During the glaciations of the Pleistocene era, the polar icecaps increased in size, and the level of the sea fell. Some island remained isolated, while others became joined to the continent. Java was one of these. Once the glaciation was over, the sea returned to its original level, and Java once more became an island, cut off from mainland Asia. From that time on, its fauna and flora took different evolutionary roads from those of the continent. Roads which would lead to the creation of legendary creatures.
Over many generations, the local people learnt to live with the jungle and its mysterious inhabitants. From them, the European explorers received the first descriptions of the fauna of the area. The visitors’ lack of scientific knowledge would transform these explanations into fabulous tales. It would seem the most fantastic creatures dwelled in the heart of the jungle. The tree cover is so dense that in some parts barely 5% of the sunlight reaches the ground. The darkness and the thick vegetation make it almost impossible to spot the animals.