'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.