Giant Snake Congo 1959

Colonel Remy Van Lierde DFC** (14 August 1915–8 June 1990) was a Belgian pilot and fighter ace who served during World War II in the Belgian and British Air Forces, shooting down six enemy aircraft and 44 V-1 flying bombs, and achieving the RAF rank of Squadron Leader. He returned to the Belgian Air Force after the war and went on to hold several important commands before retiring in 1968.Alleged encounter with a giant snake

On the episode of Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World entitled "Dragons, Dinosaurs and Giant Snakes", Van Lierde claims that in 1959 he encountered a giant snake in the Katanga region of the Belgian Congo while returning from a mission by helicopter. He claims to have then turned around and made several passes over the snake in order to allow another person on board to photograph the creature.

Van Lierde describes the snake as being close to 50 feet in length. He claims it was a dark shade of brown and green with a white coloured belly. He claimed the snake's head was 3 feet long and 2 feet wide, and that the jaws were of a triangular shape.

Van Lierde claims that as he flew lower for a closer inspection, the snake rose up approximately 10 feet, giving the impression it would have attacked the helicopter if it had been within striking range.