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Bokyboky

boo-kee-boo-kee

The Bokyboky is a civet-like animal reported in the semi-arid woodlands of western Madagascar, typically around Kirindy Mitea National Park. It's described as being around the size of a dog and looking like a stouter version of a civet with large front legs, black spots, a bushy tail, and a small striped mane. The Bokyboky preys only on burrowing animals. Bizarrely, it's said to kill its prey by spraying a foul gas out of a gland under its anus and trapping the entrance with its tail, suffocating the animal.


The taxonomic identity of the bokyboky is hard to tell, as its description somewhat resembles a civet, while the word "bokyboky" is also often used to describe the narrow-snouted mongoose, which does live in the area, but looks and behaves nothing like the cryptid of the same name. Of course, no known animal hunts via flatulence, so the bokyboky may be using some other method of killing their prey, which to an observer, looks like suffocation. Perhaps they block off the entrance with their body, simply restricting the airflow of its prey.


Unfortunately, very little information is on this cryptid, possibly due to it sharing the same name as a known animal. The only detailed source is a scientific paper about Dr. David Burney and Ramilisonina H. documenting the wildlife around the remote village of Belo Sur Mer in the Morondava province.

A civet, which the bokyboky is said to look similar too.

A civet, which the bokyboky is said to look similar too.

The narrow-striped mongoose, which is confusingly also called "bokyboky"

The narrow-striped mongoose, which is confusingly also called "bokyboky"

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