The Giant Snake of Congo: Colonel Remy Van Lierde’s Encounter

In 1959, Belgian helicopter pilot Colonel Remy Van Lierde had an extraordinary encounter while patrolling the skies over the Congo. During his routine flight, he spotted an enormous snake on the ground, a creature unlike anything he had ever seen before. Shocked by its size and appearance, he took a photograph that would later fuel decades of speculation and debate.

According to Van Lierde’s account, the snake measured close to 50 feet in length. Its dark brown and green body contrasted with a pale underbelly, and its head alone was an estimated 3 feet long and 2 feet wide. The most startling aspect of the encounter, however, was not just its immense size but its behavior.

As Van Lierde descended to get a closer look, the serpent exhibited an aggressive response. It reared its head nearly 10 feet off the ground, as if preparing to strike. The pilot quickly realized that had his helicopter been any lower, the snake might have attempted an attack.

Van Lierde managed to capture a photograph of the massive reptile, which was later analyzed and deemed authentic. Experts reviewed the image and confirmed that the proportions appeared accurate, reinforcing the claim that such a giant snake existed in the Congo at that time. However, the precise species of the snake remains a mystery.

The most commonly suggested explanation is that the creature was an unusually large African rock python (Python sebae), a species known to reach lengths of over 20 feet. However, skeptics argue that no documented pythons have approached the estimated size of Van Lierde’s snake. Others believe the sighting may provide evidence of an undiscovered or thought-to-be-extinct species of giant snake, possibly related to the legendary Titanoboa, a prehistoric serpent that lived over 60 million years ago.

While the true identity of the massive snake remains unknown, Colonel Remy Van Lierde’s encounter continues to be one of the most fascinating cryptozoological cases in history. Whether a natural anomaly or evidence of a hidden giant lurking in the depths of the Congo, the story of the 50-foot serpent remains an enduring mystery.