Beastly Theories (Ep.99) Orang Pendek - with Dally Sandradiputra

Join me as I chat with Cryptozoologist, Author, Researcher and expert on Sumatran fauna and flora - Dally Sandradiputra.

Dally has been a field investigator and expedition consultant for many years, working alongside numerous scientists and cryptozoologists to discover evidence of Sumatra's very own diminutive cryptid ape - Orang Pendek ('short person').

Dally recounts his initiation into the mystery, his first attempts to find it, and the feeling of being awestruck and immobilised one day after unexpectedly catching the creature raiding his camp supplies!

We discuss his theories on the probable genus of this gentle being, the successes and failures of past expeditions, how financial incentivisation only leads to tainted eyewitness testimony, and why he believes that the species could be at risk of extinction in the decades to come.

However, Orang Pendek is not the only cryptid on Dally's resume, as he has conducted extensive field investigations into Orang Gadang (Giant Man) sightings (a bigfoot-like creature, similar to Sasquatch), The Cigau (a  large unknown lion-coloured semi-aquatic cat) and even discovered the presence of a cryptic tiger population in an area where they are believed to be extinct, along with researchers Carl Marshall and Richard Freeman, in 2022.

Dally believes that the best way to help Orang Pendek as a species is with international cooperation and incentivised environmental protection initiatives that ensure that the preservation of the species is seen as an asset by local people and government institutions. 

Find Dally at: https://www.instagram.com/dallysandradiputra/

Check out my other Beastly Endeavours: https://linktr.ee/beastsof