Orang Mawas or Mawas (also known as the Orang Dalam) is a hominid cryptid reported to inhabit the jungle of Johor in Malaysia. It is described as being about 10 ft (2.4–3 m) tall, bipedal and covered in black fur, and has been reported feeding on fish and raiding orchards. There have been many sightings of the creature, which the local Orang Asli people call hantu jarang gigi, which translates as 'Snaggle-toothed Ghost'. Recorded claims of Mawas sightings date back to 1871. Some speculate the creature may be a surviving Gigantopithecus, while others dismiss the sightings as misidentified Sun Bears.The creature is similar to the Muwa, another hominid, this time found in the Philippines.
There have been many reported sightings since the 1950s, and in 1995 in Johor large tracks with four toes were reported. In November 2005 a much publicised sighting occurred when three workers clearing ground for a pond saw a Mawa family of two adults and a child walking near the Kincin River. Later large humanoid footprints were found, including one 18 in (46 cm) long. A photograph of a fresh footprint in tar, attributed to the Mawas, was printed in Malaysian newspapers in January 2006. A government team has been searching for more evidence of the Mawas. In late January 2006, the authorities in Johor announced an official expedition to prove the creature's existence, making it the first country to have an official hunt for a mystery hominid. A news story on Cryptomundo.com said that an Orang Mawas was captured in Johor on the expedition of Johor, as reported on April 19, 2006 in the Berita Harian, but an official report released by Bernama denied it.
In Sumatra, mawas (sometimes maias) is common name for the orangutan.
Read more about Orang Mawas: Muwa