Bunyip - O monstro australiano

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"Austrália, o bunyip (cujo nome significa demônio na língua nativa) é um animal fantástico do tamanho de um bezerro que vive em lagos e poços no sertão australiano.

O bunyip se alimenta de seres humanos, dando preferência por mulheres. Seu grito pode fazer o sangue coagular. Acredita-se também que o bunyip cause doenças.

Do mesmo modo que o mapinguari brasileiro, não se sabe se o bunyip é apenas uma lenda ou um animal ainda não descoberto. Algumas teorias apontam como sendo o Diprotodonte, uma espécie de vombate gigante extinta."
http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunyip

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Lenda ou verdade?
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Texto abaixo com possiveis explicações:(inglês)

"Although no documented physical evidence of bunyips has been found, it has been suggested by cryptozoologists that tales of bunyips could be Aboriginal memories of the Diprotodon, or other extinct Australian megafauna which became extinct some 50,000 years ago.[4]

The cries of the possum or koala could likely be mistaken for the bunyip, as most people are surprised to find koalas or possums are capable of such loud roars. The Barking Owl, a nocturnal bird that lives around swamps and billabongs in the Bush is sometimes credited for making the sounds of the bunyip. The bird is known to make a call that can easily be mistaken for the cries of a woman or child. Other species of birds, such as bitterns and bush-stone curlews emit blood curdling sounds that were sometimes attributed to bunyips. However, this is unlikely as the aborigines, having lived in Australia for such a vast amount of time would know these sounds.

The most likely explanation for the existence of bunyips relates to their locations on the Murray-Darling river system. Australian Fur Seals are known to swim up the river system during times of flood, subsequently becoming trapped within the river system once the flooding subsides. There have been dozens of Fur Seals killed or captured as far north as Canberra,[citation needed] incidentally, in close proximity to areas where a Bunyip has been heard or sighted.

The coincidence of the features and sounds made of both animals, would necessarily lead to an inland dwelling Aborigine or European to come to the conclusion that the creature was in fact a new species. Meanwhile, those having travelled more widely, would immediately recognise the same creature as a fur seal. It must be remembered, however, that the bunyip myth is apparently of very ancient origin (tens of thousands of years). Thus, modern bunyip tales may be folk memory that was originally based on large diprotodonts, but had changed into the malevolent mythical beast after these animals had become extinct, and eventually adopted physical elements from fur seals which matched the supposed ecological characteristics of the bunyip better than other living animals.

Also worth noting, the Procoptodon, a pre-historic Kangaroo-like animal, had a rounded face and could lift its arms above head height. Such an animal — especially at dusk or twilight — could easily be mistaken for a bi-pedal humanoid beast. Additionally, the bunyip may include elements of the Quinkana, an extinct pre-historic land-crocodile that died out about 40,000 years ago."