As the mist enshrouded an island located south of the Asian continent, a new day dawned. This particular island was just one among the vast expanse of over 20,000 islands stretching from Asia to Australia. However, its interior harbored enigmatic wonders that had astounded scientists for generations.
When the first European explorers arrived at the Indonesian archipelago in the early 16th century, their senses were overwhelmed by what lay before them. A new world unfolded, with impenetrable jungles and erupting volcanoes, a realm veiled in darkness and mystery. Nature seemed to have taken on an unconventional form in this distant land, where plants fed on animals and fish defied the constraints of water.
Each fresh discovery brought forth a new enigma. Three hundred years later, at the dawn of the 20th century, a pilot whose plane had crashed into the sea managed to swim ashore on one of these islands. When the rescue team eventually located him, the man appeared to have lost touch with reality. In his delirium, he recounted tales of gigantic lizards inhabiting the island, creatures that devoured the locals. Unbeknownst to them, those men had unwittingly ventured into the “land of dragons.”
During the Pleistocene era’s glacial period, the polar ice caps expanded, causing the sea level to recede. Some islands remained isolated while others became connected to the mainland. Java was one such island. However, as the glaciation ended, the sea returned to its original level, once again isolating Java from mainland Asia.
From that point forward, Java’s fauna and flora embarked on distinct evolutionary paths, diverging from those of the continent. These unique paths eventually gave rise to legendary creatures. The island’s isolation and the inaccessibility of its jungles shrouded it in an aura of mystery. Rare visitors from the mainland returned with accounts of unfamiliar animals, and these tales spread, transformed, and embellished. By the time they reached distant Europe, they had transformed into fabled legends of mythical beings.
