Magical Magic Creature Spotlight: Nundu

[sweettalkeress.livejournal.com]

Nundu

MOM Classification: XXXXX

The Nundu, from East Africa, is described by the book as the most dangerous beast in the world. Apparently it looks like an outsized leopard, and its breath is enough to cause deadly disease that can even wipe out whole villages. It's exceedingly difficult to identify because it moves silently, and it's never been killed by any less than a hundred wizards working together.

This is a very short entry. I suppose you could excuse this as there not being much data on such a dangerous creature, but were it not for that I'd assume that Rowling were just being lazy.

I'm also wondering if this wasn't already a creature from East African legend before Rowling got to it. It wouldn't surprise me—its description reads like that of a sort of god or demon that somehow got appropriated.

No picture this time because it just looks like a leopard.

Comments

[aikaterini.livejournal.com]

If a Nundu is so dangerous, I wonder why Voldemort never got his hands on one after he became immortal. Sure, he might worry about it slaughtering all of his Death Eaters, but if he had a Nundu...he wouldn't really need the Death Eaters, would he? All he'd need to do would be to bring the Nundu with him wherever he went and it would take care of his enemies for him.

[sunnyskywalker]

A leopard, hm? That reminds me of Nnedi Okorafor's recent YA fantasy book, Akata Witch, in which magic-users call themselves "leopard people." Of course that's Nigeria, not in the east at all, and doesn't feature any actual leopards, magical or otherwise (several other Africa-based magical beasties, though!).