I don’t mean “Edna” or “Bob” or “Tiffany.” What name would you think of at the sight of a large flying creature, bigger than any bat, that had no feathers? Let’s consider some common names that come to mind: “pterodactyl” and “flying dinosaur” and “prehistoric bird” and “flying creature.” These names are sometimes chosen by eyewitnesses.
Regarding the creationist cryptozoologists who have explored in Papua New Guinea, searching for the ropen (also known as “pterodactyl”), this web page says:
Regardless of what people think about living pterodactyls, regardless of what people think about creation and evolution, the enthusiasm of these few Americans, searching jungles, is noteworthy. And what if they’re right? Wouldn’t modern living pterodactyls be good news in a world sorely needing good news about life?
Note that “dinosaur” is technically inaccurate, as pterosaurs were not actually dinosaurs.
The “flying dinosaur” of Papua New Guinea is often called “ropen.” It seems to be a Rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur . . . far larger than any of the fossils of Rhamphorhynchoids known, at least into the early 21st century. . . . much more like a pterosaur than anything else.
Note that the creationist cryptozoologists who search for these creatures do not believe that dinosaurs and pterosaurs are really prehistoric. They believe that they are as modern as common animals that we take for granted.
Years of investigations have validated the cryptozoologists who have been searching for “prehistoric birds” (mostly ropens) and interviewing eyewitnesses. This long-tailed flying cryptid is seen around the world, but reports are common around New Guinea.
Also note that “bird” is not technically correct, for these flying creatures have no feathers.
This designation, “flying creature,” is accurate, for it is a creature that flies.
. . . “giant bat” is not really a reasonable explanation. In Papua New Guinea, the Flying Fox fruit bat is large . . . but that bat is huge only in comparison with most of the bats. The “ropen” is much larger, with some of the reports suggesting a wingspan greater than twenty-five feet. No fruit bat has a wingspan much greater than six feet at the very most.
See “What Flies in the Night” (ropen poetry)
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