Beasts and Monsters: Giant Apes of South East Asia

In the deep highland forests there are said to still dwell the last members of an ancient beast: a giant red haired ape that rises twice the height of any man or woman. They are said to be the lords of the forest, more fearsome even than the tiger. Some stories tell of individuals that develop a taste for flesh and that they will even stalk and prey on humans when the opportunity arrives. 

I admit this being hard to envision since it seems most animals are skittish and careful to avoid people, only prone to aggression as a defence against our encroachment into their lands. I wonder if such behaviour can be explained then if they feel threatened, cornered or in some other desperate temperament?

- An Account of Sundaland by Alom Takal 

If you want to add a dash of Sword & Sorcery to Sundaland you can't go wrong with Ice Age megafauna. While the Gigantopithecus was likely a herbivore, like the Gorilla they can be incredibly dangerous if they are surprised or feel threatened.

According to Wikipedia their range was across what is now India, China, Vietnam and Indonesia. While they might have become extinct 100,000 years ago who's to say there weren't some that managed to survive in the deep highland forests for longer?

Are they gentle giants that wish to be left alone or are they more aggressive than their smaller cousins? Could something occasionally drive a Gigantopithecus out of its natural habitat and into contact with humans and how should they be dealt with if that were to happen?

Read more about the Gigantopithecus here: Wikipedia: Gigantopithecus and for ideas on how they behave you can read about Orangutans here: Wikipedia: Orangutan

See also: Beasts and Monster: Cave Hyena