Nundu

Nundu
Species information
Hair colour	Yellow with black spots
Native to	East Africa
Mortality	Mortal
Distinction	Resembles leopard or lion in appearance Toxic breath Moved silently Carnivorous
Ministry of Magic Classification	Beast XXXXX
Status	Extant

"A perilous gigantic leopard, whose breath is fatal."

— Description

The Nundu was a large East African magical beast that resembled a leopard.

Description

A Nundu breathing its lethal breath

It moved silently, despite its "gigantic" size and was considered by some to be the most dangerous creature alive. The breath of the Nundu was toxic and filled with disease so potent that it could wipe out entire villages of people.

The Nundu was extremely hard to subdue. It had never been defeated by fewer than around one hundred wizards working together. Compared to the dragons used in the Triwizard Tournament, which were stunned into submission by around ten wizards, the prospect of this rare beast became truly terrifying.

History

Eldon Elsrickle owned a Nundu, which he received as a cub during a voyage to Africa to evade capture for a series of robberies he had committed. He used this Nundu to protect his home and the large treasure he had accumulated inside it from robbing other London residents with his newly-learned Unlocking Charm, keeping it subdued with a daily Stunning Spell when he was home, and reviving it when he left.

However, when he found that all the houses in the neighbourhood were protected by a new Anti-Alohomora Charm invented by Blagdon Blay, he was so infuriated upon returning home that he neglected to Stun his Nundu and was swiftly killed by the beast.

Newt Scamander had a Nundu in his suitcase during his travels to New York in 1926.

Behind the scenes

• According to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the Nundu has never been subdued by fewer than one hundred wizards working in tandem. Yet, Eldon Elsrickle kept his Nundu easily contained with a single daily Stunning Spell. One possible explanation, however, is that his Nundu, large though it was, was still not full-sized, or that, perhaps the Nundu had been weakened by its daily Stunning ever since it was a cub. It could also mean Eldon was a particularly powerful wizard that he could stun the Nundu singlehandedly.
• Apparently, Elsrickle had no trouble dealing with his beast's toxic breath, though it is possible that said breath is developed later in the creature's life cycle.
• How Scamander obtained his own Nundu is unknown, nor is how he subdued it enough to capture it in his suitcase.
  • Scamander's Nundu appears to be tame, based on his interactions with the creature and the fact that he does not appear to stun it. However, this may be because he earned the creature's trust. Such a situation is unlikely, however, given that Nundus are considered impossible to tame, being classified XXXXX. Thus, Scamander's relationship with his Nundu could be a testament to Scamander's unrivalled skill with taming dangerous beasts.
• The Nundu in the film adaptation of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them resembles its description in the book, but also has such features as a spiky, inflatable throat and being darker in colour. When its throat is inflated, the creature more closely resembles a lion. Concept artists for the film were inspired by the way the cobra and puffer-fish expand themselves when threatened.
• The beast's name most likely refers to nunda, also called mngwa, an African feline cryptid commonly described as a savage grey beast the size of a lion or a donkey.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game) (Mentioned only)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay (Mentioned only)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (Mentioned only)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (First appearance)
• Pottermore
• Harry Potter (website)
• Wonderbook: Book of Spells
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened