Ngaung Kaung: A Mysterious Creature from Myanmar's Deep Forests

Unique Characteristics of Ngaung Kaung

According to the records describing Ngaung Kaung, it is a human-like creature. It is also known as "Sauk Kwun" (one-legged creature) in Burmese. Ngaung Kaung possesses the following distinctive features:

• •
  One Leg: Ngaung Kaung walks on a single leg and is incredibly fast. It is said to be so swift that even dogs cannot catch up. Due to its inability to bend its knee, it tends to sleep leaning against trees.
• •
  Reversed Heel: Its sole faces backward, with the heel positioned in the front.
• •
  Spike on the Back of the Head: It has a large, prominent spike on the back of its head, similar to a hornbill. It uses this spike to peck trees and can stand on tall trees for extended periods.
• •
  Body Shape: Its body is flat, with two strong arms. Although it has no wings, it can jump more than a human's height.
• •
  Non-Carnivorous: It is also said that it does not consume meat.

Where Ngaung Kaung Resides

Ngaung Kaung creatures typically inhabit dense forests with abundant trees, moving from one tree to another. Historical records indicate that they were once found in large numbers in the Dawna Mountain Range. They have also been reportedly seen in villages around Homalin, Bhamo, Waingmaw, and Mohnyin.

Documented Ngaung Kaung

The most substantial evidence regarding Ngaung Kaung is the royal white parchment kept in the Royal Treasury of the Konbaung Dynasty. This parchment contains illustrations of human-like Ngaung Kaung, including a depiction of one captured during the reign of King Bodawpaya from the Myat Saw Nyi Naung Pagoda in Taungoo.

The last recorded sighting was in 1955, when a villager from Kawapwun village in Kachin State reportedly captured a Ngaung Kaung whose hand was caught in a log-cutting machine. However, it is said that they cannot be tamed and died shortly after capture.

Ngaung Kaung's Hair and Bones

It is believed that Ngaung Kaung's hair is of excellent quality, and ancient women used it to make wigs. Additionally, elders used to say that smoking a pipe made from their bones could strengthen teeth.

In modern times, Ngaung Kaung sightings are extremely rare. They are neither spirits nor birds, but rather a peculiar, human-headed and armed creature, now considered almost extinct.