Ropen

The Ropen is a flying cryptid alleged to live in the vicinity of Papua New Guinea. As an attempt to discredit scientific views on evolution and the age of the Earth, several American creationists, including Carl Baugh, Paul Nation, Jonathan Whitcomb, David Woetzel, and Garth Guessman have embarked on expeditions in Papua New Guinea to find evidence for this creature, and have published books about the purported evidence they have gathered. The connection with religious beliefs became more obvious when the third edition of Whitcomb's first book was published in 2014, after three words were added to the title: Searching for Ropens and Finding God.
Description
According to the second edition of the book Searching for Ropens, a ropen is "any featherless creature that flies in the Southwest Pacific, and has a tail-length more than 25% of its wingspan," but according to the third edition of that book, it is "A modern pterosaur with Rhamphorhynchoid characteristics." Purportedly, onUmboi Island the word "ropen" refers to a large nocturnal creature that glows briefly as it flies. The Ropen is variably described by Whitcomb and colleagues as batlike, and Pterosaur-like; although pterosaurs are generally accepted to have been extinct. The ropen is said to be nocturnal and to exhibit bioluminescence. Purportedly it lives on a diet of fish, though it is also described as feasting on human flesh, especially grave robbery.
Other investigations
In 2007, cryptid investigator Joshua Gates went to Papua New Guinea in search of the Ropen for his TV show Destination Truth. He and his team also witnessed strange lights at night and could not confirm what they were.
In 2009, the television show Monster Quest conducted an expedition in search of the "demon flyer" but found no evidence of the creature. Later, they had a forensic video analyst examine the Paul Nation video. The analyst could not definitely conclude what was causing the lights, but ruled out vehicles and campfires believing the footage was of a pair of bioluminescent creatures perched in a tree that later take flight.

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