the existence of this creature is highly disputed; however it is possible.

Scientific Explanations
However, no known tyrannosaurids were known to ever lived in Africa, but one theropod similar to the size & overall shape, reported and lived in Africa, it is none other than the Carcharodontosaurus saharicus. Carcharodontosaurus was one of the apex predators of Early Cretaceous Africa, and was also known to compete over food & territory with Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, Baharisaurus ingens & Deltadromeus.

Spinosaurus Aegyptiacus was an another apex predator that grew 41 to 55 foot long carnivore from Northern Africa, from Egypt to Morocco. It ate a wide variety of prey such as the aquatic animals from its habitat like large Crocodylmorphs, multiton fish Lepidotes and Onchopristis; and terrestrial animals like İguanadontids such as Ouronosaurus, also subadult & juvenile sauropods. No full or nearly complete skeleton has been discovered. There's a possiblity that it was likely the largest theropod known. Spinosauridae; either Spinosaurus - Sigilmassasaurus or another species of large spinosaurid; are also suspected to represent sightings of Nguma-monene and Niger firespitter.

Carcharodontosaurus Saharicus was a 30 to 45 foot long carnivore from northern Africa as well as some parts of South Africa.

Both creatures lived in swampy places around 70 million years ago. They would have eaten Paralititan, Ouranosaurus, Aegyptosaurus, and if needed the scavenging abelisaur Rugops.