Unicorns, dragons, and centaurs all make up the the long, long list of mythical creatures that have no evidence of existing but are so ingrained in cultures that it's tough to believe they aren't real.
However, curious enough, there are creatures that were thought to be mythological, that actually ended up being real. Take for instance the Komodo dragon.
The Komodo dragon, or Komodo monitor, is one of the largest species of lizard that is found on various Indonesian islands. It grows to a maximum length of 10 feet and can weigh up to 150 pounds. This thing is more terrifying than a UFC fighter. Because of their size, they tend to dominate their ecosystem and are happy to hunt down and ambush their prey which includes birds, mammals, and invertebrates. They have been known to take out humans with ease.
They were first documented by Europeans in 1910, described as a "land crocodile." The rumors reached Dutch colonial administration member Lieutenant van Steyn van Hensbroek who went looking for them in 1912. He collected a skin and photo that was published by the Zoological Museum, and thus the first proof that they existed.
The first two live specimens to arrive in Europe were shown off at the London Zoo when it opened in 1927.
