'Distant cousin' of man found

'Distant cousin' of man found

LONDON (AFP): British explorers say they have found an unknown
species of ape in Indonesia which could be a "distant cousin" of
man, The Sunday Times reported.

The ape, which the explorers named orang pendek, reportedly
lives in the jungles of Sumatra and stands about 1.20 meters
tall. It was said to be covered in long, orange hair and to walk
upright.

Several hundred orang pendek were said to be living in the
most inaccessible part of Sumatra around Mount Kerinci.

"The most spine-chilling thing about this animal is the way it
walks. It's just like a human," said Dugal Muller, the
coordinator of the expedition and a member of Fauna and Flora
International.

He said the apes had been seen several times by expedition
members.

The explorers brought back photographs, excrement, hair and
footprints in support of their claim. But the paper said some
scientists had already expressed doubt about some of the
evidence, notably about certain photographs and a footprint.