MAPINGUARI

The Amazon rainforest has a savior. And he's the Brazilian Bigfoot.

For centuries, legends of the indigenous Karitiana people have told of a behemoth, hairy, foul-smelling creature who lurks the dark jungles of the Amazon. He stands on two legs, and bears long, sharp, hook-shaped nails. Don't run, because he'll see you with his single cyclops eye. And if he does spot you and catch you, his abdomen will open and he'll shove you into his gaping maw head-first. Don't worry, many legends say he'll only bite your head off, and chew it slowly before ingesting it. So, at least you don't need that, right?

Some believe the mapinguari was an amalgam of several legends, as many cryptos tend to be. For instance, the Curupira is another forest guardian of the Guyanan people. (Mapinguari has become a natural redhead canonically in order to differentiate, among other features.) But mapinguari has taken on a life of its own and became a distinct and terrifying presence to all who oppose him. And if you think you might be safe if you don't go out in the forest at night—you're wrong. Unlike other creatures, mapinguari is more of a "sun's out guns out" kind of guy and is perfectly fine hunting you in broad daylight. All that matters to him is why you're in the Amazon in the first place.

Origins of mapinguari are spotty: while some believe him to be an ancient king of the region, others believe he was a shaman turned into a hairy cyclops. He does, however, consistently possess only the single eye. His giant mouth across his abdomen sometimes changes orientation and placement, but it's largely agreed that it's the only kill-shot—anywhere else, the dude's invulnerable. Some say he has backwards feet, in order to confuse hunters and trackers. Some more Christian-influenced stories throw in that he does not hunt on the Sabbath. Some ethnographers have gone so far to speculate he might be a descendent of a pre-historic ground sloth, and is a yet-defined mammal, similar to Sasquatch. But one thing's consistent: mapinguari stans nature. He's not going around killing people willy-nilly. There's motive behind his eye. Mapinguari is on the lookout for over-hunters; for people taking too many resources; for disrespectful poachers of the environment. He's like Captain Planet, if Captain Planet were a horrifying, smelly cyclops. Or, maybe a more apt analogy would be the Toxic Avenger.

However you choose to believe, mapinguari is a reminder to not take the earth for granted, to take only what you need, and to keep an eye on mother nature—because it's keeping an eye on you.

See you out there.